Lead Mainframe Active-Active Architect / SME

JD for Mainframe A-A assessment

A highly qualified individual is needed to lead the mainframe active-active assessment and transformation. The ideal candidate would possess the following:

Role Title: Lead Mainframe Active-Active Architect / SME

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Experience: * Deep Mainframe Expertise: * Extensive knowledge of mainframe infrastructure, including ZOS, DB2, and CICS.

* Proficiency with dependent mainframe services such as Mainframe Printing and Control-M.

* Strong understanding of mainframe storage solutions like DS8000 and data lifecycle management (DLM).

* In-depth knowledge of mainframe automation.

·       Active-Active and Disaster Recovery Proficiency:

o   Demonstrated experience in assessing and designing active-active (A-A) environments for mainframes.

o   Expertise in data consistency and synchronization mechanisms in active-active setups.

o   Familiarity with various replication tools such as GDPS, XRC, and SRDF.

o   Experience with failover scenarios and defining Recovery Time Objectives (RTO).

o   Thorough understanding of IBM GDPS (Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex), including its benefits, prerequisites, licensing, and potential showstoppers (e.g., Metro Mirror, Global Mirror, HyperSwap, SASP-enabled routers) .

·       Assessment and Design Methodology:

o   Proven ability to perform current state assessments, including identifying gaps, limitations, and pre-requisites for an A-A transformation.

o   Experience in developing high-level designs (HLD) for mainframe active-active solutions.

o   Skilled in creating transformation roadmaps with staged implementation plans, including active-hot-standby configurations.

o   Capability to develop a Bill of Materials (BoM) covering hardware upgrades, licenses, and professional services.

o   Experience with high-level costing analysis.

o   Familiarity with frameworks like the Operational Resilience Framework (ORF) and standards such as ISO 22301, ISO 27001, DORA, and NIST is a plus.

·       Project and Communication Skills:

o   Ability to conduct workshops, interviews, and discovery sessions with SMEs and stakeholders to gather information and validate requirements.

o   Strong analytical skills to summarize current IT environments and identify key issues.

o   Excellent communication and presentation skills to deliver findings, recommendations, and executive presentations.

o   Ability to work independently and remotely, with some on-site presence as required.

o   Experience in a challenging and urgent project environment

Engagement Details:

• Duration: ~12 weeks
• Effort: ~2 days/week (totaling just over a month of effort)
• On-site Time: 10 days included
• Start Date: Ideally mid-July (flexible by 1–2 weeks)
• Remote Start: Possible