The Mainframe Legacy Modernization Engineer will play a key role in transforming large, complex mainframe applications into modern, scalable, and cloud‑ready architectures. The engineer will work across assessment, reverse engineering, migration, refactoring, and re‑architecture initiatives, collaborating with architects, business SMEs, and cloud teams to modernize COBOL‑based systems into microservices, APIs, and distributed platforms.
This role requires strong hands‑on mainframe expertise combined with modern application, integration, data transformation and cloud engineering skills.
Key Responsibilities
· Analyze complex mainframe applications (COBOL, CICS, JCL, DB2, VSAM, MQ) to understand business rules, data flows, batch cycles, and system interdependencies.
· Experienced in Mainframe transformation design patterns
· Hands-on transformation knowledge
· Mainframe Data migration experience
· Perform inventory analysis, call‑chain analysis, and functional decomposition of monolithic applications.
· Extract and document technical and business rules using automated discovery or reverse‑engineering tools.
· Design and implement modernization strategies including re‑host, re‑platform, re‑factor, re‑architect, replace, or retire approaches
· Convert or refactor legacy COBOL logic into modern languages such as Java using automated tools or manual re‑engineering techniques.
· Apply incremental modernization patterns such as strangler‑fig and coexistence models to reduce migration risk.
· Modernize JCL‑based batch processes into cloud‑native batch frameworks (e.g., Spring Batch, workflow orchestration).
· Support migration or re‑engineering of scheduling, file transfer, and output management components.
· Ensure functional parity and data integrity between legacy and modernized systems.
Work Model:
We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a position that requires 4 days a week in a client office in Jersey City, New Jersey. Regardless of our working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance though our various wellbeing programs.
The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you’re engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.
What you will need to have to be considered:
· Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field (Required)
· 7-10 years of proven experience in managing large-scale or enterprise level initiatives.
· Experience with AI‑based transformation accelerators (AI‑assisted code conversion, rule extraction, pattern detection).
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and hybrid architectures.
- Experience modernizing batch workloads into cloud‑native orchestration tools (Airflow, Step Functions, Argo, etc.).
- Background in mainframe‑heavy industries such as banking, insurance, or government.
- Certifications such as IBM z/OS Administrator/Developer, cloud certifications, ITIL, PMP, or Scrum Master.
Work Authorization:
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship now or in the future.
Compensation (Pay Transparency)
Base salary range (good-faith estimate): $81,450 - $129,500 annually.
Eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, subject to applicable plan terms.
Benefits
Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
401(k) plan with company contributions.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Employee Assistance Program.
15 Paid holidays plus PTO.
Paid parental leave and fertility assistance.
Learning and development programs and certifications.
コグニザントのコミュニティ：
私たちは、互いを尊重し支え合う優秀な人材の集まりです。社員一人ひとりが成長し、力を発揮できるよう、エネルギッシュで協力的かつインクルーシブな職場環境を大切にしています。
- コグニザントは、世界中に30万人以上のアソシエイトを擁するグローバルコミュニティです。
- 私たちは、より良い方法を夢見るだけでなく、それを実現します。
- 人、クライアント、企業、地域社会、そして環境に対して、常に「正しいこと」を行うことで責任を果たします。
- あなたにとって最適なキャリアパスを築くことができる、革新的な環境を提供します。
私たちについて：
コグニザント（NASDAQ: CTSH）は、AI builderおよびテクノロジーサービスプロバイダとして、AI投資を企業価値へとつなげるフルスタックのAIソリューションを提供しています。業界、業務プロセス、エンジニアリングに関する深い専門性を強みに、各企業固有のコンテキストをテクノロジーシステムに組み込み、人の力を最大限に引き出すとともに、具体的な成果の創出と、急速に変化する世界におけるグローバル企業の競争力維持を支援します。詳しくは、当社ウェブサイト www.cognizant.com をご覧ください。
コグニザントは機会均等を重視する雇用主です。応募者および候補者は、人種、肌の色、性別、宗教、信条、性的指向、性自認、国籍、障がい、遺伝情報、妊娠、退役軍人の地位、または連邦、州、地方の法律で保護されているその他の特性に基づいて差別されることはありません。
免責事項：
応募者は、対面またはビデオ会議による面接への参加を求められる場合があります。また、各面接の際に、現住所または政府発行の身分証明書の提示が必要となる場合があります。