Mainframe Developer
About the role
As a Mainframe Modernization Enterprise Architect, you will make an impact by leading the target-state architecture for a large-scale legacy modernization program across a complex portfolio of applications. You will be a valued member of the technology delivery team and work collaboratively with client stakeholders, architecture leaders, engineering teams, and GenAI-enabled delivery workstreams.
In this role, you will:
- Own the end-to-end target-state architecture across legacy decomposition, API layer, front-end, data, cloud, and integration patterns for a portfolio of approximately 50 applications.
- Define modernization sequencing and architecture runway based on application complexity, dependencies, risks, and business priorities.
- Lead architecture governance, including Architecture Review Boards, solution design approvals, reusable standards, and technical decision-making across parallel teams.
- Guide the extraction and validation of business rules, data structures, control flow, and requirements from COBOL, JCL, copybooks, CICS, VSAM/DB2, and other mainframe artifacts.
- Define architecture and orchestration standards for Claude-based GenAI agents supporting automated COBOL rule extraction, forward engineering, Java service generation, Angular component generation, and test-case creation.
- Establish prompt engineering standards, agent evaluation criteria, human-in-the-loop validation checkpoints, and guardrails for accuracy, auditability, and hallucination risk.
- Define microservices, API, event-driven, Angular front-end, cloud, DevOps, observability, security, and quality standards across modernization teams.
- Act as the technical escalation point across workstreams, tracking architecture KPIs such as extraction accuracy, code-generation acceptance rate, defect leakage, and migration velocity.
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 hybrid position in a client office in Hartford, CT. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through 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 need to have to be considered
- 15+ years of experience in software architecture, including 5+ years leading large-scale mainframe modernization or legacy transformation programs across multi-application portfolios.
- Strong hands-on knowledge of legacy/mainframe technologies, including COBOL, JCL, CICS, VSAM/DB2, copybooks, batch processing, and online processing patterns.
- Proven experience with reverse engineering, legacy code analysis, business rule extraction, requirement reconstruction, and traceability from legacy code to modern requirements.
- Strong architecture experience with Java, Spring Boot/Spring Cloud, REST or GraphQL API design, microservices, and event-driven architecture.
- Experience defining Angular front-end architecture, including component architecture, state management, design-system adoption, and reuse of enterprise component libraries.
- Deep AWS cloud architecture experience across compute, storage, networking, security, IAM, CI/CD landing zones, performance, resiliency, scalability, observability, and cost optimization.
- Experience with GenAI or agentic systems, including LLM-based agent design, prompt engineering, tool orchestration, and AI-assisted code transformation.
- Strong leadership, documentation, stakeholder management, and technical governance skills, with the ability to align multiple teams toward a shared modernization vision.
These will help you stand out
- Experience embedding GenAI or agentic tooling into enterprise software delivery pipelines.
- Insurance, financial services, healthcare, or other regulated-industry modernization experience.
- Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, ECS, EKS, Terraform, CloudFormation, DB2/VSAM data migration, and enterprise observability platforms.
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional certification.
- TOGAF or equivalent enterprise architecture certification.
Experience working in offshore/onsite distributed delivery models.
Benefits:
Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:
- Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance.
- Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off.
- 401(k) plan and contributions.
- Long-term/Short-term Disability.
- Paid Parental Leave.
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
We're excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don't hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role.
À propos de Cognizant
Cognizant (NASDAQ : CTSH) est un AI Builder et une entreprise de services numériques (ESN) élaborant des solutions complètes d’IA maximisant les investissements pour des résultats concrets. Sa profonde expertise des métiers, des processus et des technologies lui permet d’intégrer dans les systèmes technologiques le contexte unique de chaque organisation de l’ingénierie à la production à l’échelle. Son objectif : améliorer l’efficacité des équipes, créer de la valeur et permettre aux grandes entreprises de rester performantes dans un monde qui évolue rapidement. Pour en savoir plus : cognizant.ai ou @cognizant.
Renseignments suppplémentaires sur l'emploi
Les informations sur la rémunération sont exactes à la date de publication. Cognizant se réserve le droit de modifier ces informations à tout moment, conformément aux lois applicables.
Les exigences linguistiques varient selon les postes, mais nous demandons à tous les candidats d’avoir une connaissance de base de l’anglais afin de faciliter les communications internes à l’échelle de l’entreprise. Pour les postes basés au Québec, une maîtrise de l’anglais est requise puisque vous fournirez des services et collaborerez avec des parties prenantes situées hors de la province, qui ne parlent pas nécessairement le français.
Cognizant est un employeur souscrivant au principe de l’égalité d’accès à l’emploi. Votre candidature et votre dossier ne seront pas examinés en fonction de la race, de la couleur, du sexe, de la religion, des croyances, de l'orientation sexuelle, de l'identité de genre, de l'origine nationale, du handicap, de l'information génétique, de la grossesse, du statut d'ancien combattant ou de toute autre caractéristique protégée telle que décrite par les lois fédérales, provinciales ou locales.
Si vous avez un handicap qui nécessite un aménagement raisonnable pour rechercher une offre d'emploi ou poser une candidature, envoyiez un courriel à [email protected] avec votre demande et vos coordonnées.











