Senior Consulting Manager, AI-Led Mainframe Modernization

About Cognizant Consulting

Cognizant Consulting is more than Cognizant’s consulting practice. We’re a global community of 5,000+ experts dedicated to helping clients reimagine their business. Blending our deep industry and technology advisory capability, we create innovative business solutions for Fortune 500 clients. And now, we’re looking for our next colleague who’ll join us in shaping the future of business. Could it be you?

About the role

As a Senior Consulting Manager, AI-Led Mainframe Modernization, you will make an impact by architecting and delivering complex mainframe modernization programs using cloud-native technologies, generative AI, and AI-enabled engineering solutions.

You will collaborate with client stakeholders, architects, business SMEs, developers, DevOps teams, and AI/ML engineers to assess legacy environments, define modernization strategies, establish target-state architectures, and lead transformation from discovery through implementation and stabilization.

In this role, you will:

• Lead end-to-end mainframe modernization engagements, including discovery, application and infrastructure assessment, inventory and dependency analysis, target-state architecture, migration planning and execution, cloud landing, and stabilization.
• Architect modernization solutions and transformation roadmaps across rehost, replatform, refactor, re-architect, and replace strategies, leveraging AI-enabled inventory analysis, complexity assessment, and effort estimation.
• Embed generative AI and LLM-enabled engineering into the modernization lifecycle, including code comprehension, business-rule extraction from COBOL/Assembler/PL/I, automated code conversion and refactoring, documentation, test generation, and engineering productivity.
• Establish architecture and technical governance across modernization programs, including AI-tool selection, migration patterns, responsible-AI guardrails, human-in-the-loop validation, functional-equivalence testing, and quality assurance of AI-generated code.
• Lead and mentor multidisciplinary modernization teams while contributing to client solutioning, workshops, modernization offerings, reusable accelerators and IP, and AI-enabled capabilities such as inventory analyzers, code translators, rule-extraction engines, and test-case generators.

Work model

We strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a remote position open to qualified applicants in the United States with some travel involved. 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 must have to be considered

• 10+ years of hands-on experience with mainframe applications and technologies, including COBOL, JCL, VSAM, DB2, CICS, IMS, Assembler and/or PL/I, with experience serving as a Technical Lead or Architect on large modernization programs.
• Proven experience delivering end-to-end mainframe transformation programs, from assessment through go-live, including code conversion, application decomposition, API enablement, data migration, cloud migration, cutover, and stabilization.
• Hands-on experience applying generative AI and LLM-enabled technologies to mainframe modernization, including code comprehension, business-rule extraction, automated code conversion/refactoring, documentation, test generation, and AI-assisted analysis.
• Strong experience with modernization and cloud technologies, including tools or platforms such as IBM z/OS Connect, AWS Mainframe Modernization, Micro Focus/OpenText, Heirloom, Raincode, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, microservices, and AWS, Azure, and/or Google Cloud.
• Strong consulting, architecture, and client-facing capabilities, with the ability to lead cross-functional teams, design complex modernization solutions, provide architectural governance, manage technical risks, and communicate AI-enabled modernization value to client stakeholders.

These will help you succeed

• Experience designing and validating AI-assisted code conversion pipelines, including LLM evaluation, prompt engineering, accuracy benchmarking, AI output-quality controls, and human-in-the-loop validation.
• Experience developing or contributing to AI-enabled modernization accelerators and reusable IP, including inventory analyzers, code translators, business-rule extraction tools, test generators, or modernization workbenches.
• Strong understanding of cloud-native architecture, containerization, microservices, application portfolio rationalization, DevOps, MLOps, service mesh, and responsible-AI practices.
• Experience delivering modernization programs across industries such as insurance, banking and financial services, healthcare, and retail.
• Relevant certifications such as AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect, Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect, Azure AI Engineer, AWS AI/ML certifications, TOGAF, or equivalent credentials.

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.

Compensation

$134,500- $158,500

This position is eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans. The U.S. Consulting template notes that the compensation section is mandatory for states where required by law.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• 401(k) plan and contributions
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Employee assistance program
• 10 paid holidays plus PTO
• Paid parental leave and fertility assistance
• Learning and development certifications and programs