Mainframe Modernization Manager

EY - GDS Consulting - AIA - Mainframe - Manager

At EY, you’ll have the chance to build a career as unique as you are, with the global scale, support, inclusive culture and technology to become the best version of you. And we’re counting on your unique voice and perspective to help EY become even better, too. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself, and a better working world for all. 

 

 

 

 

The opportunity

 

We are seeking an experienced Manager – Mainframe Modernization to lead our AI-Driven Legacy Transformation practice. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise across mainframe ecosystems, AI/ML-driven modernization strategies, and cloud technologies, combined with strong leadership, stakeholder management, and team-building capabilities to deliver large-scale digital transformation programmes.

 

You will own the end-to-end modernization strategy, drive cross-functional collaboration with C-suite leaders, business stakeholders, and architecture teams, and lead a team of engineers and specialists to successfully migrate mission-critical mainframe workloads to modern, scalable, cloud-native platforms using AI-powered automation frameworks.

 

 

Your key responsibilities

 

Technical Excellence:

 

• Strategic Leadership and Stakeholder Management
  • Define and own the mainframe modernization strategy aligned with business objectives and enterprise technology roadmaps.
  • Collaborate with senior stakeholders, business leaders, and architecture teams to prioritise modernization initiatives and secure executive buy-in.
  • Evaluate and recommend modernization paths — rehosting, refactoring, rebuilding, or replacing — based on cost-benefit analysis, risk assessment, and business impact.
• Mainframe Systems Assessment and Governance
  • Oversee comprehensive assessments of mainframe applications (COBOL, JCL, VSAM, DB2, CICS, IMS, Assembler) to identify modernization opportunities, risks, and dependencies.
  • Establish governance frameworks, quality gates, and standards for modernization delivery across the portfolio.
  • Drive technical debt identification, quantification, and systematic reduction across the legacy estate.
• AI-Driven Modernization and Automation
  • Champion the adoption of AI tools, LLMs, and custom AI agentic workflows for automated code analysis, refactoring, and code translation at scale.
  • Define and operationalise AI pipelines, prompt engineering standards, and context engineering best practices to maximise modernization throughput and accuracy.
  • Evaluate emerging AI/ML technologies and integrate them into the modernization toolchain to maintain competitive advantage.
• Team Leadership and Capability Building
  • Lead, mentor, and grow a team of mainframe modernization engineers, developers, and analysts.
  • Build team capabilities in AI-driven modernization, cloud-native development, and DevOps practices.
  • Conduct architecture reviews, code reviews, and provide technical guidance to ensure delivery excellence.
• Target-State Architecture – APIs and Microservices
  • Architect and oversee the design of target-state systems, including API integrations, microservices, and event-driven architectures.
  • Ensure modernized solutions are scalable, resilient, and aligned with enterprise architecture standards.
• Cloud and Platform Integration
  • Lead the migration of mainframe workloads to cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) using AI-driven and automated solutions.
  • Ensure seamless integration of legacy systems with cloud-native services, containerised deployments (Docker, Kubernetes), and CI/CD pipelines.
  • Drive adoption of infrastructure-as-code, observability, and security best practices for modernized workloads.
• Reporting, Documentation, and Business Impact
  • Create and present executive-level reporting on modernization progress, business impact, risks, and ROI.
  • Maintain comprehensive technical documentation including system designs, AI pipeline architectures, and modernization roadmaps.
  • Track and communicate KPIs related to migration velocity, quality, cost savings, and operational efficiency.

 

 

Skills and Attributes:

 

• Educational Background
• Bachelor / master’s degree in computer science, AI, Any Engineering or quantitative background preferred.

 

 

Professional Experience

 

• 10+ years of experience with legacy mainframe systems (COBOL, JCL, Assembler, CICS, DB2, IMS, VSAM) with at least 3–4 years in a leadership or managerial capacity.
• Proven track record of leading large-scale mainframe modernization or digital transformation programmes.
• Deep expertise in data migration, integration, ETL, and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
• Strong proficiency in programming/scripting languages (Python, Java, etc.).
• Expert-level knowledge of APIs, microservices architecture, and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Extensive experience with AI tools, LLM API calls, prompt engineering, and context engineering for automating code analysis and modernization workflows.
• Experience with enterprise modernization platforms (Micro Focus, AWS Mainframe Modernization, Azure Migrate, Google Cloud Dual Run) is a plus.
• Hands-on experience building or managing AI/ML pipelines for code transformation at scale.

 

 

Soft Skills

 

• Exceptional client engagement and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex business requirements into practical, high-quality technical solutions.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and leadership abilities.
• Experience with Agile/SAFe delivery methodologies and managing distributed/global teams.

 

 

Preferred Certifications

 

• Cloud certifications (AWS/Azure/GCP), AI/ML certifications, enterprise architecture (TOGAF), or mainframe-related certifications are a plus.

 

 

Why Join Us

 

• Be at the forefront of AI-driven mainframe modernization across enterprise clients.
• Work with global clients to drive real business impact through large-scale digital transformation.
• Collaborate with a team of modernization experts, AI specialists, and industry leaders in a highly innovative and entrepreneurial environment.

 

 

What we offer

 

EY Global Delivery Services (GDS) is a dynamic and truly global delivery network. We work across six locations – Argentina, China, India, the Philippines, Poland and the UK – and with teams from all EY service lines, serving our clients locally and globally with innovation and at scale.

 

• Continuous learning: You'll develop the mindset and skills to navigate whatever comes next.
• Success as defined by you: We'll provide the tools and flexibility, so you can make a meaningful impact, your way.
• Transformative leadership: We'll give you the insights, coaching and confidence to be the leader the world needs.
• Diverse and inclusive culture: You'll be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs.

 

 

EY | Building a better working world 

 
EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.  

 
Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.  

 
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Experience Level

Mid Level