Job Title : Principal Mainframe Modernization Architect (GCP &

- PostgreSQL)

Location : Chennai (Hybrid - Permanent Role)

Experience : 10+ Years in Enterprise Architecture / Software Engineering

Notice Period : Immediate to 30 Days Max

Job Summary

We are seeking a visionary Principal Modernization Architect to act as the technical authority for an enterprise-wide digital transformation. In this role, you will lead the migration of mission-critical systems from a legacy Mainframe ecosystem (DB2 z/OS, COBOL, JCL) to a modern, cloud-native architecture on Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

You will serve as the core technical bridge between veteran DB2 administrators and modern full-stack Java development teams. Rather than a standard "lift and shift," you will fundamentally re-architect how our business processes data. You will design secure, iterative Strangler Fig migration patterns to untangle decades of legacy business logic without disrupting live global operations.

Key Responsibilities

1.

Architectural

Strategy &

- Modern Design :
- Target State Architecture : Design and own the end-to-end target state on GCP using GKE, Cloud Run, Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL, and AlloyDB.
- Risk Mitigation : Architect iterative migration patterns (Strangler Fig) to entirely eliminate the risk of "Big Bang" cutovers. Define cloud HA/DR postures, translating Mainframe RTO/RPO expectations into cloud realities.
- Coexistence &
- Shadow Testing: Design and oversee "Dual Run" (Shadow Testing) strategies to guarantee 100% data reconciliation and financial equivalence before legacy deprecation.

2.

Heterogeneous

Database &

- Data Layer Transformation :
- Database Migration : Lead the highly complex database migration from Mainframe DB2 to GCP PostgreSQL.
- Data Translation : Solve systemic data translation challenges, including EBCDIC to UTF-8/ASCII conversion, packed decimal transformations, and proprietary DB2 constraint mappings.
- Real-Time Sync : Implement and manage Change Data Capture (CDC)



pipelines utilizing tools like Google Datastream, Debezium, or Striim to maintain bidirectional/unidirectional data synchronization.
- Concurrency Evolution : Guide engineering teams in transitioning from DB2 pessimistic locking models to PostgreSQL's Multi-Version Concurrency Control (MVCC) to eliminate lock contention.
- Compute &
- Batch Modernization :
- Batch Refactoring : Map and translate heavy Mainframe batch processing (JCL, scheduled jobs) into modern, stateless, and restartable cloud patterns using Java Spring Batch, Cloud Composer (Airflow), and GCP Dataflow.
- Microservices Evolution : Advise Java engineering teams on refactoring heavy legacy Stored Procedures (SQL PL) into scalable Spring Boot microservices.
- FinOps &
- Technical Leadership :
- Cost Optimization : Establish FinOps best practices to transition the organization from a fixed-MIPS mindset to cloud consumption models.
- Mentorship : Act as the principal translator between legacy infrastructure groups and modern cloud engineers, setting high execution standards.

Skills &

Qualifications

Required Experience &

- Technical Mastery :
- Tenure : 10+ years in enterprise software engineering/architecture, with 3+ years of direct, hands-on experience leading Heterogeneous Database Migrations (specifically Mainframe DB2 to PostgreSQL).
- The Legacy Pillar : Comprehensive understanding of Mainframe architectures (IBM DB2/zOS, JCL, and COBOL ecosystems) with the ability to reverse-engineer undocumented business rules from legacy code.
- The Modern Pillar : Expert-level proficiency in PostgreSQL internals (query optimization, autovacuum tuning, PgBouncer connection pooling) and GCP managed data services (Cloud SQL, AlloyDB, IAM security, networking).
- Software Ecosystem : Strong architectural command over modern Java (Spring Boot, Spring Batch, JPA/Hibernate, RESTful APIs).

Preferred Qualifications

Certifications : Google Cloud Skilled Cloud Architect or Professional Cloud Database Engineer.

Tooling : Familiarity with automated legacy-to-cloud refactoring toolsets (e.g., Google Cloud G4, Advanced, or similar).

📌 Principal Modernization Architect - Mainframe (India)
🏢 The Judge Group
📍 India