Role: Senior SME / Solution Architect
Location: Remote
Long Term contract
Engagement: CA VISION / VISION to COBOL Migration
Job Description
We are seeking a Senior SME / Solution Architect with strong CA VISION and IBM z/OS mainframe expertise to lead the analysis, architecture, and migration of legacy CA VISION applications to COBOL. The consultant will understand complex VISION programs, business rules, data flows, reports, and interfaces and translate them into maintainable, production-ready COBOL solutions while preserving existing business functionality.
Key Responsibilities
Expert-level CA VISION / VISION experience.
Strong hands-on COBOL, JCL, VSAM, DB2, and z/OS experience.
Strong REXX scripting experience for z/OS/ISPF automation and mainframe tooling.
Strong Python experience for migration automation, source-code parsing, transformation, validation, reporting, and data analysis.
Deep understanding of legacy mainframe application architecture and modernization.
Experience with CICS, SORT/DFSORT, IDCAMS, ISPF, SDSF, and standard z/OS utilities.
Lead end-to-end CA VISION / VISION application assessment and migration to COBOL.
Analyze VISION source code, including VISION verbs, macros, report definitions, file processing, calculations, sorting, formatting, and business rules.
Reverse-engineer undocumented legacy VISION applications and create functional and technical specifications.
Design target COBOL architecture, including batch processing, VSAM/DB2 access, reporting, error handling, restart/recovery, and operational processing.
Map VISION constructs and verbs to COBOL, JCL, DFSORT/SORT, DB2, VSAM, and z/OS utilities.
Develop reusable VISION-to-COBOL conversion standards, mappings, patterns, and coding guidelines.
Review migrated COBOL programs and provide technical direction, architecture guidance, and code-quality assurance.
Design and validate JCL, compile/link-edit processes, datasets, scheduling, and production implementation procedures.
Ensure migrated applications integrate appropriately with existing CICS, DB2, VSAM, and other z/OS services, where applicable.
Develop migration automation and productivity tools using REXX and Python for source analysis, code transformation, validation, comparison, reporting, and migration tracking.
Define and execute unit, system, integration, regression, and parallel-run testing to establish functional equivalence between VISION and COBOL.
Perform application impact analysis, dependency analysis, performance analysis, and production troubleshooting.
Work with business SMEs, application teams, QA, infrastructure, and offshore development teams.
Provide onshore technical leadership and serve as the primary CA VISION migration SME.
Produce architecture documents, conversion specifications, migration plans, estimates, technical standards, risk assessments, and implementation documentation.
Required Technical Skills
Ability to analyze undocumented legacy applications and reconstruct complex business logic.
Experience developing VISION-to-COBOL conversion/migration frameworks and standards.
Strong knowledge of batch processing, datasets, scheduling, restart/recovery, and production support.
Strong experience with source-code analysis, impact analysis, testing, and migration validation.
Preferred Skills
Experience with CA VISION, VISION, or related VISION products.
Experience leading large-scale legacy modernization/conversion programs.
Experience developing automation frameworks using Python + REXX.
Familiarity with automated code-conversion, parsing, and static-analysis tools.
Experience leading distributed onshore/offshore technical teams.
Excellent communication, technical documentation, and stakeholder-management skills.
Experience
12+ years of overall mainframe experience, with significant hands-on experience in CA VISION, COBOL, REXX, and z/OS, including demonstrated leadership of complex legacy modernization or migration initiatives
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