Sr. Business Analyst

Job title: Senior Business Analyst IBM i (AS/400, iSeries) Modernization - Discovery & Solution Design (Contract/FT)

Location: Remote-first (USA) - occasional on-site client meetings as needed

Engagement type: Contract (6-12 months) with possible extension or conversion to permanent

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Sr. Business Analyst IBM i (AS/400, iSeries) Modernization Subject Matter Expert to lead a discovery and solution-design engagement for a client modernizing their IBM i environment. You will assess existing platform architecture, applications, databases (DB2 for i), integrations, and operations, and produce a pragmatic modernization strategy and solution design that aligns with the client"s business objectives, risk tolerance, timelines, and budget. This role requires hands-on technical depth, strong architecture and modernization experience, and the ability to translate legacy constraints into modern, actionable designs.

Key responsibilitiesLead and execute the discovery phase:Conduct interviews with stakeholders (application owners, operations, data teams, security, business users).Inventory and analyze IBM i assets: applications (RPG, COBOL, CL, CLLE/CLP), DB2 for i schemas, jobs, batch processes, interfaces, APIs, security, middleware, and third-party software.Assess code size/complexity, data volumes, transactional patterns, SLAs, and non-functional requirements.Evaluate operational runbook, backup/restore, DR, monitoring, performance, and change management processes.Identify integration points (web services, MQ, FTP, flat files, custom adapters) and dependencies across the ecosystem.Define modernization goals and constraints:Work with stakeholders to define business drivers, success criteria, timeline, budget, and risk profile.Recommend target architecture options (replatforming, rehosting, refactoring, re-architecting, encapsulation/API-first, hybrid/cloud-native, containerization, microservices, managed services).Produce solution design and migration strategy:Deliver high-level and detailed architecture diagrams, component maps, data migration plan, cutover/rollback approach, and proof-of-concept scope.Recommend toolchains and partners for code conversion, API enablement, integration, CI/CD, testing, and monitoring.Provide effort, cost, and resource estimates (high-level volumetrics modeling if available; if not, propose discovery steps to collect required metrics).Define security, compliance, and governance requirements and mitigations.Create prioritized modernization roadmap and phased implementation plan minimizing business disruption.Guidance and oversight:Advise on vendor/tool selection and RFP requirements.Support client leadership in presenting findings and recommendations.Mentor/coordinate with client teams and third-party implementers during solution validation and initial implementation.

Deliverables (examples)Discovery report and asset inventoryApplication and data dependency mapsGap analysis and risk registerTarget architecture options and recommended solution designMigration strategy, phased roadmap, and cutover planEstimated effort/cost model and success criteriaImplementation playbooks (security, operations, testing)POC plan and acceptance criteria











Required qualifications8+ years working with IBM i (AS/400, iSeries) platforms in enterprise environments.Deep hands-on experience with IBM i operating system, DB2 for i, and common languages: RPG (ILE/RPG), COBOL on i, CL, SQL/PL, and knowledge of APIs on IBM i (ODBC/JDBC, IBM i Access).Proven track record of leading modernization efforts for IBM i applications - re-platforming, refactoring/rewriting, API enablement, or creating hybrid architectures (cloud/on-prem).Experience with integration technologies common to IBM i environments: IBM MQ, web services/SOAP/REST, message/queue adapters, FTP/SFTP, EDI.Strong architecture and solution-design skills - able to create target-state architectures, migration strategies, and phased roadmaps.Experience with data migration strategies from DB2 for i and handling large transactional datasets.Excellent stakeholder communication skills and experience presenting executive-level findings.Experience producing deliverables for discovery and solution-design phases (assessments, architecture diagrams, cost estimates, roadmaps).

Preferred qualificationsHands-on experience with modernization tools/platforms: Code conversion tools (e.g., Fresche, ARCAD, Raincode), API enablement tools, modern runtimes (Linux on Power, containers), or cloud migration services (AWS/Azure/IBM Cloud).Experience integrating IBM i with microservices, containers, Kubernetes, or serverless architectures.Experience implementing CI/CD for IBM i applications or using DevOps toolchains (Git, Jenkins, Ansible, Terraform).Prior consulting experience or client-facing delivery in modernization engagements.Familiarity with regulatory/compliance requirements in the client"s industry (e.g., PCI, HIPAA, SOX).IBM i certifications (preferred but not required).

Personal attributesAnalytical, detail-oriented, pragmatic problem solver.Strong facilitation and interpersonal skills; comfortable working with technical teams and executives.Able to work independently and lead multi-disciplinary discovery workshops.Comfortable documenting clearly and producing executive-ready reports.

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