Mainframe Senior Architect

We are seeking an experienced Mainframe Senior Architect specializing in IBM mainframe performance and capacity management for a six-month contract role based remotely. This is a highly technical, hands-on position responsible for maintaining and optimizing the performance, scalability, stability, and cost efficiency of a large IBM zEnterprise mainframe environment. The role is approximately 80% IBM mainframe performance management and 20% capacity planning.

Responsibilities

• Monitor, analyze, troubleshoot, and optimize IBM z/OS mainframe performance across large, complex environments.
• Perform real-time analysis of CPU, memory, storage, workload, and transaction performance.
• Identify root causes of performance degradation and resolve bottlenecks during critical or high-volume processing periods.
• Tune and optimize Workload Manager (WLM) policies and workload configurations.
• Analyze and interpret SMF and RMF data to identify performance trends and opportunities for optimization.
• Evaluate the performance impact of major mainframe workloads and subsystems, including Db2, CICS, IMS, and MQ.
• Work within multi-LPAR and Parallel Sysplex environments.
• Analyze general processor and zIIP utilization and configuration.
• Perform capacity forecasting and modeling based on workload trends, business cycles, and anticipated growth.
• Forecast future MIPS/MSU and infrastructure requirements.
• Support mainframe cost optimization, including understanding IBM software pricing models and infrastructure costs.
• Perform SCRT (Sub-Capacity Reporting Tool) processing and related analysis.
• Develop reporting, dashboards, and performance analysis using tools such as SAS/MXG, Excel, OMEGAMON, IntelliMagic, REXX, and JCL.
• Partner with application developers, database administrators, infrastructure teams, DevOps, and leadership to communicate performance findings and recommendations.
• Develop preventative strategies to maintain system stability, availability, and low latency during peak workloads.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring in mainframe performance and capacity management.

Qualifications

Required

• Extensive hands-on experience with IBM mainframe performance management and tuning.
• Strong expertise with IBM z/OS and IBM Z architecture.
• Experience working in large multi-LPAR, Parallel Sysplex environments.
• Deep knowledge of Workload Manager (WLM) configuration and tuning.
• Strong experience analyzing SMF and RMF performance data.
• Experience monitoring and optimizing CPU, memory, storage, and workload utilization.
• Strong understanding of Db2, CICS, IMS, and MQ and how these workloads impact overall system performance.
• Experience troubleshooting complex mainframe performance issues in real time.
• Strong hands-on skills with REXX and JCL.
• Experience with performance reporting and analytical tools such as SAS/MXG and OMEGAMON.
• Strong knowledge of mainframe capacity concepts, including MIPS, MSUs, workload forecasting, and capacity modeling.
• Understanding of IBM mainframe software pricing and cost optimization.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and the ability to present complex technical findings to both technical and executive audiences.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Preferred

• Grafana experience for performance monitoring, dashboards, visualization, or mainframe-related operational reporting.
• ZPCR
• Macro4 Freezeframe
• BMC Thruput Manager
• TADz
• IntelliMagic
• SAS programming for reporting and analytics.