About the position
Main job function:
- The successful candidate will lead and optimise our client’s IBM Z mainframe platform running z/OS as the core operating system, ensuring stability, performance, security and continuous improvement.
- The environment includes traditional enterprise mainframe technologies such as DB2, CICS, MQ and IMS, supporting mission-critical banking workloads.
- This position requires strong hands-on technical expertise, architectural insight, leadership and team management capabilities with the ability to drive strategic direction while maintaining operational excellence.
Governance, risk & compliance (require knowledge of):
- ITIL processes.
- Change governance (CAB).
- Disaster recovery & high availability design.
- RPO/RTO strategy.
- Security-by-design in financial systems.
- Audit readiness.
- AI governance awareness.
Leadership experience required:
- Lead cross-functional technical teams.
- Mentor junior engineers.
- Crisis leadership during P level incidents.
- Executive reporting capability (CIO / CTO level).
Strategic skills required:
- Define 3–5 year mainframe roadmap.
- Cost optimisation of MIPS usage.
- Capacity forecasting.
- Vendor management (IBM & ISVs).
- Automation strategy alignment with business risk appetite.
Minimum Requirements:
Technology stack:
- The ideal candidate must have solid z/OS, DB2, CICS, MQ, IMS, COBOL, API, CI/CD, DevOps (DevOps Integration & Pipeline Automation), Artificial Intelligence and Performance and monitoring tools experience.
- The ideal candidate will have work experience across all of the major disciplines within the IBM mainframe environment including mainframe systems, storage, hardware operations, security, Networking & Communications, Middleware Administration, Performance & Capacity Management, Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity, Enterprise Architecture & Modernization.
Qualifications required:
- IT Degree or IT Diploma (preferred).
- Relevant IBM Certifications preferred - any of these: IBM z/OS Mainframe Practitioner Professional Certificate / IBM Mainframe Systems Administrator Certificates / IBM Mainframe Technical Manager Certificate / IBM Advanced Professional – Db2 for z/OS Master Class.
- ITIL Foundation Certificate (preferred).
Advantageous certifications:
- IBM Mainframe Systems Programmer Certificates
- IBM Mainframe RACF Security Administrator Certificate
- PRINCE2, PMI-ACP, PMP (advantageous)
Technical skills and experience required:
- 10 – 12 years’ minimum work experience required in the mainframe environment.
- 5 – 7 years’ minimum work experience required as a Technical Lead in the mainframe environment.
- IBM Z platform running z/OS as the core operating system.
- Enterprise mainframe technologies: DB2, CICS, MQ, IMS, and batch systems.
- COBOL with integrations into modern API-driven services.
- Automated testing and CI/CD integration.
- DevOps Tools, DevOps Integration & Pipeline Automation (Kobee, Wazi, Zowe).
- Artificial Intelligence.
- Performance and monitoring tools.
Desired Skills:
- Mainframe Technical Lead
- IBM Mainframe Technical Lead
- Technical Lead (IBM Mainframe)
