Senior Mainframe Test Lead (z/VSE to z/OS Migration) - 26-01923
1yr Duration
100% Remote

**This is a HIGH Level position (not a developer) that will be involved in the architecture/planning & spearheading testing of this migration project - C-Level / Director / VP

MUST show evidence of enterprise-wide test architecture - seasoned with Mainframe background, background of driving testing for a large scale mainframe modernization.

Top 3 Areas

Mainframe Migration Testing Leadership
Proven leadership of large-scale z/VSE to z/OS migrations, modernization, or rehosting testing programs.
Deep Mainframe Technical Expertise
Strong hands-on experience with COBOL, CICS, JCL, VSAM, DB2/IMS, security (RACF/ACF2), and batch processing.
Risk-Based Test Architecture
Proven ability to perform impact assessments, create risk-based testing strategies, and drive go/no-go readiness for complex enterprise migrations.

Bonus Preference: Prior ownership of cutover rehearsals, migration risk heat maps, and executive-level test governance.

Job Description:
Client is seeking an experienced Senior Mainframe Test Lead (z/VSE to z/OS Migration) to lead the end-to-end testing strategy, planning, governance, and execution for a large-scale z/VSE to z/OS migration program. This role will be responsible for defining the testing approach, ensuring comprehensive coverage across applications, infrastructure, data, security, and operational processes, while providing overall quality and release readiness governance.
The ideal candidate must possess deep Mainframe testing and migration expertise and have prior experience leading testing efforts for Mainframe modernization, platform migration, or legacy transformation programs. A key responsibility of this role is establishing a risk-based testing strategy, ensuring testing effort is aligned to the scope and complexity of changes introduced by the migration rather than applying uniform testing across all components
Key Responsibilities

Test Strategy & Governance
Define and own the overall migration testing strategy, framework, and roadmap.
Establish testing standards, quality gates, entry/exit criteria, and governance processes.
Develop a risk-based testing methodology aligned to migration waves and cutover milestones.
Provide executive reporting on testing progress, quality metrics, risks, and release readiness.
Risk-Based Testing & Change Impact Assessment
Lead application and infrastructure impact assessments to understand migration-related changes.
Establish a risk-ranking model to classify components as High, Medium, or Low Risk based on:
Code modifications
JCL conversion impacts
Data migration changes
CICS transaction changes
Interface dependencies
Security changes
Operational and scheduler impacts
Business criticality
Design testing depth and coverage based on migration risk and business impact.
Focus testing effort on areas of highest risk while optimizing effort for unchanged components.
Maintain a Testing Risk Register and Migration Testing Heat Map.
Identify migration-specific risks and ensure mitigation plans are incorporated into testing activities.
Test Planning & Design
Develop comprehensive testing plans covering:
System Testing
System Integration Testing (SIT)
End-to-End Business Process Testing
Regression Testing
Data Validation & Reconciliation Testing
Performance & Volume Testing
User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
Cutover & Rollback Validation Testing
Establish traceability between requirements, migration changes, risks, and test cases.
Mainframe & Migration Validation
Define testing coverage for:
COBOL applications
CICS transactions
JCL conversion and batch processing
VSAM, DB2, and IMS databases
File transfers and interfaces
Security configurations and access controls
Enterprise schedulers
Infrastructure and operational procedures
Validate functional equivalence and operational readiness of workloads migrated to z/OS.
Ensure proper reconciliation of converted data and migrated business processes.
Federated Test Leadership
Coordinate testing across:
Mainframe Teams
Application Teams
Infrastructure Teams
Security Teams
Database Teams
Business SMEs
Establish testing standards and reusable assets across workstreams.
Lead defect triage, prioritization, and remediation activities.
Drive issue resolution and dependency management across teams.
Cutover Readiness & Deployment Validation
Define cutover rehearsal and mock migration testing strategies.
Validate production deployment procedures and rollback capabilities.
Ensure all critical business processes are successfully executed during rehearsal events.
Provide Go/No-Go recommendations for migration releases.

Preferred Qualifications

Mandatory Mainframe Experience
10+ years of experience in Test Architecture, Test Management, or Quality Engineering.
Strong hands-on knowledge of Mainframe applications, platforms, and testing methodologies.

Experience with:

z/VSE
z/OS
COBOL
CICS
JCL
VSAM
DB2 and/or IMS
RACF / ACF2 / Top Secret
Batch Processing
Enterprise Scheduling tools
Demonstrated experience leading testing for Mainframe modernization, platform upgrades, rehosting, or z/VSE-to-z/OS migration initiatives.
Risk-Based Testing Expertise
Proven experience implementing risk-based testing methodologies within complex transformation programs.
Strong ability to conduct migration impact assessments and translate findings into targeted testing strategies.
Experience identifying and prioritizing testing scope based on technical, business, operational, and compliance risks.
Ability to balance test coverage, quality, and program timelines through intelligent risk management.
Leadership & Communication
Experience leading large, cross-functional testing organizations.
Strong stakeholder management skills across business and technology teams.
Exceptional executive communication and governance reporting capabilities.
Deliverables
Enterprise Test Strategy
Risk-Based Testing Framework
Migration Test Plan
Test Coverage Matrix
Impact Assessment & Risk Heat Map
Environment & Test Data Strategy
SIT and End-to-End Test Plans
Defect Management Process
Cutover Rehearsal Plan
Go/No-Go Readiness Assessments
Executive Quality Dashboards

Senior Mainframe Test Lead (z/VSE to z/OS Migration)

Key skills

About this role