Sr. Business Analyst

Job title:SeniorBusiness Analyst IBMi (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

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 responsibilities

• Lead 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 inventory
• Application and data dependency maps
• Gap analysis and risk register
• Target architecture options and recommended solution design
• Migration strategy, phased roadmap, and cutover plan
• Estimated effort/cost model and success criteria
• Implementation playbooks (security, operations, testing)
• POC plan and acceptance criteria

Required qualifications

• 8+ 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 qualifications

• Hands-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 attributes

• Analytical, 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.