Role OverviewWe are seeking an experienced Senior Program Manager to lead a complex mainframe modernization and rewrite initiative through planning, execution, testing, migration, and production go-live. This individual will be responsible for managing a large, cross-functional program involving mainframe applications, technology modernization, data migration, integration, testing, business readiness, and cutover. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record leading mainframe rewrite or modernization programs from inception through successful production deployment, with particular strength in managing the final stages of implementation, cutover, and go-live.
Key Responsibilities - Lead the end-to-end program delivery for a major mainframe rewrite/modernization initiative, including planning, execution, migration, cutover, and production go-live.
- Develop and maintain an integrated program plan covering technology, application development, data migration, testing, infrastructure, security, operations, and business readiness.
- Drive the program toward key milestones, ensuring scope, schedule, budget, risks, dependencies, and resources are effectively managed.
- Lead cross-functional teams consisting of application developers, mainframe engineers, architects, infrastructure teams, QA, data teams, business stakeholders, vendors, and production support.
- Establish and manage the go-live and cutover strategy, including detailed runbooks, sequencing, dependencies, rollback plans, command-center procedures, and contingency planning.
- Coordinate multiple testing phases, including system integration testing, regression testing, performance testing, user acceptance testing, and production validation.
- Oversee data conversion and migration activities and ensure reconciliation and validation requirements are met prior to go-live.
- Manage production readiness assessments and ensure all technical, operational, business, and support requirements are completed before deployment.
- Lead go/no-go decision meetings and provide executive leadership with clear status, risks, recommendations, and readiness assessments.
- Coordinate the go-live command center, managing issues, escalations, decision-making, and communications throughout the deployment.
- Ensure post-go-live stabilization, defect resolution, production monitoring, and transition to business-as-usual support.
- Proactively identify and manage critical program risks, issues, assumptions, dependencies, and interdependencies.
- Manage third-party vendors and technology partners supporting the modernization effort.
- Prepare executive-level status reporting, dashboards, steering committee materials, and program communications.
- Drive accountability across workstreams and ensure teams meet committed deliverables and milestones.
- Ensure appropriate governance, change management, documentation, and operational handoff processes are in place.
Required Qualifications/Skills - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field (Master's degree preferred).
- 10+ years of experience in program/project management within large-scale technology environments.
- Demonstrated experience leading mainframe modernization, mainframe rewrite, migration, or transformation programs.
- Proven experience taking a major technology program through testing, cutover, production deployment, and go-live.
- Strong understanding of mainframe environments and technologies such as COBOL, JCL, DB2, CICS, VSAM, and batch processing.
- Experience coordinating application rewrites, platform migrations, data conversion, and system integrations.
- Strong understanding of SDLC, testing methodologies, release management, and production implementation processes.
- Demonstrated experience developing and executing detailed cutover/go-live plans and production readiness assessments.
- Excellent risk, issue, dependency, and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience working with senior executives and steering committees.
- Strong communication, leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple workstreams and competing priorities within a highly complex environment.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience with large-scale financial services, healthcare, insurance, or other highly regulated environments.
- Experience leading programs involving legacy-to-modern technology transformations.
- Experience with cloud migration or integration of modern platforms with legacy mainframe environments.
- PMP, PgMP, or similar program/project management certification.
- Experience managing large vendor teams and system integrators.
- Experience leading high-pressure production cutovers and post-go-live stabilization.
Locations: Pittsburgh, PA
