Mainframe Application Assessor (Architecture)

Apply Job no: P4XQD Remote (Australia-wide) + 1-2 weeks on-site in SA 3-month contract This role is open to an experienced Mainframe Application Assessor to lead an architecture-focused assessment of a legacy mainframe application for a South Australian Government department. This is a review and advisory engagement, not a development role. You'll evaluate the current-state architecture of a mainframe application, map its dependencies, and deliver a clear, well-reasoned modernisation recommendation to guide the department's future ICT direction - informed by real understanding of the technology, not just a template. Location: Based anywhere in Australia, remote-friendly. You will need to be on-site in South Australia for approximately 1-2 weeks for workshops, stakeholder interviews, and discovery sessions. Engagement type: 3-month contract at this stage. What you'll do: Assess the current-state architecture of a mainframe application, including its technology stack (COBOL, PL/I, Assembler, CICS, IMS, DB2, VSAM, JCL) Map integration points, data flows, and upstream/downstream system dependencies Assess technical debt, supportability, licensing exposure, and end-of-life risk Apply a 6R modernisation framework (rehost, replatform, refactor, rearchitect, rebuild, retire) to develop a disposition recommendation Identify risks, constraints, and indicative costs/effort for the recommended path Run workshops and interviews with department SMEs, vendors, and platform owners to validate findings Produce a comprehensive findings report and present to governance/steering forums What you'll bring: Demonstrated experience assessing or architecting mainframe-based enterprise applications Working knowledge of mainframe technologies (COBOL/PL1/Assembler, CICS/IMS, DB2/VSAM, JCL) - hands-on coding not required, but you need to genuinely understand the stack to assess it credibly Experience applying modernisation or cloud migration frameworks Strong stakeholder engagement skills - comfortable running workshops and presenting to senior government stakeholders Excellent report-writing and documentation skills Prior government or regulated-sector experience highly regarded Published on 07 Aug 2026, 3:31 AM