Sr. Business Analyst

Stefanini Group•Whippany, NJ

1d•Remote

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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).

Nice To Haves

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).
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.

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.
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.