Requirement 01
Market profile works
Dual work accepted
Senior IBM i / AS400 Specialist – Core Modernization (12+ Years)
Location - Remote
Offshore – India
Role Summary
You will act as the execution arm of the onshore IBM i lead for a core modernization initiative.
Your role is to rapidly absorb system knowledge and take ownership of AS400 system analysis, documentation, and test enablement so the onshore lead can focus on architecture, client-facing work and other BAU activities.
This is a deep IBM i role focused on COBOL systems. Knowledge of Python is a must.
No cloud or DevOps responsibilities.
Core Responsibilities
Analyze DB2 for i schemas, files, and data relationships
Trace end-to-end flows across Policy, Transactions, and Line of Business processing
Map program dependencies, batch jobs, and job flows
Reverse engineer COBOL programs to extract and validate business logic
Produce structured documentation based on actual system behavior
Create and manage test environments on IBM i for QA and UAT
Design and generate realistic test data aligned with business scenarios
Support QA and UAT teams by ensuring environment stability and data readiness
Ensure test scenarios reflect real production logic and edge cases
Take over day-to-day system analysis tasks from the onshore SME
Validate findings with the onshore SME and iterate quickly
Prepare outputs that enable downstream integration and modernization teams
Redesign core processing to support modernization efforts
Must-Have Technical Skills
12+ years hands-on IBM i / AS400 experience
Deep expertise in COBOL and Python on IBM i
Strong DB2 for i knowledge including file structures, joins, and performance tuning
Strong SQL skills in IBM i environments
Experience working with batch jobs, job queues, and scheduling
Experience creating and managing test environments on AS400
Experience generating and validating test data for QA and UAT
Ability to navigate and understand large legacy codebases
Communication Requirement (Non-Negotiable)
Strong spoken and written English
Ability to clearly explain system behavior based on code analysis
Proactive communication with onshore SME during overlap hours
Operating Model
Daily coordination with onshore SME (minimum 4-hour overlap)
Clearly defined work packets transitioned from onshore to offshore
Continuous feedback loop to validate understanding and outputs
What This Role Is
A hands-on IBM i specialist role
Focused on execution and system understanding
A force multiplier for the onshore SME
Expected to take ownership quickly
What This Role Is Not
Not a DevOps, cloud, or Kubernetes role
Not a generic backend developer role
Not a passive shadow role
Not a QA engineer role (test support is part of system enablement, not ownership of QA)
30-60-90 Day Expectations
First 30 Days
Understand system structure, COBOL programs, and DB2 schema
Begin documenting key flows (Policy or Transaction level)
Set up initial test environment with guidance
Start generating basic test data
60 Days
Independently analyze and document multiple program flows
Take over a defined portion of analysis workload
Create stable QA/UAT environments
Produce structured and reusable test datasets
90 Days
Own end-to-end analysis for assigned modules
Fully manage test environment readiness for QA/UAT cycles
Reduce dependency on onshore SME significantly
Deliver outputs usable by integration and modernization teams
Work Location: Remote
