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
Mainframe Application Assessor (Architecture) employer: Nixil
Nixil is an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture, empowering employees to lead in the rapidly evolving field of AI and microservices. Located in Australia, we offer competitive benefits, continuous professional development opportunities, and a commitment to work-life balance, making it an ideal environment for those looking to make a meaningful impact in technology.
