Patching Lead- Mainframe-IBM z/OS

About Cognizant’s CIS Practice:

Cognizant’s CIS (Cognizant Infrastructure Services) Practice is a global leader in providing IT infrastructure services. We deliver innovative solutions to optimize and transform IT infrastructure, ensuring business agility and operational efficiency. Our services include cloud computing, data center management, network services, and cybersecurity. We focus on understanding client needs and delivering customized solutions to drive business success.

In this role, you will:

The Mainframe Infrastructure Patching Lead is a senior individual contributor accountable for the end-to-end patch and maintenance lifecycle of the organization's IBM z/OS environment. This role sets patching strategy and technical standards, performs hands-on maintenance work, and directs the day-to-day execution carried out by an offshore mainframe support team. The Lead is the primary technical authority on SMP/E maintenance, vendor service management, and change coordination, and is accountable for ensuring the offshore team executes patching safely, on schedule, and in compliance with security and audit requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the IBM z/OS patch management strategy, including SMP/E maintenance (PTFs, APARs, RSU/CSI management) and subsystem patching (CICS, DB2, IMS, MQ, RACF, and related products).
• Define the rolling patch and maintenance calendar in alignment with IBM service delivery cycles, security advisories, and enterprise change freeze windows.
• Assess incoming IBM and ISV maintenance for applicability, risk, and priority; triage HIPER, security, and integrity PTFs for expedited handling.
• Set technical direction for, and provide hands-on oversight of, an offshore mainframe operations team executing patch installs, regression testing, and validation across the z/OS estate.
• Establish and enforce patching standards, runbooks, and quality checkpoints so offshore-executed work meets the same bar as work performed directly.
• Review and approve patch testing results, rollback plans, and go/no-go decisions before production implementation, including for changes executed by the offshore team.
• Coordinate with systems programmers, security, and application teams to plan patch windows and manage changes through the CAB process.
• Track patch compliance across the mainframe estate; report on outstanding vulnerabilities, aging maintenance, and remediation timelines to management.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for patch-related incidents, including issues surfaced by the offshore team during off-hours windows; lead root cause analysis and remediation.
• Partner with InfoSec and audit on vulnerability scans, regulatory findings, and compliance requirements (e.g., PCI-DSS, SOX, internal controls).
• Maintain and continuously improve patching documentation, standard operating procedures, and knowledge transfer materials used by the offshore team.
• Bridge time-zone and communication gaps with the offshore team through structured handoffs, clear written procedures, and regular sync checkpoints.

Wha you will need to succeed in this role

• 8+ years of experience in IBM z/OS systems programming or mainframe infrastructure operations, with demonstrated depth as a senior technical contributor.
• Hands-on expertise with SMP/E, z/OS maintenance processes, and IBM service delivery (PTFs, APARs, HOLDDATA, RSU/CSI management).
• Strong working knowledge of z/OS and core subsystems (JES2/JES3, RACF, CICS, DB2, IMS, or similar).
• Experience directing or closely coordinating with an offshore or distributed technical team, including reviewing their work and holding them to defined standards.
• Experience with change management processes and tooling (e.g., ServiceNow) in a regulated enterprise environment.
• Familiarity with vulnerability management and security patch prioritization frameworks.
• Strong troubleshooting skills and experience designing and validating rollback/contingency plans.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear runbooks and procedures for execution by a remote team.
• Willingness to support off-hours and weekend patch windows, including coordination across time zones with the offshore team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with automated patch deployment or maintenance tracking tools.
• Familiarity with IBM zPCR and Fix Category management.
• Exposure to parallel sysplex environments and coordinated multi-LPAR patching.
• Background in audit/compliance reporting for mainframe environments.
• Prior experience building or refining offshore/onshore delivery models for infrastructure operations.
• ITIL Foundation certification or equivalent change/incident management experience.

Key Competencies

• Risk-based decision making under time constraints.
• Ability to lead and quality-control work performed by a remote/offshore team without direct supervision on-site.
• Meticulous attention to detail and documentation discipline.
• Clear, calm communication during incidents or escalations, across time zones.
• Comfort operating as a hands-on senior contributor while also acting as the de facto technical lead for a distributed team.

We are offering an annual compensation between $80,000-$90,000. Applications will be accepted until September 30th 2026.

• We strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is an onsite position based in Scarborough, Ontario. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance though our various wellbeing programs.
• The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you’re engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.
• Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in Canada without requiring employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.
• Applications for this position are reviewed by our recruitment team without the use of artificial intelligence screening tools.