IBMI strategic Solution architect

Programmers.io is looking for Solution Architect

Role Overview

We are looking for a highly experienced IBM i Strategic Solutions Architect based in the United States who can serve as a senior technical advisor for some of our largest and most strategic IBM i clients.

This person will work closely with client technology and business teams, spend time onsite with strategic accounts, understand their IBM i landscape and future priorities, and identify opportunities where we can provide additional value.

The role will also work closely with our offshore IBM i teams, providing architectural guidance, technical direction, and ensuring that our delivery teams remain aligned with the client's technology strategy.

This is not just an architecture or delivery role. We are looking for someone who can build strong relationships with clients, understand their technology challenges, proactively recommend solutions, and help us grow strategic IBM i accounts.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Client Engagement

·Act as a senior IBM i technical advisor and trusted partner for selected strategic accounts.

• Develop strong working relationships with client architects, technology leaders, and key stakeholders.
• Visit strategic clients approximately once per quarter and work onsite for 3-4 days.
• Understand the client's IBM i environment, applications, architecture, technical challenges, roadmap, and business priorities.
• Participate in architecture discussions, technical discovery sessions, and modernization planning.
• Proactively bring ideas and recommendations to clients instead of waiting for requirements.

IBM i Architecture & Modernization

·Assess existing IBM i application architecture and recommend improvements.

• Provide architectural guidance around application modernization, integration, APIs, DevOps, databases, performance, security, and maintainability.
• Help clients evaluate modernization opportunities while protecting their existing investment in IBM i.
• Provide technical leadership for complex IBM i initiatives and architecture decisions.
• Guide teams on modernization of legacy RPG and COBOL applications where appropriate.

Offshore Team Leadership

·Work closely with offshore architects, technical leads, developers, and delivery teams.

• Translate client strategy and onsite discussions into clear technical direction for offshore teams.
• Conduct architecture and solution reviews with the offshore team.
• Mentor senior IBM i developers and technical leads.
• Help offshore teams better understand the client's business, architecture, and long-term technology direction.
• Act as a bridge between client stakeholders and offshore engineering teams.

Technical Background

The ideal candidate should have strong experience across the IBM i ecosystem, including:

·IBM i / AS400 architecture

• RPG, RPGLE, ILE RPG and Free-Format RPG
• DB2 for i / SQL
• CL / CLLE
• COBOL experience or good architectural understanding of COBOL applications
• IBM i application architecture and integration
• APIs, REST services and modern integration patterns
• IBM i modernization strategies
• DevOps and CI/CD concepts for IBM i
• Application analysis, impact analysis and dependency understanding
• Security, performance and system architecture concepts
• Integration of IBM i applications with distributed/cloud applications

Experience with modern UI, Java/.NET integration, cloud integration, AI-assisted modernization, or IBM i modernization products/tools would be an advantage.

What We Are Looking For

Beyond technical expertise, the individual must be:

·Strongly client-facing and comfortable interacting with senior client technology leaders.

• Able to communicate complex IBM i concepts in simple business language.
• Consultative rather than purely delivery-focused.
• Proactive in finding problems and opportunities.
• Comfortable conducting technical discovery sessions independently.
• Capable of challenging existing approaches constructively and recommending alternatives.
• Strong at working with distributed US and offshore teams.
• Comfortable mentoring architects, leads, and developers.
• Commercially aware and able to recognize account-growth opportunities without behaving like a salesperson.