Technical Architect

Technical Architect Job Summary We are seeking an experienced Digital Solution Specialist to own and support a business-critical enterprise application running on IBM AIX 7.2, developed in Rocket Software Visual COBOL, and integrated with Oracle enterprise platforms. The successful candidate will be be responsible for maintaining, enhancing, and troubleshooting the application, ensuring high availability, performance, and reliability of business-critical processes. The role also requires hands-on experience in API and integration design, connecting legacy systems with Oracle SaaS platforms using middleware technologies. Key Responsibilities Application Support & Development • Develop, maintain, and support COBOL applications running on IBM AIX 7.2 using Rocket Software Visual COBOL. • Analyse business requirements and translate them into clear technical specifications and low-level designs. • Perform system enhancements, defect resolution, and performance tuning across batch and online transaction systems. • Work with AIX, C-ISAM, Transoft AppIntegrate, JCL, CICS, and DB2 to manage application processing. • Troubleshoot production issues, lead root-cause analysis, and provide timely and permanent resolutions. • Manage release cycles including environment preparation, dress rehearsals, Change Approval Board submissions, and post-implementation support. • Ensure compliance with coding standards, security policies, and regulatory requirements. Document all system changes and technical specifications. Integration & API Engineering • Design and maintain REST and SOAP APIs that connect the COBOL application to Oracle platforms — including Oracle Field Service Cloud (OFSC), Oracle B2B, Oracle VBCS, and Oracle EBS. • Define and manage integration data flows across middleware layers including Kafka, MuleSoft, and IBM MQ. • Apply API security standards: OAuth2, mTLS, and API gateway policies across all integration touchpoints. • Participate in system modernisation and application landscape assessment activities as required. Governance & Collaboration • Work with Enterprise Architecture to ensure solutions align with global technology strategy and standards. • Present technical designs to architecture governance forums and senior leadership. • Collaborate with business analysts, testers, and other developers to deliver quality solutions. • Provide SME support to the application support team during major incidents and escalations. • Mentor junior engineers through code reviews and knowledge transfer. Required Technical Skills COBOL & AIX Platform • Minimum 12 years of hands-on COBOL development, with significant experience on Rocket Software (Micro Focus) Visual COBOL in a Unix/AIX production environment. • Strong IBM AIX 7.2 skills: system administration, shell scripting (Korn/Bash), job scheduling, and performance diagnostics. • Proficiency in COBOL structured programming — batch processing, CICS online transaction handling, and file I/O including VSAM, C-ISAM, and sequential file types. • Experience with Transoft AppIntegrate or equivalent legacy middleware for exposing COBOL services as web services. • Proficiency in JCL, CICS, and version control tooling such as GIT, Endevor, or Changeman. • Familiarity with debugging and performance optimisation tools in a Unix/COBOL environment. Integration & APIs • Proven experience designing and building REST (Open API) and SOAP/WSDL APIs connecting COBOL applications to Oracle enterprise platforms. • Direct experience integrating with Oracle Field Service Cloud (OFSC), Oracle B2B, Oracle VBCS, or Oracle EBS. • Hands-on knowledge of integration middleware: MuleSoft, Apache Kafka, IBM MQ,or equivalent. • Understanding of integration and messaging patterns — pub/sub, request-reply —and API security: OAuth2, mTLS, and JWT. Database • Strong SQL skills with hands-on experience in DB2 on AIX or Oracle — query writing, execution plan analysis, index tuning, and batch data processing. • Working knowledge of VSAM, C-ISAM, and flat-file data structures in enterprise COBOL environments. Desirable Skills • Experience with Generative AI — integrating LLM APIs, building RAG pipelines, or contributing to an enterprise AI initiative. • Exposure to cloud platforms (GCP, AWS, or Azure) for hybrid integration or application modernisation. • Knowledge of additional languages such as Python or Java for integration scripting or API development. • Experience with legacy system modernisation or migration to distributed and cloud platforms. • Familiarity with containerisation tools such as Docker and Kubernetes. • Experience working in Agile or SAFe delivery environments within large enterprise programmes. • Exposure to building automation systems, field service management platforms, or IoT environments is an advantage. Experience • 15+ years of IT experience, with a substantial portion in enterprise COBOL application ownership on Unix/AIX platforms. • Minimum 5 years of integration and API design experience connecting enterprise systems to Oracle or comparable SaaS platforms. • Proven experience managing a business-critical application end-to-end: SLA governance, incident management, release management, and architecture decisions. • Experience in building technologies, field service management, banking, or a similarly regulated and operationally complex environment is highly desirable. • International client-facing or onsite engagement experience, with the ability to operate at senior stakeholder and governance level. Education & Certifications • Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience. • A postgraduate qualification such as an MBA (Systems/IT), MCA, or MTech is an advantage. • Relevant certifications are beneficial: IBM DB2, Oracle Cloud, MuleSoft, Google Cloud, SAFe Agile, or equivalent. Key Competencies • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage detail and breadth simultaneously across a complex application landscape. • Excellent attention to detail and accuracy in design, development, and documentation. • Effective communication skills — able to engage confidently with both technical teams and non-technical business stakeholders. • High ownership mindset operates with autonomy and accountability in a remote working environment. • Strong understanding of legacy enterprise systems, business continuity, and the balance between operational stability and modernisation. • Ability to work independently and as part of a distributed, cross-functional team across multiple time zones. Johnson Controls: Enhancing the Intelligence of Buildings Your buildings have a purpose. They are places for people to live or work. Facilities for learning or healing. Venues for entertainment and shopping. Sites for the specialized storage of tangible goods or mission-critical data. Your buildings have a huge variety of functions; they are central to your mission. This is where Johnson Controls comes in, helping drive the outcomes that matter most. Through a full range of systems and digital solutions, we make your buildings smarter. A smarter building is safer, more comfortable, more efficient, and, ultimately, more sustainable. Most important, smarter buildings let you focus more intensely on your unique mission. Better for your people. Better for your bottom line. Better for the planet. At Johnson Controls, we’ve been making buildings smarter since 1885, and our capabilities, depth of innovation experience, and global reach have been growing ever since. Today, we offer the world’s largest portfolio of building products, technologies, software, and services; we put that portfolio to work to transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play.