Senior Practice Director, Mainframe Application Management

At Ensono, our Purpose is to be a relentless ally, disrupting the status quo and unleashing our clients to Do Great Things ! We enable our clients to achieve key business outcomes that reshape how our world runs. As an expert technology adviser and managed service provider with cross-platform certifications, Ensono empowers our clients to keep up with continuous change and embrace innovation.

We can Do Great Things because we have great Associates. The Ensono Core Values unify our diverse talents and are woven into how we do business. These five traits are the key to achieving our purpose:

Honesty, Reliability, Curiosity, Collaboration, and Passion.

About the role and what you'll be doing

The Practice Director of Mainframe Application Management is responsible for building, leading, and growing Ensono's mainframe application management practice. This role combines strategic practice development, service delivery excellence, and business growth to establish Ensono as a market leader in mainframe application services. The Practice Director drives innovation in service offerings including AI-enabled mainframe solutions, develops go-to-market strategies, and ensures operational excellence across the mainframe application management portfolio

Practice Development & Strategy

Define and execute the strategic vision and roadmap for Ensono's mainframe application management practice, including integration of AI/ML capabilities on mainframe platforms

Develop innovative service offerings that leverage AI for mainframe application optimization, predictive analytics, and intelligent automation

Drive adoption of AIOps for mainframe management, including predictive monitoring, anomalous behavior detection, and intelligent incident remediation

Build thought leadership around AI-enhanced mainframe modernization on the mainframe or in hybrid models through industry engagement, white papers, and analyst relations

Identify emerging trends in AI, machine learning, and cognitive computing as applied to mainframe environments

Establish best practices for integrating AI/ML models with mainframe applications and data platforms (z/OS, IBM Watson, IBM z16 AI accelerators)

Business Growth & Market Development

Drive revenue growth for both AI-enabled mainframe application services and traditional application managed services

Partner with sales and pre-sales teams to develop compelling solutions combining mainframe expertise with AI capabilities for intelligent application management & optimization

Lead pursuit activities showcasing Ensono’s capability to support mainframe application performance, security, and reliability

Develop pricing strategies for traditional and AI-powered mainframe application services including predictive maintenance, intelligent automation, and data analytics

Build relationships with AI/ML technology partners (IBM Watson, Google Cloud AI, Azure AI) for hybrid mainframe-cloud AI solutions

Represent Ensono at industry events focusing on mainframe innovation, AI transformation, and hybrid cloud architectures

Service Delivery & Operational Excellence

With the support of delivery director and management teams, oversee delivery of mainframe application management services enhanced by AI-driven monitoring, analytics, and automation

Implement AI-powered tools for code optimization, application performance management, and capacity planning on mainframe platforms

Drive use of machine learning for intelligent workload scheduling, resource optimization, and predictive failure analysis

Leverage AI for automated code remediation, vulnerability detection, and compliance monitoring in mainframe applications

Implement intelligent observability and AIOps platforms for proactive issue detection and resolution

Lead initiatives to extract and analyze mainframe data for AI/ML model training and business intelligence

Team Leadership & Talent Development

Build a high-performing practice team with expertise in both traditional mainframe skills and emerging AI technologies

Recruit talent with capabilities in mainframe AI accelerators, Python/AI frameworks on z/OS, and hybrid cloud AI integration

Together with Mainframe AMS Delivery Director, create upskilling programs to train mainframe engineers in AI/ML concepts, prompt engineering, and intelligent automation

Foster a culture of innovation that embraces AI experimentation while maintaining operational stability

Develop Centers of Excellence for AI-enabled mainframe services and cognitive application modernization

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

Serve as trusted advisor to clients on best practices to support, enhance and optimize mainframe applications and unlock data value

Drive client satisfaction through continuous improvement, insights, predictive recommendations, and proactive optimization

Financial & Performance Management

Own P&L responsibility for the mainframe application management practice

We want all new Associates to succeed in their roles at Ensono. That's why we've outlined the job requirements below. To be considered for this role, it's important that you meet all Required Qualifications. If you do not meet all of the Preferred Qualifications, we still encourage you to apply.

Required Qualifications

10+ years of experience in mainframe application management with progressive leadership responsibility

5+ years of experience in practice development, business development, or service portfolio management

Proven track record building and growing technology service practices or business units

Strong background managing large-scale mainframe environments (z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE) for enterprise clients

Experience with AI/ML initiatives on mainframe platforms or in hybrid mainframe-cloud architectures

Demonstrated success in client-facing roles with C-level engagement experience

Deep knowledge of mainframe application platforms, development tools, and deployment processes

Understanding of AI capabilities on IBM Z platforms including Telum AI accelerators, z/OS AI Toolkit, and IBM Watson integration

Strong understanding of mainframe schedulers (TWS, Control-M), code promotion tools, and application monitoring solutions

Experience with mainframe databases (DB2, IMS, VSAM) and data pipelines for AI/ML model consumption

Knowledge of AIOps platforms, intelligent automation tools, and AI-powered application performance management

Familiarity with Python, Java, or other AI framework languages running on z/OS

Knowledge of mainframe modernization patterns including cloud migration, containerization, API enablement, and AI-driven code transformation

Familiarity with DevOps, Agile, and ITIL methodologies applied to mainframe environments

Strategic thinking with ability to articulate vision for AI-enhanced mainframe application services

Strong business acumen with experience managing P&L and driving profitable growth

Ability to communicate complex AI concepts to technical and business audiences

Exceptional client relationship management and executive communication skills

Proven ability to build, inspire, and lead technical teams through transformation

Excellence in collaboration across sales, delivery, and operational teams

Strong presentation and storytelling skills for internal and external audiences

Preferred Qualifications

Experience implementing AI use cases on mainframe environments (predictive analytics, intelligent automation, fraud detection)

Certifications in IBM Z AI capabilities, machine learning, or data science

Background in industry analyst relations (Gartner, Forrester, ISG, Everest Group)

Knowledge of competitive landscape in AI-powered mainframe services

Expertise in financial services, insurance, healthcare, or state and local government verticals where mainframe AI applications are emerging

Experience with partner ecosystem development including AI/ML vendors

MBA or advanced degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, or Business Administration

Competencies

Entrepreneurial mindset and innovation orientation

Strategic vision with execution excellence

AI literacy and technology trend awareness

Client-centric approach and consultative selling

Change leadership and transformation management

Financial acumen and business management

Team development and talent cultivation

Cross-functional collaboration and influence

Market awareness and competitive intelligence

Success Metrics

Practice revenue growth and profitability including AI service lines