Mainframe Testing Lead

Education: Graduation in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.

• 5–20 years of hands-on experience in software testing, with significant exposure to mainframe environments.
• Strong expertise in Mainframe Testing, including test case design, execution, and defect management for COBOL/JCL-based applications.
• Solid working knowledge of VSAM file structures, utilities, and validation techniques for test data creation and verification.
• Proficiency in JCL for executing, monitoring, and troubleshooting batch jobs in test environments.
• Practical experience with DB2 for writing queries, validating data, and supporting end-to-end test scenarios.
• Exposure to CI/CD practices and tools, with the ability to integrate and execute tests within automated pipelines.
• Strong analytical and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with technical and business stakeholders. Lead end-to-end mainframe testing initiatives across multiple projects, including test planning, design, execution, and closure for applications built on COBOL, JCL, VSAM, and DB2.
• Define and implement comprehensive test strategies for functional, regression, integration, and system testing in mainframe environments, ensuring coverage of business-critical scenarios.
• Analyze and validate complex data structures in VSAM files and DB2 databases, designing test data and queries to ensure data integrity and accurate processing.
• Review and optimize JCL used in test environments, coordinating with development and operations teams to schedule, execute, and troubleshoot batch jobs.
• Drive CI/CD-based quality practices by integrating test suites into pipelines, enabling early defect detection and continuous feedback to development teams.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (developers, business analysts, product owners) to understand requirements, clarify test scenarios, and align on acceptance criteria.
• Lead defect management activities, including triage, root cause analysis, prioritization, and coordination of fixes with development teams.
• Mentor and guide junior testers on mainframe testing techniques, standards, and tools, fostering a culture of quality and knowledge sharing.
• Prepare and present test reports and metrics to stakeholders, highlighting test coverage, defect trends, risks, and recommendations for improvement.
• Ensure adherence to quality standards and compliance with organizational processes, documentation norms, and audit requirements for mainframe systems. Good to have skills: Agile methodologies, Test automation frameworks, Performance testing tools, Service virtualization, Release management