Senior Program Manager

Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced Senior Program Manager to lead a complex mainframe modernization and rewrite initiative through planning, execution, testing, migration, and production go-live. This individual will be responsible for managing a large, cross-functional program involving mainframe applications, technology modernization, data migration, integration, testing, business readiness, and cutover. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record leading mainframe rewrite or modernization programs from inception through successful production deployment, with particular strength in managing the final stages of implementation, cutover, and go-live.
  Key Responsibilities

- Lead the end-to-end program delivery for a major mainframe rewrite/modernization initiative, including planning, execution, migration, cutover, and production go-live.
- Develop and maintain an integrated program plan covering technology, application development, data migration, testing, infrastructure, security, operations, and business readiness.
- Drive the program toward key milestones, ensuring scope, schedule, budget, risks, dependencies, and resources are effectively managed.
- Lead cross-functional teams consisting of application developers, mainframe engineers, architects, infrastructure teams, QA, data teams, business stakeholders, vendors, and production support.
- Establish and manage the go-live and cutover strategy, including detailed runbooks, sequencing, dependencies, rollback plans, command-center procedures, and contingency planning.
- Coordinate multiple testing phases, including system integration testing, regression testing, performance testing, user acceptance testing, and production validation.
- Oversee data conversion and migration activities and ensure reconciliation and validation requirements are met prior to go-live.
- Manage production readiness assessments and ensure all technical, operational, business, and support requirements are completed before deployment.
- Lead go/no-go decision meetings and provide executive leadership with clear status, risks, recommendations, and readiness assessments.
- Coordinate the go-live command center, managing issues, escalations, decision-making, and communications throughout the deployment.
- Ensure post-go-live stabilization, defect resolution, production monitoring, and transition to business-as-usual support.
- Proactively identify and manage critical program risks, issues, assumptions, dependencies, and interdependencies.
- Manage third-party vendors and technology partners supporting the modernization effort.
- Prepare executive-level status reporting, dashboards, steering committee materials, and program communications.
- Drive accountability across workstreams and ensure teams meet committed deliverables and milestones.
- Ensure appropriate governance, change management, documentation, and operational handoff processes are in place.
  Required Qualifications/ Skills  
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field (Master's degree preferred).
- 10+ years of experience in program/project management within large-scale technology environments.
- Demonstrated experience leading mainframe modernization, mainframe rewrite, migration, or transformation programs.
- Proven experience taking a major technology program through testing, cutover, production deployment, and go-live.
- Strong understanding of mainframe environments and technologies such as COBOL, JCL, DB2, CICS, VSAM, and batch processing.
- Experience coordinating application rewrites, platform migrations, data conversion, and system integrations.
- Strong understanding of SDLC, testing methodologies, release management, and production implementation processes.
- Demonstrated experience developing and executing detailed cutover/go-live plans and production readiness assessments.
- Excellent risk, issue, dependency, and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience working with senior executives and steering committees.
- Strong communication, leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple workstreams and competing priorities within a highly complex environment.

Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with large-scale financial services, healthcare, insurance, or other highly regulated environments.
- Experience leading programs involving legacy-to-modern technology transformations.
- Experience with cloud migration or integration of modern platforms with legacy mainframe environments.
- PMP, PgMP, or similar program/project management certification.
- Experience managing large vendor teams and system integrators.
- Experience leading high-pressure production cutovers and post-go-live stabilization.

Locations: Pittsburgh, PA

About Techstra Solutions  
Techstra Solutions is a certified woman-owned (WBENC) management consulting firm specializing in strategy, technology, and implementation services for large organizations undergoing digital and talent transformation. Our experienced team partners with clients to co-create innovative solutions in applications, data, AI, and automation that accelerate measurable, sustainable change. From advisory consulting through technical execution, we are dedicated to driving world-class business solutions that fit your strategic requirements and deliver results. For more information: www.techstrasolutions.com

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Techstra Solutions is an equal opportunity employer. The Company makes its decisions on merit, and its policy of equal opportunity prohibits discrimination in all phases of the employment process, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, promotion, selection, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, compensation, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. The policy of equal opportunity applies without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identification, pregnancy, marital status, national origin, ancestry, age, disability that can reasonably be accommodated without undue hardship, military status, veteran status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, alienage or citizenship, domestic partnership status, arrest or conviction record, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other protected categories under federal, state, or local law. The Company also prohibits discrimination or harassment based upon the perception that a person has, or is associated with a person who has, any of these characteristics.