Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas

As a Healthcare Principal Application Architect, you will be the primary subject matter expert (SME) for the organization’s legacy application portfolio, with a specialized focus on mainframe systems and their modernization to distributed and cloud-native platforms. This is a strategic, hands-on architecture role that combines deep technical expertise with the authority to assess organizational needs and determine the structure and composition of a modernization team, including recommending new roles or reallocating existing talent.

You will architect and lead the mainframe retirement strategy from inception to execution—evaluating, planning, and overseeing the transition of critical legacy systems. This includes creating a mainframe retirement roadmap with defined milestones, identifying cross-system and vendor dependencies, and driving accountability across internal and external stakeholders.

In addition to designing scalable future-state solutions, you will evaluate modernization pathways (buy vs. build), standardize architectural practices, and act as a technical advisor for cloud and distributed environments. Your leadership will ensure alignment with business goals, regulatory compliance, and industry best practices.

This role supports major enterprise initiatives for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) and reports directly to the Director of IT Application Development.

• This position is eligible to work hybrid (9 or more days a month onsite) in accordance with our Telecommuting Policy. Applicants must reside in Kansas or Missouri or be willing to relocate as a condition of employment.

Are you ready to make a difference? Choose to work for one of the most trusted companies in Kansas.

Why Join Us?

• Family Comes First: Total rewards package that promotes the idea of family first for all employees.
• Dynamic Work Environment: Collaborate with a team of passionate and driven individuals.
• Trust: Work for one of the most trusted companies in Kansas
• Stability: 80 years of commitment, compassion and community

Compensation

$122,400 - $145,000

Grade IT&S 18

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas offers excellent competitive compensation with the goal of retaining and growing talented team members. The salary range for this role is a good faith estimate, it is estimated based on what a successful candidate might be paid. All offers presented to candidates are carefully reviewed to ensure fair, equitable pay by offering competitive salaries that align with the individual's skills, education, experience, and training. The range may vary above or below the stated amounts.

What you’ll do

• Lead Legacy Modernization Strategy: Develop and drive the end-to-end modernization roadmap, including mainframe retirement, application migration, and cloud re-platforming efforts.
• Architect Scalable, Future-Proof Solutions: Design and oversee the transition from legacy systems to modern, distributed, cloud-native architectures aligned with enterprise goals.
• Evaluate and Guide Buy vs. Build Decisions: Analyze application modernization options and recommend optimal solutions based on business value, scalability, and technical feasibility.
• Standardize Modernization Best Practices: Define and enforce consistent approaches, tools, and frameworks for transforming legacy applications across the organization.
• Lead Architecture Reviews and Technical Oversight: Facilitate architecture design reviews to ensure technical decisions support scalable, secure, and high-performance solutions.
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally on Transformation Initiatives: Partner with Security, Infrastructure, Solution Architects, Product Management, and Business teams to align technical strategy with organizational priorities.
• Oversee Innovation and Proofs of Concept (PoCs): Lead PoCs for new tools, frameworks, and techniques, validating their fit and readiness for enterprise-scale modernization.
• Drive Governance, Metrics, and Transparency: Define KPIs, maintain dashboards, and report progress to senior leadership, ensuring visibility into transformation milestones and risks.
• Ensure Compliance and Regulatory Alignment: Guarantee that all modernization efforts adhere to internal governance policies, security standards, and industry regulations.
• Team Assessment and Leadership: Assess current organizational skills and structure needed to execute mainframe retirement. Provide recommendations for building or reshaping a dedicated transformation team. Guide a growing team of architects and engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and innovation.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Deep expertise in cloud architectures (Azure, AWS, GCP) for modernized applications.
• Strong knowledge of APIs, microservices, event-driven architectures, and integration patterns.
• Experience with modern databases (SQL/NoSQL) and data migration strategies.
• Proven ability to drive modernization initiatives, managing dependencies and risks.
• Strong understanding of enterprise application development methodologies (Agile, DevSecOps, DataOps).
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to present complex ideas to executive leadership.
• Experience with AI/ML-driven automation in legacy application modernization.
• Strong expertise in batch and real-time data processing for legacy-to-modern transitions.
• Familiarity with enterprise security frameworks for modernized applications.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams and develop future technical leaders.
• Hands-on experience with cost optimization in legacy transformation.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in enterprise application architecture and development with a strong working knowledge of mainframe (COBOL, DB2, CICS) and modern distributed systems.
• 5+ years of experience in legacy system transformation, migration, and retirement.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Ability to use a computer keyboard, mouse, and other standard office equipment.
• Visual acuity to read and interpret data from a computer screen and printed materials.

Benefits & Perks

• Base compensation is only one component of your competitive Total Rewards package
  • Incentive pay program (EPIP)
  • Health/Vision/Dental insurance
  • 6 weeks paid parental leave for new mothers and fathers
  • Fertility/Adoption assistance
  • 2 weeks paid caregiver leave
  • 5% 401(k) plan matching
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Health & fitness benefits, discounts and resources

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, we are committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), where mutual respect is at the foundation of our workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals, regardless of race, color, religion, belief, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military or veteran status, family or parental status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

We believe that embracing diversity and authentically promoting inclusion, equity, and belonging among our team members is crucial to our collective success. By intentionally recruiting, developing, and retaining a diverse pool of talent, we cultivate an environment where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to contribute. Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities upon request, ensuring an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all.