ERP Modernization Architect

The Opportunity

We have a stable, revenue-generating ERP platform built on Provide

X(a Business BASIC derivative) that serves a loyal customer base. We are not looking to rebuild it from scratch. We need a senior architect who understands how legacy business logic systems work, can map the existing architecture, and build a modern API layer on top of it so we can connect AI capabilities, third-party integrations, and new product experiences to the data and workflows that already exist.

This is a "wrap, don’t replace" strategy. The right person will see the Provide

X codebase not as technical debt, but as encoded business logic worth preserving and exposing through modern interfaces.

Legacy Architecture Mapping & API Strategy

• Reverse-engineer and document the Provide
  
  X ERP architecture: data models, keyed file structures, business rules, and process flows

• Design and build a RESTful (or Graph
  
  QL) API layer that exposes core ERP functions and data to modern consumers without rewriting the underlying system

• Define the integration architecture that allows AI tools, third-party platforms, and new front-end experiences to read from and write to the ERP safely

• Establish a service boundary map: what stays in Provide
  
  X, what gets abstracted, and what eventually migrates

AI Enablement Through Data Access

• Make ERP data accessible and usable for AI/ML workflows by building clean data pipelines from legacy file structures to modern data stores

• Partner with product and leadership to identify the highest-value AI use cases that depend on ERP data (predictive analytics, workflow automation, intelligent recommendations)

• Evaluate and recommend AI tools and platforms that can plug into the API layer you build

• Ensure data governance, security, and compliance as legacy data becomes more broadly accessible

Platform Stability & Incremental Modernization

• Own the reliability and performance of the ERP platform throughout the modernization process; nothing breaks for existing customers

• Lead incident response and root-cause analysis for production issues

• Establish pragmatic engineering standards that acknowledge the reality of a legacy codebase while moving it forward

• Prioritize modernization efforts based on business impact, not technical elegance

Team & Stakeholder Leadership

• Lead and grow the ERP engineering team, building API and integration capabilities alongside legacy maintenance skills

• Act as the senior technical voice connecting engineering, product, support, and executive leadership

• Translate complex technical realities ("this is Provide
  
  X, here’s what that means for your timeline") into language that non-technical stakeholders can act on

• Mentor engineers who may be new to legacy systems, helping them see architectural patterns rather than just old code

Infrastructure & Cloud

• Own the Azure environment hosting the ERP platform

• Drive infrastructure automation, disaster recovery, and operational hygiene

• Support the longer-term cloud and SaaS evolution strategy as the API layer matures

Must Have

• Deep experience with legacy business logic languages:
  Provide
  
  X, Business BASIC (BBx/BBj), Pick/Multi
  
  Value
  
  BASIC, RPG, or COBOL. You need to be able to read procedural, record-oriented codeand understand the business rules it encodes.

• Proven track record of building API layers on top of legacy systems without full rewrites. You’ve done the "wrap and expose" pattern before.

• Senior engineering leadership experience overseeing mission-critical enterprise systems where downtime means lost revenue.

• Strong understanding of keyed file structures, flat-file databases, and how legacy data models differ from modern relational or document stores.

• Cloud infrastructure experience, preferably Microsoft Azure.

• Ability to communicate technical constraints and trade-offs to non-technical leadership clearly and without jargon.

Strong Advantages

• Hands‑on experience with Provide
  
  X specifically, or with Sage or SAP Business One ERP systems built on it

• Experience designing data pipelines that make legacy data consumable by AI/ML tools

• Familiarity with AI/ML integration patterns (you don’t need to build models, but you need to understand what they need…