Head of Engineering & Technology

Meet: Happen Business

• History: 25 years, a recognised ERP leader for the ANZ market
• Parent company: Part of the Jonas Software Group
• Team: 15, across four streams
• Location: Fully remote, must be Aus-based. Sydney or Melbourne preferred, open to the right person elsewhere

The story

Happen has spent 25 years building Jim2, the ERP platform hundreds of businesses across Aus and NZ run their operations on. Around 440 customers, spanning wholesale distribution, manufacturing, managed print services and service industries, trust it to run the parts of their business that matter most.

Full leadership buy-in for real modernisation is already in place, backed by a business that's financially strong, part of the Jonas Software Group, and actively planning to double revenue.

This is a business heading into its next chapter with real momentum. Agentic AI is already embedded in how the team builds, and leadership has a genuine appetite to invest in pushing Jim2 forward: a browser-based, AI powered future for the product, and for the hundreds of customers who've grown with it.

The role

This is the Head of Engineering & Technology, and it's a genuine transformation seat, not a caretaker one. You'll own Happen's technology direction, architecture, engineering delivery and infrastructure across the full suite: Jim2 Business Engine, Jim2Commerce, Jim2 Cloud, Jim2 Mobile, and the integrations behind HappenPay and Happen EKM, plus the Azure cloud, security and internal IT underneath it all.

Two things define this role, and the right person will be energised by both. First, modernising a proven platform with ambition: taking a 25 year old ERP and pushing it, unapologetically, into a modern architecture and an agentic AI world, sequenced so the customers who depend on it every day come with you rather than get left behind. Second, using agentic AI as a genuine multiplier, embedded into both the product and the way the team builds, becoming the team's standard method rather than a side experiment.

There's a real commercial prize attached. A modernised, simpler product is expected to unlock sales currently lost at the final shortlist and convert straight into revenue growth, and this role sits at the centre of that.

You'll sit on Happen's Senior Management Team, represent technology at board level, and lead a team of around 15 through their team leaders rather than carrying delivery yourself, staying hands on enough to prototype, review and set the standard on agentic AI.

About you

We’re looking for a modern engineering leader who is excited by transformation, not maintenance. This role is ideal for someone who has helped modernise legacy products, knows how to bring teams on that journey, and is genuinely energised by the opportunity to build what comes next. You may already be leading a team in a broad technology role, or you may be stepping up from a senior engineering leadership position into a bigger cross-functional remit. Either way, you’ll bring strong technical credibility, sound judgement, and the ability to balance innovation with pragmatism.

You’ll be someone who understands how to use AI in a real and applied way - not just as a concept, but as part of modern engineering delivery and product evolution. You can work confidently with developers, product leaders, and senior stakeholders, and you know how to create momentum without creating chaos. You’re commercially aware, comfortable leading through change, and motivated by the chance to shape product direction, uplift delivery capability, and help a well-established business evolve for its next stage of growth.

• Deep architectural judgement across legacy migration, cloud infrastructure, API design, and modern application frameworks.
• Hands-on, credible with Microsoft Azure, .NET and C#, and SQL Server, comfortable engaging with a Delphi (or comparable long-lived) legacy codebase and web platforms such as nopCommerce and ASP.NET.
• Familiarity with ERP architecture, hosted and multi-tenant delivery models, and the real complexity of modernising mature software.
• Practical experience embedding AI tooling into the software development lifecycle, AI-assisted coding, automated testing, and documentation.
• Working understanding of LLM-based product features, MCP integrations, and agentic AI workflows, and how to govern their adoption with measurable accountability.

Why this one's worth a look

• Lead the next chapter of a well-established product, with the opportunity to shape its modernisation and long-term technology direction.
• Step into a high-impact leadership role spanning engineering, QA, and technology, with the scope to influence how the function grows.
• Join the senior leadership team and contribute to strategic decisions that shape the future of the business and product.
• Play a key role in embedding agentic AI into the development environment in a way that genuinely lifts team capability and output.
• Take on a role with real runway - ideal for someone ready to broaden their leadership scope and grow with the business.
• Join a business with strong momentum, backed by the scale and support of a global software group while still offering the feel of a close-knit team.
• Be part of a flexible, fully remote culture built on trust, autonomy, and outcomes.
• Access broader leadership development, networking, and growth opportunities through the wider Jonas and Constellation network.
• Share in the success you help create through profit-sharing in addition to salary.

Next steps

Hi 👋 I'm Breanna from affix. We're partnering with Happen as their talent acquisition partner on this search. If this sounds like the step up you've been looking for, then please apply. I look forward to seeing your application.