Position Overview As the Head of Automation, you will lead the development, implementation, and ongoing optimisation of automated processes across the organisation.
Reporting to the senior leadership team ( Managing Director), you will ensure that technology-based solutions align seamlessly with business objectives, reduce operational friction, and support the company's overall goals.
This role requires a balance of technical expertise, visionary leadership, and a strong commitment to continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities Strategy & Roadmap Develop the Automation Vision : Establish a clear roadmap for leveraging automation and emerging technologies to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance service delivery.
Align With Business Goals : Work closely with senior leaders to ensure automation initiatives support the broader company strategy (including Lean Management principles).
Project Leadership & Execution Identify & Prioritise Projects : Collaborate with department heads to pinpoint areas with the highest ROI for automation—such as repetitive manual tasks, data entry, or customer service workflows.
Manage Project Lifecycle : Oversee the full project lifecycle, from scoping and design to development, testing, deployment, and post-implementation review.
Vendor & Tool Selection : Evaluate and select the most suitable automation tools (low-code/no-code solutions, AI-based systems, etc.)
to meet organisational needs.
Team Management & Collaboration Lead the Automation Team : Provide direction, mentoring, and professional development for automation engineers, analysts, and any external contractors or service providers.
Cross-Functional Partnerships : Collaborate with other departments (Operations, Sales, Finance, etc.)
to ensure seamless integration of automated solutions into existing workflows.
Process Optimisation & Continuous Improvement Champion Lean Management : Drive a continuous improvement culture by regularly reviewing and optimising processes, ensuring minimal waste and maximum efficiency.
Data-Driven Decisions : Track and measure the performance of automated processes, making data-driven improvements and ensuring ROI on automation initiatives.
Risk & Compliance Ensure Security & Compliance : Work with IT and compliance teams to ensure automated solutions meet data security and regulatory standards.
Mitigate Operational Risks : Identify potential risks tied to automation (e.g., system downtime, process errors) and develop robust contingency plans.
Stakeholder Engagement & Reporting Regular Communication : Provide clear, concise updates to senior leadership on project status, KPI performance, and upcoming initiatives.
Training & Change Management : Partner with the People/HR team and department managers to ensure employees are properly trained on new systems and processes, and to foster acceptance of automation-driven changes.
Qualifications & Skills Education & Experience Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field (Master's degree or MBA is a plus).
5+ years of experience leading automation initiatives or digital transformation projects, preferably at a growing or medium-sised organisation.
Technical Expertise Proven track record in designing and implementing automation solutions (e.g., robotic process automation, workflow management, machine learning, AI-based tools).
Use of Zapier, HubSpot and other low code platforms.
Familiar with developing bespoke platforms that evolve from initial use of systems developed in low/no code environments.
Familiarity with Lean Management, continuous improvement methodologies, and process mapping.
Leadership & Communication Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire, mentor, and build highly effective teams.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills—capable of translating technical insights into actionable business outcomes.
Strategic & Analytical Thinking Ability to align automation roadmaps with high-level business goals and identify areas for significant cost/time savings.
Comfort with data analysis, metrics tracking, and ROI measurement.
Problem-Solving Aptitude for diagnosing complex process and system issues, then designing creative, robust solutions.
Resilient and resourceful under pressure, with a commitment to continuous learning and innovation.
Key Areas of Success Plan the development of our bespoke solutions, e-portfolio systems, course management systems and others.
Spearheading the development of sub-brands.
Development of learning and development solutions for internal and external stakeholders.
(As well as the ability to deliver training sessions confidently.)
What We Offer Competitive Salary & Bonus : Aligned with experience, plus potential performance-based incentives tied to successful automation initiatives.
Career Growth : Opportunity to shape the digital transformation journey of a fast-growing organisation aiming for a major milestone.
Innovative Culture : A workplace that embraces creative thinking, Lean principles, and continuous improvement.
Impact & Autonomy : High level of influence on the company's future state, driving technology adoption and process excellence.