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.