Automation Manager

Job Summary We are seeking an experienced Automation Manager to lead the design, implementation, governance, and continuous improvement of automation systems and AI-powered workflows across the organisation. The ideal candidate will be responsible for developing and executing the automation roadmap, overseeing AI workflow deployment, managing technical teams and third-party partners, and ensuring that all automation systems are secure, reliable, well-documented, and aligned with business objectives. The successful candidate must combine strong technical expertise in workflow automation and AI integrations with excellent leadership, project management, and stakeholder management skills. Key Responsibilities Automation Programme Management: Lead all automation initiatives across the organisation, monitoring projects at the development, testing, and production stages. Develop, maintain, and periodically review the automation roadmap in alignment with business objectives. Ensure every automation project has a clearly defined scope, timeline, responsible owner, and measurable success criteria. Manage the entire automation lifecycle, from initial requests and requirements gathering to implementation, testing, deployment, and ongoing optimisation. Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, reduce manual processes, and increase productivity through automation. AI Workflow Development and Governance: Oversee the design, development, testing, and deployment of AI-powered workflows across customer onboarding, collections, customer engagement, and business operations. Ensure all production workflows have documented standard operating procedures (SOPs), clear escalation procedures, and tested rollback plans. Maintain a centralised, version-controlled knowledge base for all automation workflows and technical documentation. Coordinate business requirements, technical implementation, and system architecture across internal teams and external implementation partners. Establish standards for workflow development, testing, approval, deployment, and maintenance. Monitor AI workflow performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. Team Leadership and Development: Lead and manage automation and AI systems personnel, as well as workflow operations and automation coordination teams. Set clear performance objectives, assign responsibilities, provide regular feedback, and conduct performance reviews. Promote a culture of technical excellence, accountability, collaboration, and operational discipline. Identify skill gaps and implement appropriate training, coaching, and professional development initiatives. Coordinate team activities to ensure projects are delivered within agreed timelines and quality standards. Executive Reporting and Stakeholder Management: Prepare and present monthly automation reports to executive management, covering project progress, deployment performance, incidents, risks, and future priorities. Provide regular updates on live automation systems, ongoing projects, and initiatives requiring management attention. Translate complex technical information into clear, actionable business insights for senior management. Identify and communicate strategic risks, project dependencies, resource requirements, and investment needs. Work closely with business leaders to identify automation opportunities and ensure solutions support organisational goals. Vendor, Tools, and Infrastructure Management: Manage the organisation's automation technology stack, including workflow automation platforms, messaging APIs, CRM integrations, and AI/LLM platforms. Oversee relationships with technology vendors, integration partners, and infrastructure providers. Monitor software licensing, system access, credentials, and other technology resources. Ensure appropriate access controls and credential security practices are maintained and regularly audited. Ensure all third-party integrations are properly documented, monitored, and reviewed periodically. Evaluate emerging automation tools and technologies that could improve operational efficiency and business performance. Production Governance and Operational Resilience: Ensure all production automation systems meet established reliability, security, and compliance standards. Enforce strict documentation and approval requirements before any workflow is deployed into production. Lead incident response for automation failures and ensure critical systems are restored within agreed recovery timelines. Target a 30-minute restoration time for critical automation systems. Conduct root cause analyses following incidents and implement preventive measures to reduce recurrence. Perform regular workflow audits to identify errors, inefficiencies, security gaps, and opportunities for optimisation. Establish monitoring, backup, recovery, and rollback procedures to support business continuity. Requirements Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Engineering, or a related discipline.4 - 8 years of relevant experience in automation management, business process automation, operations technology, AI workflow orchestration, or a related field. Demonstrable hands-on experience with workflow automation platforms such as n8n, Make, Zapier, or equivalent tools.Experience integrating AI and Large Language Model (LLM) APIs into business workflows. Strong knowledge of prompt engineering, API integrations, webhooks, and workflow orchestration. Experience working with WhatsApp Business API, CRM automation, and business process integrations. Proven experience managing technical teams, cross-functional projects, or external implementation partners. Experience developing technical documentation, SOPs, workflow governance frameworks, and incident management procedures. Strong analytical, problem-solving, project management, and stakeholder management skills. Ability to translate business requirements into practical, scalable automation solutions. Experience with executive reporting, performance monitoring, and operational dashboards. Background in fintech, lending, financial services, or another regulated industry will be an added advantage. Key Competencies: Automation Strategy and Implementation AI Workflow Orchestration API and System Integration Technical Project Management Team Leadership and Performance Management Risk Management and Operational Governance Incident Response and Problem-Solving Vendor and Stakeholder Management Process Improvement and Operational Efficiency Technical Documentation and Reporting.