Automation & AI Operations Manager

Entrepreneur First; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - GBP 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A pioneering tech company in the UK is seeking an AI/Automation Operations Manager to design and implement automations and AI workflows. This hybrid role involves closely collaborating with various teams to identify process inefficiencies and create efficient automated solutions. The ideal candidate should have strong technical skills in workflow automation, API integration, and be comfortable writing code. Competitive salary offered between £65,000 - £85,000, plus an 8% performance-based bonus.

Benefits

8% performance-based bonus

Professional development opportunities

Diverse and inclusive work environment

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience building workflow automation processes.
• Strong understanding of APIs and their integration with SaaS tools.
• Comfortable writing light-to-moderate code (SQL, Python).
• Experience working with AI APIs in practical workflows.

Responsibilities

• Map current workflows to identify inefficiencies and automation opportunities.
• Design end-to-end automations using workflow automation tools.
• Work with stakeholders to define the requirements and guardrails for AI use cases.
• Build internal tools to support workflows and enhance team efficiency.

Skills

Workflow automation

APIs

SQL

Python

Communication

Tools

Zapier

Workato

n8n

Retool

Job description

Automata is transforming the way labs work with open, integrated automation. Our mission is to unlock the potential of labs and the potential of the people who work in them.

We usually respond within three days

Level 4
Salary band £65,000 - £85,000
Bonus 8% performance-based, discretionary
Location Hybrid - 3 days per week on-site in our London HQ, Angel

At Automata, we're on a mission to transform how scientists work by making automation accessible to every lab in the world. We believe that by giving labs the power to automate, we can unlock discoveries that will shape the future of life sciences—from diagnostics and drug discovery to synthetic biology.

But we’re more than just a company disrupting the industry—we're a team of innovators, problem-solvers, and creators passionate about empowering scientists. Our LINQ platform combines hardware and software to streamline workflows, making lab automation fast, flexible, and affordable. This means our customers can focus on groundbreaking research, while we take care of the rest.

Why Work at Automata?

Impact: Your work will directly contribute to advancements in science and medicine, supporting labs around the globe as they push boundaries in research and innovation.

Innovation: You’ll be part of a team solving complex problems (seriously, no one else has figured out how to do this yet), using cutting-edge technology (we have robots).

Growth: We invest in our people. Whether through hands‑on experience, professional development, or collaborative projects, you’ll grow both professionally and personally.

Community: Join a diverse, passionate team that values collaboration (golf on a Thursday, Soccer once a month, movie nights whenever we fancy it).

We’re looking for an AI/Automation Operations Manager to design, build, and own internal automations and AI‑powered workflows across the company.

This role sits at the intersection of:

• Business operations
• Workflow automation
• APIs and internal tooling
• Practical AI use cases

You will work closely with teams across Automata to identify repetitive or manual processes, then turn them into reliable, automated workflows or added tooling that scales with the company.

This is a hands‑on role for someone who enjoys proactive building and leading projects – and who wants to see their work used daily by colleagues across the business.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Process Discovery & Prioritisation

Partner with teams across the business to map current workflows and identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and failure points.

Quantify the impact of automation opportunities (time saved, error reduction, cycle time).

Maintain a prioritised internal automation roadmap aligned with company goals.

Workflow Automation & Systems Integration

Design and implement end‑to‑end automations using workflow automation tools (e.g. Zapier, Make, n8n, Workato, Retool, or similar).

Use APIs and webhooks to integrate SaaS tools and internal systems.

Apply light scripting where necessary.

Ensure automations have a clear ROI, and are reliable, well‑documented, and easy to maintain and iterate on.

AI Enablement

Identify and implement practical AI use cases.

Work with stakeholders to define Human‑in‑the‑loop requirements, guardrails and ongoing monitoring of outputs.

Internal Tools & Enablement

Build lightweight internal tools to support workflows (often using low‑code platforms).

Carry out tooling research and lead the implementation of appropriate external tooling (e.g. ERP system).

Enable teams to use automations effectively through clear documentation, training and feedback loops for improvement.

Reliability, Governance & Scale

Own the operational health of internal automations and the created tooling.

Partner with Data and Engineering teams to ensure data integrity and scalability as the company grows.

What We’re Looking For

Technical Skills

Hands‑on experience building workflow automation.

Strong understanding of APIs.

Comfortable writing light‑to‑moderate code (SQL, Python).

Experience integrating common SaaS tools (e.g. Asana, Salesforce).

Practical experience using AI APIs in real workflows.

Project Management & Product Thinking

Strong ability to translate messy, real‑world processes into clean system flows.

Good prioritisation, knows what not to automate.

Bias toward shipping, iterating, and improving.

Comfortable operating with ambiguity.

Soft Skills

Excellent communication with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Collaborative and pragmatic approach.

Clear documentation habits.

Comfortable building new processes from scratch.

Nice to Have

Experience at a scaling startup (50‑300 employees).

Experience with hardware‑enabled software companies.

Experience working closely with Data or Engineering teams.

Why This Role Matters

This role will directly:

Reduce operational friction across Automata

Increase execution speed and gross margin as we scale

Help teams spend more time on high‑value work

Turn data insights into systematic action in collaboration with our Data Analyst

You’ll have real ownership, real impact, and the freedom to build.

We are an equal‑opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Discrimination of any kind based on race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status is strictly prohibited.