AI Automation Manager

AI & AUTOMATION MANAGER

Lead the Future of Work  •  Drive Real Business Impact

Are you ready to shape how an entire organisation works smarter?

We are looking for a strategic, hands-on AI & Automation Manager to build and lead our AI & Automation function as a true business unit. This is not a pure strategy role, nor a pure delivery role — it is both. You will set direction, manage a talented team, own the project pipeline, and personally roll up your sleeves to deliver the larger, high-impact initiatives that move the needle.

If you thrive on turning complex operational challenges into elegant, practical solutions using AI agents, Microsoft Power Platform, Copilot Studio and intelligent automation — and you can prove the value in hours saved and costs avoided — this role was made for you.

Role Purpose

You will lead the AI and automation function with full accountability for strategy, team performance and measurable outcomes. Your mission: identify where AI, automation, intelligent agents and Microsoft 365 tools can eliminate repetitive work, free up human capacity and create clear operational and financial value across every division of the business.

This is a strategic + hands-on leadership role. You will coach and prioritise your team while personally owning and delivering the most complex projects — from business analysis and solution design through to build, testing, rollout and benefit realisation.

What You Will Do

Lead & Grow the AI & Automation Team

•        Manage, coach and develop AI and automation specialists — allocate work, set clear priorities, track delivery and hold the team accountable for results.

•        Set the strategic direction so every hour of team effort is focused on initiatives that deliver measurable business value.

Own the Strategy & Drive Transformation

•        Develop and own the company-wide AI and automation strategy.

•        Engage leaders across all divisions to uncover pain points, repetitive tasks and high-value opportunities.

•        Personally lead larger, complex projects end-to-end: analysis, design, build oversight, testing, rollout and benefit tracking.

•        Quantify impact — time saved, cost avoided, productivity gains, risk reduction — and communicate it clearly.

•        Challenge the status quo and champion a culture of simplification, continuous improvement and responsible AI adoption.

Hands-On Delivery with Microsoft Power Platform & AI

•        Design, build, test and improve solutions yourself — especially the high-stakes projects that need senior involvement.

•        Work hands-on in Copilot Studio, Power Automate, Power Pages, SharePoint and related tools.

•        Maintain and optimise existing automations so they continue delivering value as the business evolves.

•        Advise on Microsoft 365 licensing, permissions and technical enablement to keep solutions secure, scalable and cost-effective.

Pipeline, Governance & Executive Visibility

•        Own the full AI & automation project pipeline — balancing quick wins with longer-term strategic initiatives.

•        Prepare clear, concise Exco-level updates covering roadmap, progress, exceptions, risks, time savings, cost avoidance and decisions required.

•        Escalate blockers early and ensure every initiative has a crisp problem statement, proposed solution, resource needs, expected benefits and implementation plan.

Requirements

What You Bring

Minimum Requirements

•        4–5 years’ experience in technology, systems, Microsoft 365, automation or solutions-focused roles.

•        Proven ability to turn business needs into practical AI, automation, workflow and system solutions.

•        Hands-on expertise with:

• Microsoft 365 licences, permissions and administration basics

• Copilot Studio — building, testing and refining agents

• Power Automate workflows and process automation

• Power Pages (including Azure-related setup and permissions)

• SharePoint, Visual Studio, basic integrations, APIs and data structures

•        Strong people leadership, project management and hands-on delivery capability.

•        SQL experience and comfort supporting data-related troubleshooting and reporting.

•        Ability to quantify and communicate operational, time-saving and financial impact.

•        Experience preparing clear Exco / senior management updates.

•        Track record of personally delivering complex projects while coordinating team members, vendors and stakeholders.

Highly Advantageous

•        Experience leading AI adoption, digital transformation or internal efficiency programmes.

•        Working across multiple business divisions or with operational teams to redesign workflows.

•        Deeper Power Platform expertise and exposure to Azure (authentication, permissions, integrations).

•        Familiarity with Power BI, Microsoft Fabric or other modern reporting tools.

Qualifications

Degree or diploma in Information Systems, Computer Science, Software Engineering, AI — or equivalent practical experience that demonstrates the same capability.

Key Competencies We Value

•        Commercial & operational awareness — you understand how the business makes money and where time is wasted.

•        Systems thinker with a structured yet creative approach to problem-solving.

•        Bridge builder — equally comfortable speaking to Exco and to developers.

•        Hands-on & practical — happy to move between strategy and detailed configuration.

•        Proactive & solutions-driven with genuine out-of-the-box thinking.

•        Resilient in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and multiple concurrent projects.

What Success Looks Like

•        The AI & Automation function is professionally run — clear priorities, accountable team, visible strategic roadmap.

•        Larger strategic projects are delivered on time through a powerful combination of your hands-on work, stakeholder leadership and effective team coordination.

•        Manual tasks, duplicated effort and bottlenecks are systematically reduced.

•        Measurable time savings, productivity gains and cost avoidance are tracked and celebrated across divisions.

•        Exco has full visibility of the pipeline, benefits, risks and decisions required.

•        AI tools and agents are rolled out with proper guidance, governance and security — enabling growth rather than creating new complexity.

Why This Role Is Special

You will not be a spectator. You will own the strategy and the most important delivery. You will lead people while still getting your hands dirty in Copilot Studio and Power Automate. You will report real hours saved and real rand (or dollar) impact to the executive team.

If you are the person who can connect technology opportunity to business priority, who can simplify complexity, and who loves both leading and building — we want to hear from you.

Ready to lead the next wave of intelligent automation?

Apply now and help us build a smarter, faster, more human organisation.