AUTOMATION LEAD JOB DESCRIPTION

An Automation Lead owns something specific: the decision about which processes get automated, in what order, and to what standard. That ownership puts this role at the center of enterprise RPA CoE governance - the body that sets engagement models, release management protocols, and reuse standards for automation built across business units. Without this function, automation portfolios fragment into one-off deployments with no shared framework and no path to scale. The role reports into senior technology or operations leadership and is accountable for both architectural direction and team delivery.

As the Automation Lead, you define the governance framework, technical design standards, and delivery roadmap that determine how robotic process automation scales across an enterprise's lines of business. You lead a team of automation engineers and architects, partnering with business function leaders and technology stakeholders to translate process inefficiencies into governed, reusable automated solutions.

Career Impact: Leading an enterprise RPA CoE gives you documented ownership of automation standards and reuse frameworks -credentials that transfer directly to Director and Principal Architect roles in the automation market.

Business Impact: The processes you automate and govern reduce manual cycle time and operational risk for business units spanning finance, operations, and commercial functions, making your output visible to senior leadership.

Growth Opportunity: Hands-on exposure to process intelligence platforms, cloud-native integration patterns, and CI/CD pipeline automation expands your technical range into domains that command a premium in the enterprise automation talent market.

• Define governance framework for RPA implementation including engagement model, release management, documentation standards, and continuous improvement mechanisms.
• Lead automation engineers and architects, providing coaching, performance development, and technical direction to deliver high-quality outcomes.
• Architect scalable automation solutions by translating business process requirements into functional specifications and high-level technical designs.
• Partner with business function leaders across operations, finance, and commercial teams to identify process inefficiencies suitable for automation.
• Own the automation platform roadmap, evaluating emerging technologies and recommending investments that align with enterprise architecture standards.
• Establish reusable component libraries and automation standards to reduce build cycle time across recurring deployment requests.
• Drive vendor and staff augmentation relationships, managing scope, quality, and delivery accountability for external contributors.
• Validate that deployed solutions meet security, regulatory, and scalability requirements in collaboration with enterprise architecture and compliance teams.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or equivalent work experience.
• 5 or more years of RPA strategy and delivery experience, with demonstrated ownership of enterprise-scale automation programs across multiple business functions.
• Proven experience designing and implementing RPA CoE governance models including process documentation, standards, and release management frameworks.
• Competency in cloud platform architecture across IaaS and PaaS models, with hands-on experience deploying automation in at least one major cloud environment.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams of engineers and architects, including vendor and staff augmentation management.
• Ability to conduct business process analysis and translate findings into automation opportunity assessments and technical design specifications.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to present architectural decisions and gain commitment from senior stakeholders.

• Experience in pre-sales or solution scoping activities including RFI/RFP responses and proof-of-concept delivery for automation engagements.
• Familiarity with process intelligence and mining platforms used to identify and prioritize automation candidates at scale.
• Background in agile delivery practices including backlog management, sprint planning, and continuous integration pipeline design.
• Exposure to API integration and orchestration patterns that connect automated workflows across enterprise systems.

• RPA CoE adoption rate, measured by the number of business units actively deploying from the shared governance framework.
• Reusable component utilization rate, tracking what percentage of new automations draw from the established component library.
• Automation deployment cycle time, reflecting how quickly new processes move from approval to production.
• Governance compliance rate, measuring the proportion of deployed automations that meet documented standards and release protocols.
• Bot reliability rate, tracking uptime and error frequency across attended and unattended automation deployments in production.
• Typical tools: RPA platforms (commonly UiPath or Automation Anywhere); integration middleware (commonly MuleSoft or Dell Boomi); cloud DevOps environments (commonly Azure DevOps).

• Base Salary Range: $130,000 to $175,000 annually depending on seniority and location.
• Bonus: 10% to 20% annual performance bonus typical in enterprise technology roles.
• Equity: RSUs or stock options offered at larger technology employers; less common at consultancies.
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer contribution varies by organization.
• PTO: 15 to 25 days annually, plus federal holidays.
• Common Perks: Remote or hybrid flexibility, professional certification reimbursement, conference attendance budget.

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Employment contingent on successful completion of a background check, which may include verification of prior employment and education credentials. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Reasonable accommodations are available to individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process upon request. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

The Process Automation Lead Architect owns the engineering practices, platform roadmap, and architectural standards that govern how automation scales across R&D, Commercial, Corporate Functions, and Operations, leading a team of internal and supplier architects toward reusable, enterprise-grade solutions. Reporting to senior technology leadership and working closely with Process Engineers and business function leaders, the architect delivers an Automation Marketplace and cross-system automation designs that eliminate process waste and unlock measurable business value.

Key Responsibilities

• Build out automation engineering practices, standards, and community by providing technical leadership to engineers.
• Define the automation platform roadmap for relevant technologies.
• Lead a group of Process Automation architects with expertise in various automation technologies including process understanding tools, guided automations, data analytics, process execution, cognitive automation, and system integration tools.
• Lead development on high-profile and complex automation projects.
• Work closely with other teams and Process Engineers to identify, stop, and simplify business process waste to codify into automated solutions and platforms.
• Lead the build-out of an Automation Marketplace to scale use of reusable components.
• Provide leadership and engineering expertise for end-to-end automations that span multiple systems and require enterprise architecture mentality.
• Engage with business functions across the company to identify bottlenecks in their processes using technologies.
• Decompose complex problems using strong architectural principles for end-to-end processes across R&D, Commercial, Corporate Functions, and Operations.
• Mentor other solution architects and lead a team of internal staff and supplier automation architects to drive business outcomes.
• Translate process automation opportunities into technical designs and build solutions leveraging UiPath, Docusign, WalkMe, Celonis, Automation Anywhere, MuleSoft, and other enterprise technologies.
• Help create the technology roadmap in the automation space.

Required Qualifications

• Doctorate and 2 years, Master's and 6 years, Bachelor's and 8 years, Associate's and 10 years, or High School Diploma/GED and 12 years of Information Systems and/or Computer Science experience.
• Experience with a wide spectrum of automation technologies including process understanding/intelligence, guided automations, data analytics, RPA, cognitive automations, and data/system integration technologies such as MuleSoft and Databricks.
• Experience working with automation and process intelligence software such as Automation Anywhere, Blue Prism, UiPath, and Celonis; experience as a Product Owner or Scrum Master is advantageous.
• Solid experience in business analysis, process mapping, and continuous improvement methodologies such as LEAN and Kaizen.
• Knowledge of ML, citizen development, and BPM platforms.
• Expertise in programming/scripting languages including Java, C, C++, Python, Go, C#, or JavaScript; experience building machine learning, OCR, and NLP solutions.
• Good understanding of native cloud computing, design, development, and security patterns for AWS, GCP, or Azure.
• Knowledge of functional support systems such as Workday, SFDC, and SAP is a plus.
• Assertive and confident in raising action points with senior individuals, with excellent spoken and written communication skills.
• Ability to think creatively and develop innovative solutions.

Reporting to senior management, the Automation Lead delivers end-to-end project management for factory automation systems in precision engineering and advanced manufacturing environments, spanning design through commissioning and performance verification. Partnering with external vendors, internal stakeholders, and cross-functional department heads, the Automation Lead enables operational excellence by streamlining manufacturing processes and ensuring full reliability of automation equipment.

Core Functions

• Lead and execute manufacturing automation projects and ensure timely delivery and completion.
• Design, implement, repair, and troubleshoot to ensure full functionality and reliability of factory automation systems and equipment.
• Work with external vendors and internal stakeholders in the development of project requirements, schedules, budgets, change management plans, and risk management plans.
• Coordinate resources within relevant departments to participate and meet project requirements on a timely basis, tracking project status and managing issues and risks.
• Supervise installation, testing, commissioning, and performance verification of new automation systems.
• Assist in software development for image processing, pattern recognition, inspection, and automation systems.
• Propose and lead cross-functional projects aimed at streamlining manufacturing processes for continuous improvement.
• Serve as primary contact to senior management for critical automation initiatives and build effective project teams via facilitation and open communications.
• Monitor technological trends and explore innovative digital solutions to drive operational excellence.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the superior.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, preferably in mechanical or electrical backgrounds.
• Project Management qualification such as PMP, PMI, Prince2, or Scrum/Agile preferred; Lean and Six Sigma experience is advantageous.
• 8–10 years of relevant hands-on project management experience in operation enhancement, process optimization, automation, and quality assurance, preferably in precision engineering or advanced manufacturing.
• Familiarity with motor control, IO control, robotics arm control, PLC, and computer programming and software development for automation.
• Experience in automation software design, development, and integration; experience in image processing, pattern recognition, or computer vision is a plus.
• Strong analytical skills, excellent project management, communication, and presentation skills.
• Responsible, meticulous, positive, and able to work both independently and as a team player in a fast-paced environment.

Embedded within the Engineering and DevOps organization, the Test Automation Lead shapes the long-term test automation strategy, including roadmaps, frameworks, and quality gates integrated into CI/CD/CT pipelines across projects. Working closely with Product, Engineering, and software infrastructure teams, the Test Automation Lead builds measurable improvements in automated test coverage, code maintainability, and delivery optimization.

Primary Duties

• Contribute to our long-term vision and strategy for improved quality via automation and Test-Driven Development.
• Define and implement test automation strategy including roadmaps, tools, frameworks, and approaches across projects.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and DevOps teams to determine the scope and need of automation testing.
• Partner with software infrastructure teams to optimize the CI/CD/CT pipeline and implement quality gates to support DevOps.
• Drive maturity in agile and DevOps practices as they relate to test automation, quality improvements, and delivery optimization.
• Provide leadership, guidance, training, and mentoring to implement test automation across projects.
• Focus on improving code maintainability, increasing automated test coverage, and decreasing test execution times.
• Define and publish key automation performance metrics.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 2 years of AWS working knowledge and/or certifications.
• 10+ years of experience in an SDET role and 5+ years in a technical leadership role.
• 8 years of experience designing UI and API automation frameworks using Angular, React, Java, and Spring.
• 8 years in automation testing including feasibility analysis, implementation, strategy, scripting, execution, and reporting.
• 2+ years of experience with BDD automation testing; 5+ years in software testing lifecycle activities including requirement analysis, estimation, test environment setup, and project scheduling.
• Hands-on experience integrating test automation into CI/CD pipelines, preferably GitLab, and in-sprint automation.
• Experience with QA tools such as qTest, JIRA, and Confluence; test automation tools such as Selenium and Jest; unit testing frameworks such as JUnit/TestNG; and GitLab and Splunk.
• Good verbal, written, and presentation communication skills.

Sitting at the intersection of enterprise insurance software and quality assurance leadership, the EIS Test Automation Lead creates and leads a dedicated test automation team to define automated test scope, build frameworks from scratch, and ensure delivery quality for EIS software engagements. Operating across client-facing and internal delivery teams including the PwC delivery team, the EIS Test Automation Lead drives code reviews, manages technical risks, and provides expert guidance throughout the engineering process.

Duties

• Build and lead a team of EIS test automation engineers.
• Participate in pre-sales processes.
• Cooperate with customers and the PwC delivery team to define automated test scope and approach.
• Create test automation frameworks from scratch.
• Report on testing effort status and results.
• Ensure quality control and oversight for deliverables produced by the team.
• Provide expert advice, guidance, and support in the area of technical specialism.
• Support the team throughout the engineering process, conducting code reviews and peer reviews of work products.
• Build trusted working relationships with respective counterparts within the client.
• Proactively identify technical risks and issues.

Experience & Qualifications

• At least 6 years of experience in test automation, preferably testing enterprise-class systems.
• ISTQB certification preferred.
• Experience in independent test automation approach definition; experience in team leadership, competency development, and management.
• Experience in Insurance market software; experience with EIS Suite and prior experience in an international environment are a plus.
• Very good knowledge of test automation frameworks; Java programming skills.
• Very good understanding of software delivery processes and agile methodologies; familiarity with DevOps culture and CI/CD.
• Analytical skills, attention to detail, independence, and a proactive approach.
• Very good command of English for daily communication with international project team members.

A key member of the consulting delivery practice, the Automation Lead builds and governs RPA strategies for clients across multiple industries, translating process requirements into scalable functional designs and promoting end-to-end governance frameworks covering engagement models, release management, and continuous improvement. Collaborating with development teams, sales stakeholders during RFI/RFP and PoC stages, and client leaders managing RPA Centers of Excellence, the Automation Lead ensures documentation, training, and deployment standards are met across every engagement.

Functions

• Work with customers to understand process requirements and translate into functional specifications and high-level designs, together with the development team.
• Work with developers to ensure that designed solutions are scalable and that security and regulation requirements are addressed.
• Ensure customers have all necessary documentation and training to maintain the RPA environment and automation going forward.
• Assist customers with managing an RPA CoE including the necessary process flow and documentation.
• Resolve issues that may be roadblocks to a successful automation deployment.
• Provide pre-sales support to the sales team during RFI/RFP and PoC stages, including drafting responses.
• Promote the creation of a governance framework for end-to-end RPA implementation including engagement model, process documentation, standards, release management, roles and responsibilities, and continuous improvement mechanisms.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience delivering successful RPA strategies in a consulting environment across a variety of industries.
• Experience across multiple industries is required.
• Delivery-focused with engagement in account management, practice management, and business development programs.
• Ability to ensure project deliverables meet Delivery Excellence expectations.
• Ability to collaborate with leadership and account managers to enhance client relationships and internal culture.

The Automation Lead leads the enterprise digital automation tools team that enables all lines of business to adopt and execute robotic process and desktop automations, overseeing the full digital development lifecycle management platform and all infrastructure-related automation components. The work directly supports senior leadership's strategic vision by delivering architectural decisions, coaching a high-performing team, and researching emerging technologies to propose optimum technical solutions across the enterprise.

Accountabilities

• Lead the technical team responsible for the full digital development lifecycle management platform and all infrastructure-related automation components.
• Lead, coach, and mentor a highly motivated and talented team to deliver high-quality products, services, and support.
• Help establish goals, influence, and effectively communicate the vision set by Senior Leadership.
• Lead the architecture, design, build, and support of the digital tools platform consisting of UiPath-built robots.
• Provide strategic architecture, leadership, direction, and technical oversight for the implementation of tools, technologies, solutions, and methodologies.
• Communicate architectural decisions, plans, goals, and strategies to gain organizational commitment for enterprise-level architecture and infrastructure initiatives.
• Provide thought leadership by challenging the current way of operating to deliver best-in-class approaches.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with business domain leadership to track changing business needs and priorities.
• Perform research to identify emerging technologies and trends that may affect the enterprise and propose optimum technical solutions.

Technical Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or four or more years of work experience.
• Five or more years of experience in large-scale technology projects, architecture, and design; experience building bots in UiPath Re-Frameworks and experience with robotic automation systems focusing on unattended and attended robotic solutions.
• Experience with architecture definition, build, and implementation; experience with micro-services and cloud-native architecture; experience with ETL tools and API/web service integrations.
• Proficiency in .NET and/or C#, AngularJS, and JavaScript; experience with scripting languages such as PHP, Python, and PowerShell; proficiency in PostgreSQL and SQL Server.
• Experience building DLLs in Visual Studio, compiling as Nuget packages, and implementing as UiPath libraries; fluent in open source tools and technical architecture documentation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 25%.

Automation Lead manages continual Finance process efficiency programs within the CFO organization, gathering requirements from business partners, testing solutions, and delivering end-user education across a matrixed financial services environment using desktop automation and data tools. Success in the position means translating complex financial process challenges into governed, well-controlled automated solutions while partnering with analysts, individual contributors, and business unit customers on capacity planning and change execution.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Drive continual Finance process efficiencies through automation using desktop tools such as Alteryx, FactSet, Tableau, and Workiva, as well as SQL, SAS, PowerQuery, and VBA.
• Interact routinely with business partners to understand their processes and identify opportunities to automate, improve, and streamline.
• Gather requirements, test, and provide end-user education to drive, deliver, and design solutions for business partners.
• Work in partnership with analysts on the team to implement and drive automation solutions.
• Manage BAU processes as needed to ensure appropriate SME coverage.
• Drive operational excellence by developing and executing strategies to continuously improve work across the CFO organization.
• Manage and reduce risk by proactively identifying risks, issues, and concerns, and managing controls to drive responsible growth.
• Deliver transparent, concise, and consistent messaging while influencing and leading change across teams.
• Partner with individual contributors and customers on capacity planning, performance and development, skill sets, and learning opportunities.
• Navigate a complex and matrixed line of business while thinking strategically and driving change and execution.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting preferred, and/or equivalent work experience.
• 7+ years of professional work experience within the financial services industry.
• Working knowledge of financial systems such as EPM, eLedger, and BPC; ability to decompose complex issues and drive timely decisions.
• Proficiency with 2 or more desktop automation tools such as Alteryx, FactSet, Tableau, Workiva, or SharePoint, and experience with SQL and/or SAS.
• Advanced Excel skills including PowerQuery and VBA macros, plus proficiency across the Microsoft Office suite including PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, and OneNote.
• Excellent time management skills, ability to meet critical deadlines, and strong attention to detail with a control-oriented mindset.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work cohesively in a team-oriented environment.
• Self-motivated with a proven ability to influence others, balance multiple priorities, and deliver well-controlled results across all levels of an organization.

The Automation Lead builds and sustains the automation engineering capability for an Enterprise Cloud Managed Services team, leading engineers in automating routine and complex processes, defining DevOps release management pipeline standards, and managing vendor and staff augmentation relationships to support next-generation application development. The Engineering and Operations teams rely on this work to maintain a continuous integration and delivery mindset, reduce manual operational burden, and ensure high-quality automation deliverables within target timeframes.

Strategic Responsibilities

• Lead a team of automation engineers in the automation of routine and complex processes and maintenance of existing automations.
• Manage day-to-day operations of automation technologies, including budget and resources, and engage with leadership in scoping and planning.
• Provide regular coaching, counselling, learning opportunities, and career development; attract, retain, and develop a talented and diverse team.
• Define and implement automation standards for Deloitte Technology's Enterprise Cloud Managed Services team.
• Champion the value of automation and work across teams to identify further opportunities or help teams self-enable; manage vendor relationships and staff augmentation strategies.
• Define standards to create and manage an automated DevOps release management pipeline supporting next-generation application development and production operations.
• Partner with development and operations teams to facilitate practical automation solutions and custom modules.
• Deliver high-quality assignments within target timeframes and serve as a trusted automation and tooling advisor.

Background & Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.
• 5–10 years of experience managing full application stacks from OS through custom applications, with hands-on experience using a leading cloud platform such as Azure, AWS, or GCP highly preferred; experience leading teams, prioritizing work, and performing coaching and counselling to develop talent.
• Strong understanding of cloud and infrastructure components including IaaS, PaaS, and hybrid implementation; mastery of PowerShell script design and implementation.
• Advanced skills in designing and managing APIs including service integration and orchestration; strong experience with agile software development practices, source code management, lifecycle promotion, and defect testing/remediation.
• Mastery of automation/configuration management tools such as Chef, Puppet, or Ansible; experience with MuleSoft, Dell Boomi, or a similar platform preferred.
• Strong experience with Azure DevOps and developing templates or scripts to automate developer or operations functions; experience deploying tools across the CI/CD pipeline including Git/SVN and Maven/Ant.

As the Automation Lead, this role leads a team of controls and automation engineers developing drilling rig control systems, covering PLC-based software, HMI design, instrumentation interfaces, and field commissioning across Nabors and third-party rig deployments. The engineering team relies on this work to maintain 24/7 operational reliability of drilling systems, requiring both remote troubleshooting capability and on-site travel to rig locations for testing, debugging, and hands-on support.

Engineering Responsibilities

• Lead a team of controls and automation engineers designing and developing drilling rig control systems.
• Develop control software for machine control algorithms for PLC-based systems.
• Design and implement HMI, instrumentation and sensor interfaces, data logging, and communication interfaces with other industrial processors.
• Generate design documentation, bill of materials, network architectures, one-line drawings, and operations manuals.
• Serve as project lead on commissioning and rig deployments on Nabors and third-party rigs.
• Mentor and train junior engineers and act as a technical consultant to business stakeholders, assisting in gathering customer requirements.
• Maintain product safety in all designs and perform design prototyping including field implementation and testing.
• Sustain current rig applications and debug and fix issues reported in the field, including remote troubleshooting and on-site travel to rig locations as needed.

Professional Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical or Controls Engineering or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in an engineering environment developing controls and automation software in Rockwell or Siemens systems; 5+ years of experience in oil and gas drilling automation.
• Strong understanding of industrial networking protocols such as Ethernet/IP, Profibus, Modbus, and OPC; good understanding of AC drives including ABB, GE Converteam, and Yaskawa; some knowledge of C++ and Python.
• Proficient in RSLogix5000, FT SE, and other Rockwell tools.
• Critical thinking, problem-solving, and great interpersonal and communication skills.
• 25% travel expected; position requires phone availability outside regular business hours to support 24/7 drilling rig operations.