Automation Operations Manager 213176

Appcast Enterprise; Worthing; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent is partnering with a leading organization, spearheading the evolution of a sophisticated automation and AI platform. You will lead external teams, ensure high availability, security and resilience of live workflows and CoPilot agents, and drive long-term value across critical infrastructure.

You will collaborate with architects and SMEs to align operations with strategic goals, applying ITIL-based processes and robust change management in a fast-moving environment.

Qualifications

• Proven track record running live, enterprise automation environments.
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Power Platform tools (Power Automate, CoPilot).
• Vendor/partner management to drive external supplier performance.
• Knowledge of platform security, DLP, RBAC, identity and audit logging (cloud/automation stacks).
• Proficiency with modern monitoring/telemetry tools (Azure Monitor, Dynatrace).
• Strong diagnostic, troubleshooting and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management across technical, business, and vendor teams.
• High-energy, proactive approach focusing on regulatory compliance, stability and resilience.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and QA for external partner Automation Operations Engineers, overseeing intake, incident triage, prioritization and problem resolution per ITIL and SLAs.
• Oversee daily health and performance of production automations, bot controllers, runbooks, orchestrations and CoPilot Agent solutions.
• Conduct root-cause investigations using telemetry and logs to prevent recurring failures and improve reliability.
• Own operational change processes including patch management, environment governance, regression testing and rollback procedures.
• Collaborate with Enterprise Architects, Platform Engineers and Business SMEs to align with guardrails and strategic goals.
• Drive continuous improvement using operational reporting, usage analytics and platform health dashboards.

Skills

Automation ops

Vendor mgmt

Security & RBAC

Observability

Stakeholder mgmt

Regulatory compliance

Tools

Power Automate

Power Platform CoPilot

Azure Monitor

Dynatrace

Job description

Aquent is proud to partner with a leading organization at the forefront of managing critical infrastructure. This innovative leader is dedicated to delivering essential services with unparalleled efficiency, shaping the future of digital operations by leveraging cutting-edge automation and AI to enhance resilience and service delivery for millions.

We are seeking a visionary leader ready to spearhead the strategic evolution and day-to-day excellence of a sophisticated automation and AI platform. This pivotal role places you at the heart of our operational ecosystem, empowering you to drive the high availability, security, and resilience of live automated workflows, RPA tools, and next-generation CoPilot Agents. You will lead an external managed-service engineering team, bridging technical prowess with strategic operational insights to deliver unparalleled stability, scalability, and long-term business value. Your impact will be immediate and profound, transforming how critical services are delivered and managed across vital infrastructure.

What You’ll Do

• Provide decisive leadership, direction, and quality assurance for an external partner team of Automation Operations Engineers, overseeing intake, incident triage, prioritization, and problem resolution in strict adherence to ITIL best practices and SLAs.
• Oversee the daily health and performance of all production automations, bot controllers, runbooks, orchestrations, and CoPilot Agent solutions.
• Conduct in-depth root-cause investigations using telemetry, system logs, and observability tools to proactively prevent recurring failures and significantly enhance long-term reliability.
• Take ownership of operational change processes, including patch management cycles, environment governance, regression testing, and robust rollback procedures.
• Collaborate closely with Enterprise Architects, Platform Engineers, and Business SMEs to ensure operational solutions are consistently aligned with architectural guardrails and overarching strategic goals.
• Drive continuous improvement by leveraging operational reporting, usage analytics, and platform health dashboards to refine operational tooling and provide crucial insights for solution evolution or consolidation.

What You’ll Bring

Required Skills & Expertise

• A strong track record in running and supporting live, enterprise-level automation environments.
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Power Platform tools, including Power Automate and Power Platform CoPilot Agents.
• Proven skill in vendor/partner management, with a demonstrated ability to drive performance across external managed-service suppliers.
• Expert knowledge of platform security, DLP policies, RBAC, identity, and audit logging for cloud and automation stacks.
• Proficiency with modern monitoring and telemetry tools (e.g., Azure Monitor, Dynatrace).
• Exceptional diagnostic, troubleshooting, and analytical skills.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, enabling effective collaboration with technical experts, business leaders, and external vendors.
• A high-energy, proactive approach with an unwavering focus on regulatory compliance, stability, and operational resilience.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Certifications such as PL-400, PL-600, AZ-104, ServiceNow, or ITIL v4.
• Awareness of AI solution telemetry (model drift, prompt behavior, usage patterns).
• Familiarity with operations in highly regulated environments.

Why Join Us?

This is an unparalleled opportunity to significantly shape the future of digital operations within a vital sector. You will lead a critical function at the dynamic intersection of RPA, low-code automations, and cutting-edge AI technologies. Enjoy total operational autonomy to innovate and build resilient, world-class automated capabilities that will have a lasting impact on our organization and the essential services we provide to millions.

Client Description

Imagine an enterprise withover 3,000 employees, serving millions of people daily, undergoing the largest infrastructure and technology overhaul in their history. Backed by a sizeablemulti-year investment program – –underpinned by top-tier global infrastructure investors, our client is fundamentally rewriting how heavy their sectors operates.

Instead of treating technology as a back-office utility, this client is puttingArtificial Intelligence, Power Platform, RPA, and Cloud Orchestration directly onto the frontlines.

Joining our client today means getting in on the ground floor of a high-visibility digital transformation journey. You will not be maintaining old systems; you will bearchitecting, running, and scaling the future digital engine of a high profile, well known brand.

Other Requirements

1 day in the office a week (Monday) the remainder remote.

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