Automation & AI Operations Lead

Blackbird Recruiting; Lakewood (CO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackbird Recruiting in Lakewood, NJ is seeking an Automation Operations Manager to lead and grow the Development & Automation function—driving automation, systems integration, and AI-enabled workflows across internal operations and client environments.

This hands-on manager will reduce friction, eliminate repetitive tasks, and improve visibility through reporting and dashboards, while mentoring the team and partnering with leadership to deliver scalable automation solutions.

Qualifications

• 3 years in automation, systems integration, DevOps, or technical operations, with 1 years leading or mentoring on AI or automation initiatives
• Experience in MSP, SaaS, or other multi-client service environments
• Strong ability to improve business processes through APIs, integrations, and workflow automation
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft stack (M365/Azure), PowerShell, Power Platform, PSA/RMM tools, and APIs
• Experience with reporting tools (e.g., Power BI) and working knowledge of data structures
• Proven track record of applying AI to real operational or client-facing use cases
• Ability to work across technical teams and business stakeholders to deliver measurable impact
• Strong prioritization and execution skills, with ownership from idea to delivery

Responsibilities

• Grow and develop the Development & Automation team — onboard, mentor, and support team members as the function scales
• Contribute to the technical roadmap and standards — tooling decisions, delivery priorities, and cross-department collaboration
• Manage vendor relationships and support capacity planning
• Own and build the automation and integration roadmap across internal operations and client environments
• Identify manual processes and convert them into scalable automations that improve efficiency
• Work with leadership, teams, and clients to understand pain points and define automation opportunities
• Build and deploy workflow automations, system integrations dashboards, and AI-enabled solutions
• Create reusable automation patterns for use across teams and clients
• Improve visibility through reporting and dashboards that support better decision-making
• Streamline service desk, ticketing, onboarding/offboarding, billing, and client lifecycle workflows
• Select and implement automation and AI tools that deliver clear business or client value
• Collaborate with engineers or vendors to deliver solutions end-to-end
• Track impact through metrics such as time saved, efficiency gains, and service improvements

Skills

Automation strategy

Team leadership

API integrations

Power BI reporting

Power Platform

Communication with stakeholders

Project management

Tools

Microsoft stack (M365/Azure)

PowerShell

Power Platform

PSA/RMM tools

APIs

CI/CD tooling

Job description

Blackbird Recruiting in Lakewood, NJ is seeking an Automation Operations Manager to lead and grow the Development & Automation function—driving automation, systems integration, and AI-enabled workflows across internal operations and client environments.

This hands-on manager will reduce friction, eliminate repetitive tasks, and improve visibility through reporting and dashboards, while mentoring the team and partnering with leadership to deliver scalable automation solutions.