Intermediate Automation Engineer

First Point Group; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

First Point Group is seeking an Intermediate Automation Engineer to join the R&D team. You will map processes with multiple departments, design and deploy automated workflows, and contribute to an internal AI platform.

The role emphasizes governance, security, and scalable reusable services across the organization. You will engage with Sales, HR, Finance, Production and Marketing, translating problems into technical solutions, mentoring engineers, and producing documentation to support adoption

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering, information systems, electronic engineering or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in software development, automation, data engineering or related discipline with production delivery.
• Experience building AI or LLM-based applications including retrieval-augmented generation or agent workflows.
• Proficiency in Python and at least one additional typed language (Java/TypeScript/C#).
• Experience integrating with enterprise systems through APIs (ERP, CRM, ticketing or document mgmt).
• Experience with containerisation, version control, CI/CD and production monitoring.
• Knowledge of Agile/Scrum/DevOps methodologies.
• Experience engaging with non-technical stakeholders to gather requirements and deliver adopted solutions.
• Exposure to Linux, cloud or on-prem infrastructure.
• Understanding of data protection and information security including POPIA; certifications in AI/ML or cloud are advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Engage with multiple departments to map processes, quantify inefficiencies and manage a prioritised automation pipeline.
• Translate process problems into technical solutions with defined scope, data classification, risk and benefit assessments.
• Design, build, deploy and maintain production automation agents and workflows end-to-end.
• Build core components of an internal AI platform including model gateway, routing, agent runtimes and knowledge services.
• Extend platform capabilities to assemble solutions from reusable services and control costs.
• Implement and maintain governance mechanisms including authorisation rules, budgets, guardrails and audit logging.
• Own operational health of platform components including monitoring, capacity, and incident response.
• Ensure automation complies with data classification, privacy and security requirements.
• Define evaluation/regression suites to quantify solution quality and guide improvements.
• Lead adoption activities with training, demos, and documentation to ensure real usage of automations.
• Contribute to technical direction by evaluating models and tools and documenting recommendations.
• Mentor junior engineers and share knowledge through documentation and training.
• Maintain clear technical documentation covering architecture, designs, integrations and procedures.
• Facilitate effective communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Skills

Python

Java

TypeScript

C#

Git

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Software Engineering

Tools

SAP ERP

CRM integration

CI/CD pipelines

Git

Job description

Are you an engineer who wants to see the AI and automation solutions you build actually change how a business runs, from the very first conversation with a department through to production and adoption? We are recruiting on behalf of a well-established manufacturer of access automation and security systems, seeking an Intermediate Automation Engineer to join their R&D team. This is a role for someone ready to engage directly with business departments such as Sales, Human Resources, Finance, Technical Support, Production, and Marketing, mapping their processes, quantifying inefficiencies, and building the automation solutions that address them.

Responsibilities

• Engage independently with business departments, including Sales, Human Resources, Finance, Technical Support, Production and Marketing, to map processes, quantify inefficiencies and maintain a prioritised pipeline of automation opportunities
• Translate departmental process problems into well-defined technical solutions, producing scope, data classification, risk and benefit assessments that allow business owners to make informed decisions
• Design, build, deploy and maintain production automation agents and workflows end to end, owning them through their full lifecycle from discovery through to adoption and ongoing improvement
• Build and maintain core components of an internal AI platform, including the model gateway and routing policy, agent runtimes and network zones, retrieval and knowledge services, tool and action integration layers, and user access surfaces
• Extend the platform's shared capabilities so that solutions are composed from reusable services rather than rebuilt for each department, keeping the cost of each additional automation low
• Implement and maintain the platform's control and governance mechanisms, including agent manifests, authorisation rules, budgets and limits, guardrails, evaluation suites and immutable audit logging
• Own the operational health of assigned platform components, covering monitoring, capacity, cost, incident response and root cause analysis, implementing durable solutions rather than workarounds
• Ensure that every automation complies with the company's data classification, privacy and security requirements, and that restricted information does not leave Centurion-controlled infrastructure
• Define and maintain evaluation and regression suites that quantify solution quality, and use measured results rather than impressions to guide improvements
• Run adoption activities with departments, including training, demonstrations, documentation and post-deployment reviews, so that delivered automations are used and realise the intended benefit
• Contribute to the technical direction of the AI platform by evaluating models, tools and approaches and making reasoned, documented recommendations to the responsible manager
• Mentor junior engineers, review their work constructively, and share knowledge across the department through documentation and training sessions
• Maintain clear, accessible technical documentation covering platform architecture, agent designs, integrations and operating procedures, supporting continuity and hand-over
• Facilitate effective communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders, ensuring business requirements and technical constraints are clearly understood in both directions

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering, information systems, electronic engineering or a related field
• Minimum of three to five years of experience in software development, automation, data engineering or a related discipline, with demonstrable delivery of systems into production use
• Practical experience building artificial intelligence or large language model based applications, including retrieval-augmented generation, agent workflows or automation pipelines
• Proficiency in Python and at least one additional typed programming language (Java, TypeScript, C# or similar)
• Experience integrating with enterprise systems such as ERP (SAP), CRM, ticketing or document management platforms through APIs
• Working knowledge of containerisation, version control, CI/CD pipelines and monitoring in a production environment
• Knowledge of software development methodologies, including Agile, Scrum and DevOps practices
• Demonstrated experience engaging directly with non-technical business stakeholders to gather requirements and deliver solutions that are adopted
• Exposure to Linux, containerisation, cloud or on-premises infrastructure
• Sound understanding of data protection, access control and information security principles, including POPIA obligations
• Relevant certifications in artificial intelligence or machine learning, cloud platforms or software development are advantageous

This is an opportunity to join a company committed to product excellence, working closely with R&D management, departmental stakeholders, and IT and security teams on projects that will shape how the whole business operates.