Forward Deployed Automation Engineer

About the Role:

We are looking for Forward Deployed Automation Engineers who thrive at the intersection of engineering, operations, and automation. This role is designed for experienced engineers who want to build real solutions that directly improve operational performance, not just develop software in isolation.

You will work closely with Workforce Management (WFM) and Operations teams on the operations floor, identifying inefficiencies and rapidly developing automation solutions that eliminate manual work, improve decision-making, and increase productivity.

Forward Deployed Engineers operate within agile Lean Pods, collaborating daily with operations leaders, Team Leads, and subject matter experts. By embedding directly within operational environments, you will gain a deep understanding of workflows and iteratively build automation solutions that deliver measurable business impact.

In addition to building automations, this role plays a key part in enabling operations teams to build their own automations. You will guide and support Team Leads and operational staff in developing simple automation solutions, helping foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. This role requires engineers who are strong builders, independent problem solvers, and effective communicators. You will be expected to navigate complex operational environments, translate real-world problems into technical solutions, and clearly communicate the impact of your work to both operational and leadership audiences.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build High-Impact Automations
• Design, develop, and deploy automation solutions that eliminate manual work and improve operational efficiency across Workforce Management and operational processes.
• Work directly with operational teams on the operations floor to observe workflows, identify inefficiencies, and uncover automation opportunities.
• Rapid Prototype-to-Production Development
• Build functional prototypes quickly, test them with SMEs and operational teams, and iteratively refine solutions until they are ready for production deployment.
• Develop Tier 1–2 Automations
• Create scripts, RPA workflows, data pipelines, and integrations that automate operational tasks such as reporting preparation, data extraction, scheduling administration, and operational monitoring.
• Operational Process Discovery
• Observe operational workflows directly on the operations floor, partnering with
• Team Leads and analysts to identify repetitive tasks, reporting bottlenecks, and manual processes suitable for automation.
• Apply Intelligent Automation Approaches
• Leverage RPA, scripting, APIs, data integrations, and Agentic AI approaches to build intelligent automation solutions capable of handling complex workflows.
• Collaborate Closely with Operations
• Maintain daily interaction with Team Leads, analysts, and operational SMEs to gather feedback and continuously refine automation solutions through iterative development.
• Enable Citizen Automation
• Support and guide operational leaders in building their own simple automations, helping scale automation capabilities across the organization.
• Teach and Mentor Automation Practices
• Promote automation thinking and best practices within operations by coaching teams and encouraging innovation at the frontline level.
• Build Business Impact Cases
• Quantify the operational impact of automation initiatives by measuring time savings, productivity improvements, and efficiency gains. Develop business cases demonstrating ROI and operational value.
• Present Solutions and Outcomes
• Communicate automation opportunities, prototypes, and results clearly through presentations, demos, and documentation for both operational and leadership audiences.
• Ensure Automation Reliability and Quality
• Validate automation outputs through sandbox testing and SME validation, ensuring production deployments are stable and reliable.

Technical Requirements:

Candidates for this role should demonstrate strong engineering capability across automation, integration, and data systems.

• Programming & Automation

  • Strong proficiency in:

    • Python (preferred)
    • PowerShell or similar scripting languages
    • Automation frameworks and workflow orchestration tools
    • Experience developing automation solutions using platforms such as:
    • UiPath
    • Automation Anywhere
    • Power Automate
    • Custom automation frameworks

• Data & Integration

  • Strong experience with:
  • SQL and data querying
  • Data transformation and automation pipelines
  • API integration and service-based architectures
  • REST APIs and system integrations

• Cloud & Infrastructure

  • Experience working with modern engineering environments such as:
  • AWS, Azure, or GCP
  • Docker or containerized workflows
  • CI/CD pipelines
  • Cloud-based automation architectures

• Applied AI & Intelligent Automation Capability

  • You must demonstrate a strong capability and eagerness to implement modern AI-driven automation approaches. We expect candidates to have practical knowledge of, or demonstrated ability to rapidly adapt to:
  • API integration with modern LLMs (OpenAI, Gemini, etc.)
  • Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) concepts
  • Agentic AI workflows and AI-based decision automation
  • Advanced prompt engineering and orchestration