AI and Automation Lead

AI is already changing how our teams work - but right now it’s fragmented, inconsistent, and living in individual habits rather than shared infrastructure. This role exists to change that. This is a founding, hybrid position with a 60% technical architecture and 40% people enablement split. You are not a siloed, deep-technical engineer; you are an architect and change leader. You will be the person who builds the central orchestration layer that connects our tools, the skills repository that compounds our knowledge, and the cross-functional habits that make AI and automation the default way Connectd works.

Key Responsibilities

• Build the Orchestration Layer & Skills Repository (approx. 30%)
  • Design and implement a central orchestration system that connects Connectd’s tools, data sources, and workflows - replacing isolated experiments with shared, governed infrastructure.
  • Build and own a skills and prompts repository that captures institutional AI knowledge and compounds in value as every team contributes to it.
  • Select and provision the right platforms and tools (MCP servers, LLM integration, workflow builders) appropriate for Connectd’s scale, without over-engineering for where we are today.
• Cross-functional Integration & Governance (approx. 30%)
  • Map every team’s existing tools, workflows and grassroots AI experiments and design the integrations that bring the best of them into the central platform.
  • Design, implement and scale a repeatable AI adoption lifecycle, moving teams smoothly from initial discovery and business case formulation to MVP development, experimentation and final roll-out.
  • Alongside the COO, support in cross-functional awareness during software procurement to evaluate new third-party tools against our central infrastructure, preventing duplication and integration debt.
  • Establish lightweight governance standards so the tech stack stays coherent as the business grows, facilitating alignment between functions.
• Enablement & Knowledge Sharing (approx. 20%)
  • Act as Connectd’s internal AI champion - running interactive workshops, one-to-one coaching sessions, and team-level enablement across the business.
  • Build and maintain clear documentation so that every colleague, regardless of technical background, can get real value from the platform.
  • Align AI/automation roadmaps across functions - ensuring product, CS, Marketing, Sales and Operations are building towards the same infrastructure, rather than in parallel silos.
• Adoption & Change Management (approx. 20%)
  • Lead the behavioural change management required to turn new tools into daily habits - meeting teams where they are and bringing sceptics along.
  • Deliver best-practice guidance across departments and ensure AI use at Connectd is consistent, governed, and purposeful.
  • Define, track and report on function-specific operational efficiency metrics that demonstrate real business impact and clear ROI (measurable output gains, not just adoption vanity metrics).

What Success Looks Like

• Month 1: Complete a full audit of every team’s existing AI tools and experiments. Draft the initial governance framework. Select, vet and provision the central orchestration system.
• Month 3: The central skills repository is live and actively contributed to by multiple teams. At least two core functions running standardised, governed AI workflows rather than independent experiments. The internal training programme is officially launched.
• Month 6: Every function across Connectd is actively connected into and retrieving from the central AI system. Function specific efficiency metrics are fully operational, with measurable productivity and output improvements across at least three areas.

What We're Looking For

Must-haves

• 5+ years of experience at senior leadership in operations.
• Experience implementing new technologies, driving technical transformations or scaling automation at an organisational level.
• Experience in designing and implementing production-grade systems based on autonomous agents (agentic AI).
• Strong understanding of AI solution architecture and integration of AI tools into organisation workflows.
• Deep familiarity with LLMs, RAGs, vector embeddings, API integration tools - and the judgement to select and connect them without over-engineering.
• Ability to translate business needs into technical specs and actionable roadmaps.
• Clear ROI focus and measurable business outcomes.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to bring non-technical colleagues on the journey - making AI approachable, not intimidating.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with tech stack governance or cross-functional software procurement processes.
• Background in coaching, training delivery, or cross-functional enablement.
• Comfort working in a fast-growth scale-up where scope and priorities evolve quickly.