At a Glance
- Tasks: Build and maintain cutting-edge AI and automation tools for data-driven projects.
- Company: Join Open Partners, a forward-thinking agency focused on innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible hybrid work, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of growth, collaboration, and continuous learning.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by working with the latest AI technologies in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Strong software engineering skills and experience with cloud infrastructure and AI platforms.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.
Location: Manchester & Hybrid
Type: Full-Time (37.5 hours over 5 days per week)
The Opportunity
Are you a hands‑on engineer who thrives on building, maintaining, and shipping production‑grade tech? Open Partners is looking for an AI & Automation Partner to join our AI & Automation Centre of Excellence (CoE). Reporting to our AI & Automation Senior Partner, you will add crucial engineering capacity to the team by building the technical pipelines, platforms, and tools that power our data and AI products. This is a technical, delivery‑focused role working alongside our Data Planning Senior Partner to turn client requirements into robust, high‑performing software.
Your Role & Responsibilities
- Pipeline & Platform Engineering: Build, maintain, and improve data pipelines and integrations across agency platforms such as BigQuery, GCP, and ThoughtSpot.
- Technical Delivery: Support the rollout of AI and automation‑powered tools across data, media, and reporting workflows to standards set by CoE leadership.
- Clean & Production‑Grade Code: Write clean, well‑documented code while maintaining and scaling existing CoE tools and pipelines.
- Commercial AI Integration: Support the integration of commercial AI platforms and APIs, including OpenAI and Google Gemini/Vertex AI, into agency tooling.
- Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Partner with the Data Planning Senior Partner to translate client‑facing needs into technical builds.
- Security & Governance: Adhere strictly to agency standards for security, data handling, GDPR, and governance, registering builds through the App Passport process.
- Knowledge Sharing: Contribute to the CoE knowledge base and support agency‑wide AI and automation upskilling.
What Success Looks Like
- Roadmap Delivery: Consistently shipping build tasks against the quarterly CoE roadmap.
- Unblocking Capacity: Effectively reducing delivery bottlenecks and increasing total CoE output.
- Governance Compliance: Maintaining high percentages of documented, governance‑compliant, and App Passport‑registered builds.
- System Reliability: Ensuring high uptime and performance across all pipelines and tools you maintain.
- Stakeholder Satisfaction: Positive feedback from delivery leads on technical responsiveness and execution quality.
What You’ll Bring
- Hands‑On Engineering: Strong software engineering capabilities (e.g. Python, TypeScript/Node.js) with experience building and maintaining production systems.
- Cloud & Data Experience: Practical experience with cloud infrastructure (preferably GCP: Cloud Run, BigQuery, Secret Manager) and building API‑driven data pipelines.
- Automation & AI Capabilities: Working knowledge of workflow automation tools like n8n, along with exposure to commercial AI platforms, APIs, or LLM applications (e.g. RAG, LangGraph).
- Data Governance Discipline: Solid understanding of security, data handling, and GDPR principles in an engineering setting.
- Communication & Mindset: Clear communication skills, an ability to translate technical concepts for non‑technical partners, and a drive to build deep AI expertise.
Our Values & Mindset Skills
At Open Partners, we hire mindset first. It is the single biggest factor of success in our business, and we believe you can grow that mindset in any walk of life and career background. If you do not have direct industry experience but possess a fierce growth mindset and transferable engineering skills, we want to hear from you. We hold ourselves to three simple standards:
- Smarter: Aim high, train hard, embrace next.
- Faster: Learn fast, adapt fast, act fast.
- Better: Think, say, and do what is best.
Open Partners was founded in 2017 to be The Agency of Next. Designed to be constantly focussed on the future, we think ahead for our clients, quickly pivoting them to new areas of opportunity as they arise. Delivering marketing transformations for over 50 clients, Open Partners’ integrated Media, Data and Creative capabilities drive more accountable and effective returns for international performance advertisers. We strive to always be smarter, faster, and better - all the while upholding the very highest standards of commercial and operational integrity.
AI & Automation Partner in Manchester employer: Open Partners
Open Partners in Manchester is an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture, where your contributions directly impact client success and business growth. With a strong emphasis on employee development, we offer numerous opportunities for professional advancement and skill enhancement in the dynamic field of paid search. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking team that values creativity and strategic thinking, all while enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of Manchester.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land AI & Automation Partner in Manchester
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Open Partners or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Open Partners.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Open Partners.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Open Partners that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace AI & Automation Partner in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Open Partners.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Open Partners and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Open Partners
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Open Partners uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
