At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build automation systems to streamline operations and enhance customer experience.
- Company: Join Perk, a leading platform transforming travel and spend management.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity ownership, 25 days annual leave, and health benefits.
- Other info: Dynamic team environment with opportunities for growth and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by automating processes and improving productivity for thousands of companies.
- Qualifications: Experience with automation tools like Make.com, Zapier, and Airtable is essential.
The predicted salary is between 29700 - 36300 £ per year.
About Us
Perk (formerly TravelPerk) is the intelligent platform for travel and spend management. Built to tackle the time-consuming, manual work that gets in the way of real work, our tools automate everything from travel bookings to expenses, invoice processing, and more. By eliminating this shadow work that wastes hours, erodes morale, and saps innovation, we're on a mission to power real work, with real impact. We're trusted by more than 12,000 companies worldwide, including On Running, Breitling, and Fabletics, and we're tackling the 7 hours of lost productivity per employee each week, a $1.7 trillion problem. Founded in 2015, Perk has grown into a global company of more than 1,800 people across 12 offices globally, with headquarters in London and Boston. We combine innovation, control, and simplicity to transform how businesses work and how people feel at work. At Perk, we're driven by our values, like being an owner, delivering a 7-star experience, and working as one team. We value curiosity, purpose, and mindset, not just knowledge, to unlock the power in your potential. Our talent team brings together leading minds from the travel, fintech, and SaaS industries, representing over 70 countries. If you're excited about having a real impact and shaping how millions of people experience work, we'd love you on the team.
About the Role
Customer Care at Perk is being rebuilt around automation and AI. This role is for someone who likes taking a messy operational problem and turning it into something that runs in production. As an Automation Specialist, you'll design and ship the systems that cut manual work, make agents faster, and improve what customers actually experience. You'll work across Make.com, Airtable, Zendesk, Claude, APIs, and whatever else the problem needs. Some days that's a workflow. Some days it's an AI tool with evals, guardrails, and a kill switch. The through-line is the same: get it from idea to live, then keep it reliable. You'll partner with Operational Excellence, Customer Care Leadership, and Operations. You'll own delivery end to end, and you'll be measured on whether the things you build actually stick.
What You'll Do
- Design, build, test, and deploy solutions across Make.com, Airtable, Zendesk, Claude, APIs, and AI tooling.
- Wire up multi-system integrations that remove real manual effort, not just move it around.
- Own projects from the first sketch through production and ongoing improvement.
- Stand up proper testing and validation environments so "it worked in my scenario" isn't the bar.
- Turn business problems into technical designs, and flag new automation opportunities as you go.
- Stay close after launch: watch adoption, fix what breaks, iterate on what underperforms.
Build
- Write automations that are maintainable, documented, and safe for someone else to pick up.
- Monitor production systems, debug fast, and keep operational impact low when things go wrong.
- Know when Make/Zapier-class tools are enough, and when the problem needs a different approach.
- Keep an eye on new automation and AI capabilities, and bring the useful ones in deliberately.
Raise the bar
- Be the person others ask when they're stuck on architecture, platform limits, or how to ship AI safely.
- Review builds before they go live when that review actually reduces risk.
- Create reusable components, patterns, and standards so the next build is faster and cleaner.
Teamwork
- Sit with Opex and Operations until you understand the real problem, then design the right fix.
- Shape discovery and scoping so solutions stay practical and maintainable.
- Keep stakeholders clear on progress, risks, dependencies, and dates.
- Feed operational feedback back into the next version.
What We're Looking For
- Shipped production automations on Make.com, Zapier, Claude, or similar not just demos.
- Worked with Airtable or comparable systems as a real ops backbone, not a side spreadsheet.
- Built LLM-powered workflows with prompt craft, evaluation, and guardrails - and knows when the model shouldn't act alone.
- Strong at debugging production systems under time pressure.
- Can turn a fuzzy business request into something scalable and supportable.
- Comfortable working with both technical and operational partners.
- Prefers speed and ambiguity over perfect specs.
How We'll Know You're Winning
- Automations that meaningfully cut manual work in Customer Care.
- Multi-system builds that stay reliable once they're live.
- High reliability, performance, and adoption - not just "launched".
- Clear gains in operational efficiency, agent experience, and customer experience.
What we offer
- Receive competitive compensation and equity ownership in Perk.
- Rest and recharge with 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.
- Take control of your physical health.
Junior Automation Specialist in Birmingham employer: Perk
At Perk, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration in our London headquarters. As a Junior Automation Specialist, you'll have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology while contributing to meaningful projects that enhance productivity for thousands of companies worldwide. We offer competitive compensation, equity ownership, and generous leave policies, all within a dynamic environment that values curiosity and personal growth.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Junior Automation Specialist in Birmingham
✨Get Involved in Local Automation Meetups
We can’t stress this enough – getting your face out there in the automation and control systems community can really set you apart. Look for local meetups or workshops where you can chat with industry professionals, learn about what’s trending, and even discover hidden job gems. Who knows, you might meet someone from a company like Perk!
✨Show Off Your Projects
Make sure you have a portfolio of your work ready to roll. Whether it’s academic projects, internships or personal experiments, showcase how you’ve tackled automation challenges. When you apply for the Junior Automation Specialist position at Perk, linking your portfolio gives your application that extra oomph and demonstrates your practical knowledge.
✨Leverage Your Uni Career Services
If you’re fresh out of uni, don’t forget about your career services! Many universities have established connections with companies in the automation field. They may know when Perk is looking for fresh talent or even have internships that lead to full-time positions. So, hit them up!
✨Keep an Eye on Industry Certifications
While hunting for roles, consider getting certified in relevant automation technologies. It shows dedication and gives you a leg up in the job market. Plus, many organisations offer job boards or networking events to certified professionals. This might just lead you to that coveted Junior Automation Specialist role at Perk!
We think you need these skills to ace Junior Automation Specialist in Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Technical Skills:When applying for an automation-control-systems role, it’s crucial to highlight your technical skills. Whether it's your proficiency in programming languages like Python or understanding control systems, make sure your CV showcases these prominently. Don't forget to mention any specific software or tools you're experienced with – that’s music to the ears of hiring managers!
Tailor Your Projects to Automation:If you've worked on any relevant projects, especially those involving automation or control systems, make them stand out in your CV. Use a dedicated section to highlight these projects, explaining your role and the impact of your contributions. This could be the difference between getting noticed and getting overlooked!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine, so tell us why you’re passionate about automation-control-systems! Discuss specific experiences that sparked your interest in this field. Maybe it's a university project or a previous job that truly got you hooked. We love seeing that spark! Make sure to reference how you can contribute to Perk and its goals.
Quantify Your Achievements:In the world of automation, results matter. When listing your experiences, quantify your achievements wherever possible. Did you improve system efficiency by a percentage? Did you reduce downtime? Putting numbers to your successes not only demonstrates your impact but also lets us see the tangible outcomes of your efforts. It makes your application pop!
How to prepare for a job interview at Perk
✨Master Your Technical Knowledge
In the automation control systems field, you need to brush up on your technical know-how. Be prepared to talk about specific control systems you’ve worked with, such as PLCs or SCADA systems, and expect technical questions or even hands-on problem-solving scenarios during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Whether it's freelance projects or your academic work, come ready to showcase your portfolio of automation projects. Bring along any diagrams, code samples, or automation solutions you’ve implemented—these can really set you apart and demonstrate your applied skills to Perk.
✨Understand Industry Trends
Stay updated on the latest trends in automation technologies and methodologies, like Industry 4.0 or IIoT. We'll want to discuss how these concepts may affect the role and future projects at Perk, so showing that you're knowledgeable about current and emerging technologies can give you an edge.
✨Commit to Continuous Learning
As this is a full-time role, it's essential to express your eagerness for continuous improvement and learning. Share how you plan to enhance your skills and keep pace with the evolution of automation in the workforce – companies love candidates who are committed to growth and adaptability.
