At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and build AI-powered automations to enhance speed and quality.
- Company: Join Rathbones, a leading UK wealth manager with a supportive culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, private medical insurance, flexible holidays, and study support.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team committed to meaningful work and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by solving business problems with cutting-edge AI technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in software development, automation, and strong problem-solving skills.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 70000 £ per year.
Locations: Liverpool, GB – L3 1NW • Glasgow, GB – G2 1EH • London, GB – EC2V 7QN
At Rathbones, we help people invest their money well, so they can live well. That means more than financial returns – it’s about helping people feel confident in their decisions and supported in their future. We don’t just manage money, we guide people through life’s big moments, helping them stay on track and focus on what matters most. We’re proud to be one of the UK’s leading wealth managers, with over £109bn in assets under management and 20+ offices across the UK and Channel Islands. We’re a FTSE 250 company with national reach and a local feel – and we’re growing.
Role Title: Automation Engineer
Division: Technology
Location: Glasgow, Liverpool, London
Reports to: Automation Product Owner
Working pattern: Hybrid
About the Role
Design, build and run AI‑powered automations that improve speed, quality and colleague experience. The Automation Engineer will engineer copilots, agents and AI‑first workflows on Microsoft platforms, grounded in enterprise data and delivered with strong controls. You’ll still use classic automation where it fits, but your default mindset is AI then automate—leveraging Copilot Studio, Azure OpenAI, and Power Platform to solve real business problems end‑to‑end.
What you’ll be responsible for:
- AI & Agent engineering – Build secure, reliable copilots/agents in Copilot Studio (topics, actions, plugins, triggers), orchestrating tasks, decisions and integrations across M365 and line‑of‑business systems.
- Generative workflows – Design RAG‑grounded (retrieval‑augmented) workflows using Azure OpenAI with Graph/data connectors; optimise prompts, grounding, safety and evaluation.
- Power Platform delivery – Implement Power Automate (cloud/desktop) flows and Power Apps where appropriate; create reusable connectors/components; apply DLP policies.
- Systems integration – Integrate with APIs (REST/JSON), SharePoint/Teams/Outlook, CRM, data platforms and event triggers; handle identity, permissions and audit.
- Quality, reliability & support – Write testable solutions, instrument for telemetry, monitor for drift, and iterate based on usage data and user feedback.
- Process design – Partner with SMEs to map AS‑IS/TO‑BE, prioritise opportunities, and choose the right tool (agent, gen‑AI, workflow, RPA) for the job.
- Continuous improvement – Track emerging features, evolve patterns/playbooks, and mentor colleagues through show‑and‑tell sessions and code reviews.
About you
- Strong problem‑solving, pragmatic delivery, and comfort with rapid iteration.
- Clear communicator who can explain trade‑offs and make defensible technical choices.
- Disciplined engineering habits: testing, observability, documentation, and secure coding.
- Proven ability to turn ambiguous business needs into working AI agents and automations.
- Copilot Studio – topics, actions, plugins, Power Automate triggers, knowledge sources; lifecycle, environments and ALM.
- Microsoft 365 & Graph – SharePoint, Teams, Outlook; Graph APIs/connectors; permissions & governance.
- Azure AI Foundry (AI Studio) – Prompt Flow orchestration, evaluation flows, model catalog deployments, vector search/RAG pipelines, safety configuration, monitoring and AI project lifecycle management.
- Dev fundamentals – Git/Azure DevOps, CI/CD, environment strategy, secure secrets management.
- RPA experience (e.g., Blue Prism) for legacy/desktop use cases; UiPath/Automation Anywhere exposure a plus.
- Scripting – PowerShell and/or Python for utilities, data prep and connectors.
- Power BI for light analytics/telemetry visualisation.
- Test automation (unit, integration, contract tests) and chaos/latency testing for agents.
- Basic front‑end skills for internal tools (e.g., Fluent UI, react – nice to have).
Measures of Success
- AI agents and automations are delivered to production safely, with clear measurable benefits (time saved, quality uplift, improved colleague experience).
- Solutions are secure, compliant and supportable: documented build/runbooks, monitored performance, controlled access, and auditable changes.
- Automation and AI patterns are reusable and scalable (components, connectors, standards), reducing delivery time for future use cases.
Our offer to you
We want everyone at Rathbones to fulfil their potential, in an environment where you are proud to work and feel like you belong. We offer a comprehensive remuneration package, which we review regularly, and benefits include:
- A company pension – 9% non‑contributory or 10% if you contribute 5%
- Private medical insurance – Individual on joining, family after 1 year’s service
- Life assurance – 8 × salary
- Company share scheme
- Discretionary bonus
- Flexible holidays – purchase up to 5 additional days
- Green Car Scheme
- Family friendly policies – enhanced family leave for parents & carers
- Study support – study days and funding for courses and qualifications
- Season travel ticket loans
- Other voluntary benefits you can choose to suit you
Life at Rathbones
We aim to become an employer of choice for the wealth management sector, to achieve this we are working hard to build a diverse, equal, and inclusive workplace that motivates, develops and embraces the strengths of all our colleagues. Being part of Rathbones means you will join a team of passionate professionals in a successful culture that cares for its people. At Rathbones, we provide meaningful work, opportunities, and a voice to all. We are committed to building a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities and encourage applications from all backgrounds. We welcome individuals who share our values.
Mission
We believe in playing the long game. That means building consistent results, earning trust and doing the right thing — for our clients, our colleagues and the communities we’re part of. Our values shape how we work:
- We aim high
- We get it done
- We show we care
- We do the right thing
We’re a Disability Confident Employer (level 2) under the UK Government scheme. This means we’ve signed up to a set of commitments around how we recruit, retain and develop people with disabilities. If you require adjustments to apply for a role at Rathbones, please contact us via recruit@rathbones.com to let us know what adjustments you may need. We will close this advert once we have received enough applications for the next stage. Please submit your application as soon as possible to ensure you don’t miss out.
Automation Engineer employer: Rathbone Brothers
At Rathbones, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and inclusive work culture that empowers our employees to thrive. With a strong focus on professional development, we provide comprehensive benefits including a generous pension scheme, private medical insurance, and flexible holiday options, all designed to enhance your work-life balance. Join us in our vibrant offices in Glasgow, Liverpool, or London, where you will be part of a passionate team dedicated to making a meaningful impact in the wealth management sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Automation Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, attend meetups, and connect with current employees at Rathbones. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your automation projects, especially those using Microsoft platforms. This gives you a chance to demonstrate your problem-solving abilities and technical chops in a tangible way.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on common automation scenarios and AI applications. Be ready to discuss how you’ve tackled challenges in past projects and how you can bring value to Rathbones.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the Rathbones team.
We think you need these skills to ace Automation Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Automation Engineer role. Highlight your experience with AI, Microsoft platforms, and any relevant projects you've worked on. We want to see how your skills align with what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about automation and how you can contribute to our team. Be sure to mention specific technologies or methodologies you’ve used that relate to the job.
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In your application, don’t just list your skills—show us how you've used them to solve real problems. Share examples of how you've turned ambiguous business needs into effective automations or AI agents. We love a good success story!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you get all the updates directly from us. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Rathbone Brothers
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, like Copilot Studio, Azure OpenAI, and Power Platform. Brush up on your knowledge of Microsoft 365 and Graph APIs, as these will likely come up during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to discuss specific examples where you've turned ambiguous business needs into effective AI agents or automations. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and highlight your problem-solving prowess.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. The interviewers will appreciate a clear communicator who can articulate trade-offs and make defensible technical choices, so don’t shy away from discussing your thought process.
✨Demonstrate Continuous Improvement Mindset
Be ready to talk about how you stay updated with emerging features and best practices in automation and AI. Share any experiences where you’ve iterated on a project based on user feedback or performance data, showing that you value continuous improvement.
