Lead Automation Engineer

Company Description

The PEGroup partners with clients to provide optimized payroll solutions that help businesses streamline their processes. By offering tailored and efficient services, The PEGroup enables clients to focus on expanding other opportunities within their organizations. Committed to innovation and excellence, The PEGroup is dedicated to fostering long-term partnerships for success and growth.

We are seeking a Lead Automation Engineer to design, implement, and own business-critical automation systems across our technology stack.

This is a senior-level role (5+ years experience) for someone who can independently architect and deploy automation workflows, integrate enterprise systems, and lead automation strategy across CRM, operations, finance, and internal tooling.

The successful candidate will play a foundational role in building and potentially leading our automation function.

Key Responsibilities

1. Automation Architecture & Implementation

- Design and implement scalable automation workflows across:
- Hub Spot
- Microsoft Power Platform (Power Automate, Power Apps)
- n8n
- Zoho (legacy integrations)
- Architect event-driven and API-based integrations between systems.
- Build automation frameworks that are secure, maintainable, and extensible.
- Create reusable automation modules and standardized integration patterns.

2. CRM & Platform Integration

- Lead automation design within Hub Spot (workflows, custom objects, operations hub, API integrations).
- Build advanced flows in Power Automate, including:
- HTTP connectors
- Custom connectors
- Azure-based integrations
- Dataverse integrations
- Maintain and gradually phase out legacy Zoho automations while ensuring continuity.
- Integrate third-party APIs, webhooks, and internal systems.

3. Engineering & Scripting

- Develop scripts and backend integrations using:
- Python (required)
- REST APIs
- JSON/XML transformations
- Build middleware services where required.
- Debug automation failures and implement robust logging and monitoring.

4. Systems Thinking & Process Optimization

- Map business processes and convert them into optimized automation pipelines.
- Identify bottlenecks and implement automation-driven improvements.
- Establish automation governance standards and documentation practices.

5. Leadership & Ownership

- Operate independently without supervision.
- Provide architectural direction for automation initiatives.
- Mentor junior automation engineers (if/when applicable).
- Participate in technical decision-making across the broader engineering team.

Required Experience

- 5–8+ years in automation engineering, integration engineering, or related backend engineering roles.
- Proven experience building complex automation systems end-to-end.
- Strong experience with:
- Hub Spot workflows and API integrations
- Microsoft Power Automate (advanced usage)
- n8n (or similar orchestration tools)
- Strong API integration experience.
- Strong scripting ability in Python.
- Experience working in production environments with live business systems.
- Experience handling authentication (OAuth2, API keys, JWT, etc.).
- Familiarity with webhooks, RESTful APIs, and system interoperability patterns.

Preferred / Advantageous

- Experience with :
- Azure Functions
- Serverless architectures
- Docker
- CI/CD for automation pipelines
- Experience migrating from Zoho to Hub Spot or similar CRM migrations.
- Understanding of data structures, schema design, and CRM data modeling.
- Experience building internal automation platforms or integration hubs.
- Familiarity with GDPR/data protection practices.

This is not a junior or template-based automation role.

We expect someone who can:

- Architect before building.
- Build without step-by-step supervision.
- Debug across systems (CRM + API + database).
- Identify edge cases proactively.
- Make platform decisions with long-term scalability in mind.
- Lead automation initiatives as a domain owner.

Performance Indicators

- Reduction in manual processes across departments.
- Stability and reliability of automation pipelines.
- Time-to-deploy new integrations.
- Documentation completeness and maintainability.
- Successful migration from Zoho-heavy processes to Hub Spot/Power Platform architecture.

Ideal Candidate Profile

- Systems thinker.
- Technically rigorous.
- Comfortable working in evolving startup or scale-up environments.
- Able to communicate technical architecture to non-technical stakeholders.
- Proactive and solution-oriented.