Lead Automation Engineer

We are looking for an experienced, hands-on Lead Automation Engineer to lead the design, development and operation of business, test and AI-enabled automation across Johnston Carmichael.

At Johnston Carmichael, the Lead Automation Engineer will lead the design, development and operation of business, test and AI-enabled automation. Working across IT and the wider business, you will turn opportunities into secure, resilient and supportable production solutions using tools such as UiPath, Microsoft Power Automate, Selenium, Playwright and approved AI services and APIs.

• Lead Automation: Set technical direction and remain hands-on in the design, build, testing, deployment and support of business, test and AI-enabled automation.
• Build & Integrate: Deliver solutions using UiPath, Power Automate, APIs and appropriate scripting, integrating approved AI capabilities where they add real business value.
• Automate Testing: Develop maintainable automated test suites using Playwright, Selenium and API testing frameworks, integrating them into CI/CD where appropriate.
• Product ionise by Design: Build scheduling, orchestration, error and exception handling, reconciliation, audit reporting, logging, monitoring and alerting into every production automation.
• Secure by Design: Apply least privilege, secure credential and secret management, data classification, controlled identities and secure API integration, with appropriate safeguards for AI-enabled processing.
• Own the Lifecycle: Maintain clear documentation, ownership, runbooks and support arrangements from discovery and design through production operation, continuous improvement and retirement.
• Drive Improvement: Work with business stakeholders to simplify processes, identify high-value automation opportunities and select the right approach rather than automating inefficient processes.
• Lead by Example: Define reusable engineering standards and patterns, mentor colleagues and evaluate emerging automation and AI technologies for safe, practical adoption.

• Significant hands-on experience designing, developing and supporting production automation.
• Strong experience with UiPath and/or enterprise RPA technologies and Microsoft Power Automate.
• Experience with Playwright, Selenium or similar test automation frameworks.
• Practical experience integrating AI capabilities, services or APIs into business processes or applications.

• Experience designing robust error handling, exception management, scheduling, monitoring, alerting and audit reporting.
• Strong understanding of APIs, source control and modern software engineering practices.
• Strong awareness of secure development, least privilege, credential management, data protection and responsible AI controls.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder skills, with the ability to provide technical leadership while remaining hands-on.

Johnston Carmichael helps to build success stories that change lives - whether it’s our clients, our communities, or most importantly, our people, who now number over 900 across the UK.

We work with individuals and businesses all over the country and our expertise covers almost every industry sector. We’re also an independent member firm of Moore Global Network Limited, a global accounting and advisory network of over 37,000 advisers across more than 114 countries.

This is an exciting time to join IT at Johnston Carmichael. We are modernising our technology estate, strengthening cyber resilience and security by design, and creating simpler, more joined-up ways of working across cloud, data, applications and services.

Automation and AI are central to that transformation. You will have the opportunity to shape a growing capability, work with a modern technology stack and help us turn new technology into practical, secure improvements for our people and clients - with real scope to influence how we engineer, govern and operate solutions

You can expect a collaborative, supportive environment with the flexibility of hybrid working and the opportunity to make a visible impact. This role offers genuine…