Information Systems Specialist Automation and AI

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Sheffield City Council is on an exciting digital transformation journey, transforming how we deliver services through innovative digital solutions, automation and emerging technologies. As we continue to modernise and improve services for our residents, this is an excellent opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of digital public services.

The role

The postholder will act as a specialist technical lead, designing, developing, supporting and improving Power Platform solutions, automated workflows, digital services and AI-enabled capabilities that help streamline business processes, reduce manual effort and improve services for residents and staff. This includes supporting the development and governance of Microsoft Copilot, Power Automate, Power Apps and other emerging technologies in accordance with approved standards, governance frameworks and organisational policies.

Working collaboratively with technical colleagues, suppliers and business stakeholders, the role provides specialist technical advice, solution design, troubleshooting and support to ensure the successful delivery, adoption and continuous improvement of automation and AI solutions. The postholder will play a key role in helping the Council realise the benefits of digital innovation, intelligent automation and responsible AI while maintaining security, compliance and service quality.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, support and improve Power Platform solutions, automated workflows, digital services and AI-enabled service.
• Provides expert advice on automation technologies, systems integration, governance and service improvement.
• The role ensures that solutions are reliable, scalable, accessible and aligned with security, information governance and technical design requirements.
• Leads complex technical investigations, supports project delivery, mentors colleagues and ensures solutions comply with security, accessibility, information governance and organisational standards.
• Contribute to testing and quality assurance activities across the team.
• Troubleshoot defects, performance issues and technical problems across websites and applications.
• Support the ongoing improvement of accessibility, usability, performance and security.
• Work collaboratively with other specialists, officers, business change managers, team managers and stakeholders to understand user needs and deliver effective solutions.
• Contribute technical expertise throughout the solution lifecycle, from proof of concept through to deployment and ongoing support.
• The role supports the evaluation of emerging technologies and contributes to proof-of-concepts, pilot projects and continuous improvement activities, helping identify opportunities to enhance existing services and introduce innovative digital capabilities.
• Working collaboratively with technical colleagues, suppliers and business stakeholders, the role provides specialist technical advice.
• Troubleshooting and support to ensure successful delivery and adoption of automation and AI solutions.
• Participate in technical discussions, service improvements and continuous development activities.
• Provides expert advice on automation technologies, systems integration, governance and service improvement.

Skills and knowledge we are looking for

• Specialist development skills in Power Apps, Power Automate, Dataverse and Copilot Studio, including the ability to design, build and maintain scalable solutions.
• Strong understanding of business process analysis and automation, identifying opportunities to simplify and improve services through low-code and AI technologies.
• Experience integrating systems using APIs, connectors, Microsoft 365 services, SharePoint and external applications.
• Knowledge of Dataverse, SQL and data modelling, ensuring solutions are secure, reliable and support effective reporting and decision-making.
• Ability to design and configure Copilot Agents, including knowledge sources, actions, orchestration, prompt design and conversation flows.
• Strong understanding of information governance, GDPR, security, DLP policies and role-based access controls within Power Platform and AI solutions.
• Knowledge of application lifecycle management (ALM), environment management and Dev/Test/Production deployment practices.
• Experience monitoring, troubleshooting and…