Job title: AI & Automation Director
Contract Type: Freelance, 3-4x days per week, 3x months - with potential to extend
Location: Shoreditch, London
Reporting into: Operations Director
Hybrid/ Remote: WFH Monday & Friday. In the office Tuesday-Thursday
ABOUT US
Seen Connects is one of the UK's leading influencer and social agencies. We partner with some of the world's most recognisable brands to create campaigns that drive real business results.
We're entering the next phase of our growth and are making a significant investment in AI, automation and operational excellence. Our ambition is not simply to adopt AI tools, but to continue building an AI-enabled agency that operates smarter, moves faster and scales more efficiently than our competition.
We're looking for an experienced AI & Automation Director to lead that work on a freelance basis.
THE ROLE
This is a senior role, helping us shape and deliver the agency's AI and automation agenda.
You'll partner with the Operations Director to set the strategy, then take ownership of making it real: leading tool adoption across the agency, supporting Heads of Teams building workflows that drive genuine efficiency, working with IT to get the right foundations in place, and building the external relationships that keep us ahead of the curve on new platforms and tools.
This role sits at the intersection of technology, operations and business transformation, and requires someone who can operate credibly with senior leadership while also rolling up their sleeves to get things built and adopted.
Success won't be measured by how many tools we buy. Success will be measured by the productivity gains, efficiencies and operational improvements you help create across the business.
KEY RESPONSIBILTIES
AI & Automation strategy
Work with the Operations Director to shape, evolve and deliver the agency's AI and automation strategy and implementation plan
Identify opportunities to automate repetitive and manual processes across the agency
Work with leadership teams to prioritise the highest-impact initiatives
Stay up to date with emerging AI technologies and recommend practical, commercially-minded applications
Claude Adoption & AI Enablement
Lead on Claude uptake and integration across the agency, ensuring departments and individuals are set up correctly - and set up for success
Train and support teams to effectively use AI tools
Develop best practice guides, documentation and training materials
Run workshops and coaching sessions across the business
Monitor adoption and identify opportunities for further improvement
Workflow & Efficiency
Support Heads of Teams in building workflows that drive efficiencies (e.g. template generators, client report generators, etc)
Support the marketing team in identifying and implementing efficiencies
Design and build automations that improve productivity and reduce manual effort
Improve workflows across client services, campaigns, strategy, finance and new business teams
Develop dashboards and reporting that provide better business visibility
Systems & Integrations
Manage and optimise the agency's AI and technology stack
Work closely with IT to ensure the right processes and permissions are in place
Implement new platforms and tools where appropriate
Design and maintain integrations between key business systems
Ensure systems are scalable, secure and well documented
Platform & Partner Relationships
Lead on relationship building with industry platforms and AI/tech vendors
Research emerging tools and platforms relevant to the agency's needs
Set up trials and manage new contracts as needed
Act as the agency's main point of contact for platform and technology partners
Continuous Improvement:
Measure the impact of implemented solutions
Track time savings, efficiency gains and ROI
Continuously optimise systems and workflows
Help embed a culture of innovation and operational excellence
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
Success in this role will be defined by clear, deliverable-based outcomes rather than tenure. Within the agreed contract period, you will:
Have delivered a clear, agreed AI and automation roadmap alongside the Operations Director
Have led Claude adoption to a defined standard across departments, with individuals and teams set up correctly and confidently using it
Have supported Heads of Teams to build and embed at least 3 workflows with a measurable efficiency gain
Have put the right processes and permissions in place with IT to support safe, scalable AI and tech use
Have established or progressed relationships with key industry platforms, including at least one active trial or new contract
Have left the agency with clear documentation, training materials and handover so progress is sustained beyond the contract
Specific deliverables, milestones and reporting cadence to be agreed with the Operations Director at the start of the contract.
SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
Essential:
Significant senior-level experience in automation, operations, RevOps, systems, AI enablement or a similar leadership role
Previous experience working within a creative agency, ideally within the social and creator space
A track record of implementing business systems and workflow automations at scale
Strong understanding of AI tools and practical business applications, including Claude or comparable LLM platforms
Experience with platforms such as Zapier, Make, Monday.com, HubSpot, Notion, Airtable or similar
Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the credibility to influence at senior leadership level
Comfortable working independently and owning projects from idea to implementation, with minimal oversight
Desirable
Knowledge of APIs and system integrations
Experience building low-code or no-code solutions
Familiarity with data visualisation and reporting tools
Experience delivering training and change management programmes
YOU'LL BE
Curious and commercially minded
Obsessed with finding smarter ways of working
Practical rather than theoretical
Comfortable challenging existing processes
Equally capable of speaking to senior leaders and supporting junior team members
Excited by building something from the ground up
Most importantly, you'll understand that technology is only valuable when people actually use it.
WHY JOIN US?
This is a rare opportunity to help us build an AI-enabled operating model from the ground up within a growing agency.
You'll have significant autonomy, direct access to senior leadership and the opportunity to shape how the business operates for years to come.
If you're excited by solving problems, driving change and helping a business unlock the power of AI, we'd love to hear from you.
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS
1. If you are shortlisted, we will invite you to join a 30 minute virtual call for us to get to know you better and for us to tell you more about the role and agency, and answer any initial questions.
2. If we think you'd be a great fit, we will then invite you to do a short questionnaire task, which we wouldn't expect to take more than one hour.
A final decision will be made following this.
BENEFITS
💰 Salary reflective of your experience and in line with internal benchmarks
🏠 Hybrid working, working from our Shoreditch HQ on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and from home on Mondays and Fridays.
🕙 Core Hours of 10:00 - 17:00 with the flexibility to start anytime between 08:00 - 10:00 and finish between 17:00 - 19:00.
☕ Snacks and drinks in the office, and free lunch provided when we have lunch and learns
🥳 Regular team and company socials
At Connects we are committed to providing an inclusive environment where everyone feels seen, heard and celebrated. We welcome applications from everyone. If you are invited to an interview, please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make to best accommodate your needs.
