Apprenticeship Remote Working jobs

SmartPA is seeking an experienced Automation & Workflow Architect to join the team that is redefining the future of administration.

UK-Based (Flexible Working Set-up): This role is open to candidates across the UK. The exact arrangement can be tailored to the successful applicant, with options including an Edinburgh-based hybrid model (split between home and our Edinburgh office) or a fully remote setup.

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday–Friday, 09:00–17:30

About SmartPA

SmartPA delivers world-class, human-centred, tech-enabled PA and business support to organisations of all sizes across the globe.

By combining smart systems, streamlined processes and exceptional people, we help our clients accelerate their growth and scaling plans by providing world class admin teams. From ambitious SMBs to global corporations, our client portfolio has included organisations such as Google, Clarion Events, BBC and Krispy Kreme, all of whom rely on us as a trusted extension of their teams.

We pride ourselves on delivering a service that is professional, proactive and dependable, but what truly sets us apart is our people.

Our team is ambitious, supportive and genuinely passionate about what we do. Many of our colleagues have joined us from diverse professional backgrounds, including education, hospitality, retail and operations, and have built successful, long-term careers with us. We care far more about mindset, professionalism and a commitment to excellence than a traditional career path.

As a female-founded business built on collaboration, trust and shared success, we actively champion career development, flexible working and meaningful progression. We believe in creating an environment where people feel supported, valued and empowered to grow.

If you’re organised, proactive and take pride in delivering exceptional service, you’ll feel right at home at SmartPA.

The Role

As our Automation & Workflow Architect, you'll design and build the automations that make our client accounts more efficient. This is a hands-on, technical role for someone who thinks in systems — you'll look beyond individual tasks to see how whole workflows fit together, then build solutions using Gemini, APIs and integrations across our tools.

You'll work closely with our operational teams and stakeholders to understand how an account really runs, find the patterns and common problems across it, and turn those into scalable, reliable automation. You'll also own the numbers behind your work — using data tools to track performance and show leadership the clear return on investment (ROI) your solutions deliver.

This suits someone who pairs strong technical skill with a practical, problem-solving mindset and enjoys turning ideas into working solutions.

Key Responsibilities

This is a fast-paced, impact-driven role where innovation, ownership and continuous improvement are key.

Workflow Architecture & AI Integration

Automation & Solution Development

• Design and build automation tools and workflows that improve efficiency
• Develop scalable, sustainable solutions across business functions
• Turn operational challenges into practical technical solutions
• Support the development and optimisation of internal systems and processes

Process Improvement & Innovation

• Identify inefficiencies and opportunities for automation
• Recommend and implement smarter ways of working
• Use technology to reduce manual effort and improve consistency

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work closely with teams and stakeholders to understand what they need
• Provide technical guidance throughout automation projects
• Communicate ideas, progress and recommendations clearly

Performance & Optimisation

• Monitor the reliability and effectiveness of your automation solutions
• Troubleshoot issues and make improvements where needed
• Support the ongoing evolution of tools, systems and workflows

What We’re Looking For

You’ll thrive in this role if you:

• Enjoy solving problems and improving how things work
• Are a natural systems thinker who looks at end-to-end logic rather than isolated tasks
• Think in numbers, and can prove the commercial and operational value of your work
• Are confident working across both technical teams and business leadership
• Communicate clearly and work well with stakeholders
• Take ownership and approach projects proactively
• Are curious, adaptable and motivated by continuous improvement

Skills & Experience

We hire for attitude as much as experience. A growth mindset and strong sense of accountability go a long way.

Essential

• 4–6 years' professional experience in a technology-focused or workflow-automation environment
• Strong programming experience (e.g. JavaScript, Python or Java)
• Hands-on experience building AI-integrated automations — using prompt engineering and connecting systems via APIs (Gemini or similar)
• Solid workflow and process mapping — designing process logic and spotting common patterns across an account
• Good working knowledge of SQL databases, data modelling and query optimisation
• Experience across the full build lifecycle (design, build, deploy, maintain)
• Confident using data tools to measure automation performance and present ROI to leadership

Desirable

While not essential, the following would be advantageous:

• Experience within the Google ecosystem (Workspace, Cloud, Looker Studio, etc.)
• Knowledge of system integrations, networking and cloud environments
• Experience supporting production applications and runtime environments
• Experience building custom performance-tracking dashboards
• Familiarity with Agile, Lean or Six Sigma

We value transferable skills and diverse experience, so if your background doesn't line up perfectly but you can show strong technical capability and a proactive mindset, we'd still encourage you to apply.

Why Join SmartPA

We’re ambitious about where we’re going and we’re looking for people who want to grow with us.

• Competitive salary
• Annual performance-based bonuses
• 33 days holiday
• Flexitime (core hours: 10:00–16:30)
• Hybrid (UK) or fully remote options
• Ongoing development and career opportunities
• Department incentives
• Employee Assistance Programme (including access to counselling services, finance support, legal support, etc.)
• A genuinely positive, people-first culture

Our Recruitment Process

Please submit your CV along with a cover letter outlining how your skills, experience and achievements align with the requirements of the role.

Throughout the recruitment process, we will assess candidates against the key competencies and responsibilities outlined in the job profile.

The selection process consists of two interview stages and skills testing.

Please note: we receive a high volume of applications so sometimes it can take us a little longer to get in touch. We welcome enquiries to our recruitment@smart-pa.com inbox.

Work Location: Remote