Head of Automation

There is no AI Strategy without a Data Strategy.  Getting GenAI to work is mission critical for most companies but 90% of AI projects haven't deployed. Why? Poor data quality - it  is the #1 obstacle companies have in getting GenAI projects into production.

We've helped some of the best brands like Amazon, Mayo Clinic, AmFam, and Nespresso solve their data issues and deploy their AI strategy with Day 1 ROI.

Simply put,  Shelf unlocks AI readiness. We provide the core infrastructure that enables GenAI to be deployed at scale. We help companies deliver more accurate GenAI answers by eliminating bad data in documents and files before they go into an LLM and create bad answers.

Shelf is partnered with Microsoft, Salesforce, Snowflake, Databricks, OpenAI and other big tech players who are bringing GenAI to the enterprise.

Our mission is to empower humanity with better answers everywhere.

The Head of Automation will spearhead Shelf's company-wide automation transformation, building and leading multiple specialized automation teams while establishing automation as a strategic function across all departments. This role combines deep technical expertise with strategic leadership to create AI-powered automation solutions that drive operational excellence throughout the organization.

This is a foundational leadership role reporting to the CTO with strong involvement from the CEO. You'll be the architect of Shelf's automation strategy, leveraging our internal Shelf AI Platform to create intelligent agents that transform processes across GTM, Product, Engineering, Operations, Finance, and Customer Success functions.

What makes this role unique is the opportunity to build automation capabilities from the ground up at a fast-growing AI company, with access to cutting-edge internal AI infrastructure. Unlike traditional automation roles focused on a single department, you'll have enterprise-wide scope and the autonomy to define how automation drives business value across every function.

This role offers exceptional growth potential for automation leaders who want to shape the future of AI-powered business operations. You'll be building not just processes, but the teams and infrastructure that will scale with Shelf from Series C to IPO and beyond.

• Strategic Automation Leader with proven experience building automation functions from scratch in high-growth environments
• Technical Excellence in Node.js, Python, GenAI/LLM technologies, and agentic frameworks (both no-code and code solutions)
• Data & AI Expertise with experience in data modeling, ontology design, and platforms like Databricks/Snowflake
• Team Building Excellence with track record of hiring and scaling technical teams across multiple specializations
• Startup Experience preferably in Series A to C companies, understanding the pace and flexibility required
• Hands-On Approach - comfortable building end-to-end automation solutions while leading strategic initiatives
• Cross-Functional Collaboration with ability to work effectively with all departments to identify and prioritize automation opportunities
• Results-Driven Mindset focused on measurable automation adoption, reliability, and business impact

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Develop and execute company-wide automation strategy leveraging Shelf AI Platform's ontological graph structure
• Partner with department leaders to identify high-impact automation opportunities and establish automation roadmaps
• Define success metrics and KPIs for automation initiatives across all business functions
• Present automation strategy and progress to executive team and board

Team Building & Management

• Build and scale several specialized automation teams within 12 months, starting immediately
• Recruit and manage teams including Data & Integration Engineers, Automation Engineers, Business Analysts, and Data Modelers/Ontology Designers
• Establish team structures, processes, and workflows for effective automation delivery
• Foster a culture of innovation, quality, and continuous improvement across automation teams

Technical Implementation

• Lead hands-on development of automation solutions and AI agents across all organizational processes
• Integrate and optimize existing automation tools (such as Lindy, n8n, Typingmind, custom builds) with Shelf AI Platform
• Establish technical standards, best practices, and quality assurance processes for automation development
• Collaborate with Product and Engineering teams to enhance Shelf AI Platform capabilities

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Work closely with GTM, Finance, Operations, Customer Success, Engineering, and Product teams to drive automation adoption
• Lead automation assessment and integration projects across different platforms and departments
• Establish automation governance and change management processes
• Champion automation initiatives and drive organizational change management

Qualifications

• 8+ years of overall experience including 2+ years in automation and 3+ years in leadership roles 
• Proven track record of scaling technical teams and automation capabilities in startup environments (Series B/C preferred)
• Strong technical background in Node.js, Python, AI/LLM technologies, and agentic frameworks
• Experience with data engineering, ontology design, and enterprise data platforms (Databricks, Snowflake)
• Experience with automation platforms and integration tools (RPA, workflow automation, API integrations)
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; advanced degree preferred
• Excellent communication skills with ability to present technical concepts to executive audiences

Success Metrics

To be successful in this role, you should aim to achieve the following within the first 12 months:

• Build and scale several automation teams with full team composition including 20+ team members total
• Deliver measurable automation adoption with high reliability and accuracy across all departments
• Achieve significant automation coverage percentage per department with focus on high-impact processes
• Successfully integrate existing automation tools with Shelf AI Platform while maintaining operational continuity
• Establish automation as a strategic competitive advantage driving measurable business outcomes

• Competitive salary, equity, & benefits
• Realistic, clearly communicated expectations
• Team-wide aligned values and goals
• Comprehensive health and wellness packages

• GenAI is expected to be a $4 trillion market by 2032, and Shelf is a core infrastructure that enables GenAI to be deployed at scale.
• Our Leadership Team possesses deep knowledge management and AI domain expertise, as well as an enterprise SaaS background, to execute this plan effectively.
• We've been helping our customers prevent knowledge mismanagement since our founding in 2017.
• We have raised over $60 million in funding, with investors including Tiger Global, Insight Partners, Base10, and others.
• We have experienced high velocity growth, powered by the most innovative product in our category, achieving 3X growth for 3 consecutive years.
• We now have over 100 employees in multiple U.S. states and European countries, and we have ambitious hiring goals over the next few months.

Quality - We’re united by our focus on world‑class Quality. Quality in all things – starting with everything that leaves your desk. Everything you touch – every email, report, campaign, and piece of code – should be outstanding. Your work product should blow people away. Having people look at what you’ve done and say, “Wow.” That’s the standard here. Remember that how you do anything is how you do everything. Focus on craftsmanship—your ability to make things better.

Momentum - for us means that you should know that the things you’re responsible for are moving forward. When you look around and see something that’s stalled, get it moving again. We pride ourselves on “ball movement.” When your boss or team leaves you with something, they should return to see measurable progress. Small, continuous movement is our recipe for success. Constantly look for how to make the work around you move forward. We want you to initiate solutions, ideas, and progress. Don’t wait for it to come to you—reach out and create movement. All the time.

Accountability - We expect every team member to feel that they are accountable for more than anyone might normally expect. Each of us should feel real responsibility for things even at the edge of our control. We consistently share and align on expectations, give each other open and respectful feedback, and use those two drivers to ensure that every agreement we make with one another is clear and complete.

Hard Work - We’re here to do something difficult together. We care intensely about the mission and we expect that from our teammates. That care means that we work hard here. Hard work comes with long hours, extra effort…and real opportunity at Shelf. Your passion for creating and sustaining output is a part of our DNA. Support each other, cheer each other on, drive the mission forward. Great teams sustain intense effort together to win.

Learning Agility - We’re innovating in one of the fastest‑moving spaces in history at a time of accelerating global change. That’s incredibly exciting and requires each of us to commit fully to learning each and every day so that we can be the best at what we do. None of us know everything. All of us can learn anything. Staying open and constantly curious is a key success driver at Shelf. It also requires humility. We prize people who are consistently humble and open to making mistakes and growing from them. Recognize also that learning itself is a skill…we need you to be really good at it. Keep dialing in your own understanding about how you learn best and push yourself to keep growing.

Adapt and Thrive - Overcoming challenges lives deep in our DNA. We have a proud history of understanding and living the reality that obstacles are our opportunities…they’re the key to our success. Change is a constant in our business and fighting change is counterproductive. We need you to be good at being uncomfortable and understand that discomfort is the key to growth. Cultivate your own ability to adapt and know that struggling well is something you’ll share with every team you’re on at Shelf. Our company stories are about thriving through real difficulty…together.

Win Together - We win or lose as a team. Always. Everything you do here is connected to the rest of the organization. Part of our shared team environment demands full honesty…real candor and directness with one another. We expect you to constantly be thinking about how to support your teammates and the company, always acting in service to our shared mission and what’s best for the organization as a whole.