Process & Automation Engineering Manager

Hello! We're Teya.

Teya is a payment and software service provider, headquartered in London serving small, local businesses across Europe. Founded in 2019, we build easy to use, integrated tools that enable our members to accept payments and boost business performance.

At Teya we believe small, local businesses are the lifeblood of our communities.

We’re here because we don’t believe there’s a level playing field that gives small businesses with a fighting chance against the giants of the high street.

We’re here because we see banks and legacy service providers making things harder for them. We don’t think the best technology or the best service should be reserved for those with the biggest headquarters.

We’re here to fight for a future where small, local businesses can thrive, and to commit the same dedication they offer all of us.

Become a part of our story.

We’re looking for exceptional talent to join our mission. We offer a chance to create impact in a high-energy and connected culture, while benefiting from continuous learning opportunities, a supportive community which is proud to serve our mission, and comprehensive benefits.

Your Mission

We are seeking an Automation Engineering Manager to lead and scale our IT Engineering and IT Service Desk functions in a rapidly growing, high-impact environment. This role is not about just running IT—it’s about rethinking how IT operates. We're looking for a builder, not just a maintainer.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with an engineering mindset, someone who sees IT not as integration work, but as a platform for automation, AI-driven solutions, and self-service systems. You’ll be a force multiplier—reducing manual workload through smart automation, enabling scale, and freeing up the team to focus on high-value outcomes.
You’ll lead efforts to restructure service delivery, introduce AI agents to support internal users, and create self-healing, self-service tools that minimize Service Desk load. You will also play a critical role in IT governance, compliance, and operational excellence—especially as we prepare for increased regulatory scrutiny and business scale.

As a lean team, we work smart. You’ll need to be comfortable working with external partners and contractors to overcome bottlenecks, as well as shifting context quickly—our IT Engineering team supports over 420 applications of all sizes.

We are looking for strong leadership, excellent communication, and the ability to make fast, pragmatic decisions. The technical skills can be taught; what we need is someone with the right mindset and drive to continuously improve.

Key Responsibilities
Engineering-Driven Leadership

• Lead IT Engineering and Service Desk teams with a focus on automation-first thinking and measurable impact.

• Foster a team culture of proactivity, ownership, and systems thinking.

• Act as a strategic partner, not just a service provider—collaborating cross-functionally to identify automation opportunities and deliver smart, scalable solutions.

Automation & AI Enablement

• Design and implement end-to-end automation strategies, from CI/CD pipelines to AI-powered support tools.

• Build internal self-service portals, virtual agents, and automated workflows to reduce Service Desk load.

• Drive the adoption of modern DevOps practices and tools to support rapid, high-quality delivery.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Define and uphold IT governance and regulatory compliance standards (FSA, EBA, DORA, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001).

• Implement robust risk management and documentation processes to ensure audit-readiness at all times.

• Work closely with compliance and security teams to proactively address gaps.

Agility & Scale

• Operate in a fast-moving environment, managing diverse systems and quickly shifting context across projects.

• Support over 420 business applications of varying size and complexity, prioritizing based on business impact.

• Effectively delegate to partners and vendors to ensure timely delivery and avoid internal bottlenecks.

Communication & Influence

• Serve as a clear, structured communicator, able to translate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.

• Set high standards for internal communication—clarity, efficiency, and alignment.

• Build trust across teams by communicating proactively and transparently, especially during incidents or major changes.

Strategic Execution

• Align IT initiatives with business growth, driving digital transformation through smart technology adoption.

• Measure and report on service effectiveness, system reliability, and team productivity.

• Maintain a continuous improvement loop with strong feedback mechanisms and data-driven decisions.

Operational & Vendor Oversight

• Ensure performance and reliability of mission-critical infrastructure and collaboration tools (e.g., Microsoft Intune, JAMF, Teams, Zoom).

• Manage vendor and telecom contracts, ensuring cost-effective service delivery and clear SLAs.

• Own AV and conferencing infrastructure standards across offices and remote setups.

Your Story

• Proven experience in IT leadership roles, ideally across both engineering and service functions.

• Strong automation mindset—you think in systems and eliminate manual work wherever possible.

• Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines, AI-powered support tools, and self-service enablement.

• Demonstrated ability to work with external partners to extend internal capabilities.

• Exceptional communication skills—clear, concise, and confident across technical and non-technical audiences.

• Deep understanding of governance, compliance, and IT service management best practices.

• Comfortable with rapid context switching and balancing competing priorities in a lean, fast-growing team.

• Fluency in English is required; additional languages are a plus.

Nice to Have

• Experience with AI-driven IT tools (chatbots, predictive analytics, smart workflows).

• Familiarity with modern workplace and developer tooling (Microsoft 365, GitHub, Atlassian, Okta, Slack, Cisco Meraki).

• Experience in regulated environments or the financial sector is a strong advantage.

What We Offer

• A high-impact leadership role at the intersection of automation, engineering, and business scale.

• A fast-paced, collaborative culture that values experimentation and autonomy.

• The opportunity to transform how IT operates, not just maintain the status quo.

• Competitive compensation, benefits, and professional development opportunities.

If you’re passionate about building smarter systems, enabling scale through automation, and leading with clarity and intention—we’d love to hear from you.

The Perks

• We trust you, so we offer flexible working hours, as long it suits both you and your team;

• Physical and mental health support through our partnership with GymPass giving free access to over 1,500 gyms in the UK, 1-1 therapy, meditation sessions, digital fitness and nutrition apps;

• Our company offers extended and improved maternity and paternity leave choices, giving employees more flexibility and support;

• Cycle-to-Work Scheme;

• Health and Life Insurance;

• Pension Scheme;

• 25 days of Annual Leave (+ Bank Holidays);

• Office snacks every day;

• Friendly, comfortable and informal office environment in Central London.

Teya is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or background can thrive and do their best work. We believe that a diverse team leads to better ideas, stronger outcomes, and a more supportive workplace for all.

If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process whether for interviews, assessments, or other parts of the application—we encourage you to let us know. We are committed to ensuring that every candidate has a fair and accessible experience with us.