Automation Engineering Lead

Goodwill Central Texas is seeking a hands-on Automation Engineering Lead to guide and implement automation initiatives across the organization. This role works directly with business units, including Retail Operations, Workforce Advancement, HR, Finance, and Administrative Services, to identify inefficiencies, streamline processes, improve data availability, and reduce manual workload. The role also participates in evaluating tools and systems to support operational needs, and in ensuring data accessibility for reporting and decision-making.

This is a player–coach position: responsible for both execution and strategic leadership, while mentoring and supporting the junior automation role.

Business Engagement & Process Discovery

• Work closely with departments to understand workflows and identify practical automation opportunities.
• Document current processes and lead initiatives to optimize them prior to automation.
• Facilitate discussions and workshops to capture business needs and requirements.
• Automation Strategy & Implementation
• Design end-to-end workflow solutions using Power Automate and Power Apps.
• Establish standards, practices, and governance for Power Platform usage.
• Lead the architecture of enterprise automations in alignment with organizational priorities.
• Data Surfacing & Reporting Support
• Build and maintain data workflows using Azure Synapse.
• Surface relevant data for business reporting and analytics.
• Support automated data feeds into Power BI or other reporting tools. 
• Ensure data accuracy, governance, and consistency across sources.
• Tool Evaluation & System Integration
• Evaluate and recommend tools, platforms, and vendors for enterprise solutions.
• Assess system compatibility with Dynamics 365, Synapse, and Power Platform.
• Support enterprise technology choices with ROI, efficiency, and integration impact analysis.
• Identity & Access Automation
• Support automation for user provisioning, role assignment, and offboarding through Entra ID.
• Help standardize access control and identify processes across systems.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Provide direction and guidance to the Business Automation Analyst.
• Promote a culture of automation-thinking and process improvement.
• Support cross-department collaboration and communication.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position does not have supervisory responsibilities

Required Skills & Qualifications 

• Strong experience designing and implementing Power Automate workflows.
• Exposure to or experience with Power Apps.
• Solid grasp of business process analysis and optimization.
• Familiarity with Azure Synapse or similar data processing tools.
• Experience enabling business reporting and data accessibility.
• Exposure to Dynamics 365 or similar ERP systems.
• Strong stakeholder communication and facilitation skills.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience working with data in formats such as JSON, CSV, and Excel.
• Exposure to Entra ID or Azure AD identity workflows.
• Familiarity with Power BI or data visualization/reporting workflows.
• Exposure to Python for basic automation scripting.
• Experience in retail, logistics, distributed operations, or nonprofit environments.

Key Attributes

• Business-oriented problem solver
• Logical and structured thinker
• Collaborative and approachable
• Curious and proactive
• Process-minded and documentation-focused
• Able to translate business challenges into practical automation solutions

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• Must be able to lift up to 30 pounds at times.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to walk; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, and talk or hear.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Goodwill Central Texas is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Background Check Requirement:

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment background check. This may include verification of employment history, education, criminal background, and other information relevant to the position.