Head of Automation

(No H1B or OPT Visa Sponsorship will be provided). About Shelf: 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. Head of Automation: 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. What We're Looking For: 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 Key Responsibilities: 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 Establi