Technical Operations Specialist

About AI71:

AI71 is an industry leader in artificial intelligence, delivering innovative solutions that empower developers, businesses and governments to solve complex challenges. AI71 builds secure, enterprise-ready applications powered by cutting-edge technology—tailored for knowledge workers and sector-specific needs. AI71 bridges the gap between advanced AI and real-world impact. Guided by a strong commitment to research and responsibility, we create transformative solutions that drive progress and empower communities.

The Role:

Operations Specialist

We are seeking an Operations Specialist to establish and lead operational excellence across our Engineering organisation. This role serves as the operational backbone of engineering delivery, partnering closely with Engineering Leadership, Finance, HR, Procurement and Project teams to drive workforce planning, resource allocation, financial governance and operational reporting. You will own the operational processes, dashboards and reporting that provide leadership with real-time visibility into headcount, resource utilisation, project staffing and budget performance, enabling informed business decisions. In addition, you will oversee procurement coordination, contractor hiring and onboarding and operational process improvement while building scalable frameworks that support the continued growth of the engineering organisation. This is a highly cross-functional role requiring strong analytical capabilities, commercial acumen and operational leadership. You will work closely with technical leaders to optimise engineering capacity, improve operational efficiency and ensure resources are effectively aligned with business priorities.

What Youll Do:

• Own end-to-end engineering resource planning and workforce allocation across multiple projects. 
• Maintain resource allocation models and utilisation trackers to provide accurate staffing visibility. 
• Partner with Engineering leadership to identify staffing gaps, hiring priorities and resource constraints. 
• Produce daily, weekly and monthly operational reports covering resource utilisation, allocation and project capacity. 
• Develop dashboards and executive reporting that support leadership decision-making. 
• Track project budgets, forecasts and operational spend in partnership with Finance. 
• Maintain financial trackers covering project expenditure, contractor costs, software licensing, subscriptions and personnel costs. 
• Support Finance by allocating workforce costs against project budgets based on utilisation data. 
• Build financial forecasts and scenario models for new programmes and contracts. 
• Coordinate hiring and procurement activities end-to-end for contractors and external vendors. 
• Coordinate hiring of FTEs with the Talent Acquisition team and track status.
• Draft and manage Statements of Work (SOWs), NDAs, contract amendments and supporting procurement documentation. 
• Partner with Legal and Procurement to ensure commercial documentation aligns with business requirements. 
• Coordinate vendor onboarding activities and manage approved supplier engagement. 
• Support operational requests across Engineering including tooling, licensing, subscriptions and project enablement. 
• Develop and continuously improve operational processes, documentation and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). 
• Create scalable operational frameworks, trackers and reporting mechanisms that improve organisational visibility. 
• Act as a trusted business partner to Engineering leadership, HR, Finance and Operations teams. 
•  Identify operational risks and recommend process improvements that increase efficiency and reporting accuracy.

What Youll Bring:

Experience

• 4+ years of experience in Operations, PMO, Resource Management, Business Operations or Technical Operations. 
• Experience supporting Engineering, Technology or Professional Services organisations.
• Demonstrated experience in workforce planning, resource allocation or capacity planning.
• Experience developing executive dashboards, operational reports and analytical models. 
• Experience partnering with Finance on budgeting, forecasting and cost management.
• Experience supporting procurement activities, vendor management and commercial documentation.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with experience working across Engineering, HR, Finance and Leadership teams. 

Technical Skills

• Advanced Microsoft Excel (Power Query, Pivot Tables, advanced formulas, dashboards). 
• Strong analytical and data modelling capabilities. 
• Experience building reporting frameworks from raw operational data. 
• Financial modelling and budgeting skills. 
• Excellent documentation and process design capabilities. 
• Strong project coordination and organisational skills. 

Education

• Bachelors degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Operations Management, Finance, Project Management or a related discipline.

Why AI71:

Mission-Driven Work: Work on cutting-edge AI applications with a talented and passionate team, solving real-world challenges in critical sectors.

• Unparalleled Opportunity: This is a chance to innovate and solve real-world challenges using AI at a company with unique access to world-leading models and resources.
• Career Growth: We offer competitive compensation, benefits, and significant career growth opportunities as a foundational member of the team.
• World-Class Environment: Enjoy a flexible working environment and the latest tools & technologies needed to do your best work.