Operations Manager - AI Enablement

About Whip Around

Founded in 2016 to address the paperwork challenges of freight companies in New Zealand, Whip Around quickly expanded its services internationally, particularly throughout the US. With headquarters in Auckland and Charlotte, the company supports fleet management globally through innovative AI-driven solutions. A strong company culture focused on personal and professional growth drives Whip Around's success.

Role Summary

Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Operations Manager plays a pivotal role ensuring the smooth functioning of AI tools and systems that power the business. Responsibilities encompass overseeing AI development and integration, expanding the use and reliability of AI applications, and collaborating to embed automation into workflows to improve efficiency and consistency.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage daily operations within the department, ensuring alignment with team objectives and assisting the Director in maintaining project progress.
• Monitor operational KPIs, identifying gaps, and implementing corrective measures.
• Oversee operational budgets and vendor management to maximize system value.
• Promote and support adoption of AI and automation tools by creating training materials and providing hands-on assistance.
• Identify and prioritize AI use cases that reduce manual efforts, enhance accuracy, and yield cost or time savings.
• Drive the transition from AI experiments to reliable, repeatable solutions, including requirements gathering, validation, rollout support, and ongoing maintenance.
• Deliver initial quick wins and establish routines for continuous solution monitoring and improvement.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date information to ensure AI tool reliability.
• Streamline and optimize core operational processes by identifying bottlenecks and recommending automation solutions.
• Maintain and enhance key software systems and flag integration or usability challenges.
• Document processes and standard operating procedures to facilitate knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate with various teams to gather data needs and produce insightful reports and dashboards.
• Conduct data audits for accuracy and address sources of discrepancies.
• Prepare analytics for senior leadership with clear communication tailored to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Coordinate closely with sales, customer success, finance, and product teams, ensuring project timelines and deliverables are met.
• Mentor junior colleagues and provide ongoing support and training for internal users.
• Ensure adherence to responsible AI use, data privacy, and quality controls, supporting compliance efforts and collaborating on security matters.
• Identify operational risks proactively and undertake related duties as needed.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations Management, Analytics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Over five years of experience in software engineering, business systems, data engineering, business operations, or related technical domains, including delivering automation or AI solutions in production environments.
• Minimum of 1-2 years of hands-on experience designing, building, or deploying generative AI applications using LLMs, agent frameworks, or similar technology.

Core Competencies

• Partner with stakeholders to identify and implement high-impact AI opportunities, shaping and executing AI strategy.
• Lead AI transformation projects, driving adoption through training, documentation, and iterative enhancements.
• Experience with deploying AI systems, prompt engineering, evaluation frameworks, quality assurance, hallucination management, and prompt optimization.
• Expertise in auditing, cleansing, and structuring data for AI model input, designing context-aware AI solutions with data retrieval and tool integrations.
• Proficiency in Python, SQL (Microsoft SQL Server/PostgreSQL), and SOQL.
• Hands-on experience integrating AI solutions within Salesforce and other enterprise applications, considering security and governance.
• Familiarity with platforms such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, or Azure AI services.
• Strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, interpersonal, and communication skills, with ability to convey technical concepts clearly.
• Detail-oriented with integrity, adept at managing multiple priorities and driving measurable outcomes in dynamic environments.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with enterprise security, governance, privacy, compliance, and responsible AI best practices.
• Familiarity with modern agent frameworks, orchestration platforms, and AI development SDKs.
• Cloud services experience (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Knowledge of Docker, deployment workflows, Git, API design, data engineering, ETL/ELT, and workflow automation.
• Salesforce CRM expertise including Flows, Apex, Lightning Web Components; data modeling and governance.
• Use of BI tools, spreadsheets for structured business data, and project management software such as Jira and Confluence.
• Certifications such as Six Sigma, Lean, or credentials in AI/automation preferred.
• Experience in SaaS, customer success, or technology sectors; familiarity with vector databases and semantic search technologies.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary range from $130,000 to $160,000 USD, based on experience and location.
• Unlimited paid time off for personal use.
• Subsidized healthcare plans to fit individual needs.
• 401(k) retirement matching program.
• Paid parental leave and caregiver support.
• Resources and plans supporting professional development and continuous learning.

Additional Information

Applicants not meeting every requirement are encouraged to apply as Whip Around fosters a culture of learning and growth. The recruitment process includes verification of employment eligibility. Accessibility accommodations are available upon request throughout the hiring process.