Airtable + API Integration & Automation Expert — Ongoing Retainer Role

We're a talent partnerships agency looking for an experienced Airtable and automation expert for an ongoing, flexible retainer role. We need a true problem-solver who looks at our entire business and workflow and designs smart, simplified solutions, not someone who just builds exactly what's asked without considering the bigger picture. We have a high-volume database (300k+ records) with multiple datasets that aren't perfectly connected, and we're running a multi-phase plan to enrich, connect, and automate across all of it. *Immediate project (starting now): Integrating two third-party data APIs into Airtable: - Apollo: ongoing contact enrichment using job-change detection to push updates into staging columns automatically, plus enrichment on new contacts. The more straightforward of the two. - Winmo: pulling verified brand, contact, and agency-to-brand relationship data, matched to our existing records via stored IDs. More involved, since it requires linking incoming data to the correct existing records (some as linked records) rather than creating duplicates. Both feed into staging columns alongside our existing data, with a review-and-approve step before anything updates our live records (non-destructive enrichment). Larger phased plan (where the long-term role goes): The APIs are just the start. From there we're building toward AI-powered data enrichment across our full database, an automated outreach and follow-up system modeled on one we already run, and ongoing automation and workflow optimization across the board. We want someone who can own this roadmap with us, bring expertise we don't have in-house, and simplify a complex system rather than add to it. What we're looking for: - Strong Airtable expertise: analysis, troubleshooting, architecture, and workflow strategy, not just automation building - Strong Make (Integromat) and Zapier experience (required) - Third-party API integration experience (required) - Experience with AI/LLM API integration (OpenAI or similar) and structured data workflows (strongly preferred) - Webflow experience (a plus) - Someone who delivers polished, end-to-end solutions and thinks about the whole workflow, so we're not stuck making endless adjustments down the line - A genuine collaborator who brings ideas and expertise, rather than relying on us to design the solution and just executing it Important on pricing: We're looking for someone who quotes a flat fee per project upfront, based on your own hourly rate and time estimate, rather than billing open-ended hourly. For ongoing support we'd set up a retainer. This structure matters to us, so please confirm you're comfortable working this way. This is a reliable, long-term relationship for the right person, with steady work across data enrichment, AI, and automation. Please share relevant experience with similar Airtable, API, and automation projects, and how you typically structure project versus retainer pricing.