AI Automation & Workflow Systems Developer

AI Automation & Workflow Systems Developer About Us We are a growing construction and government contracting company specializing in residential repairs, rehabilitation, maintenance, and operational support services. We are seeking an experienced AI Automation & Business Workflow Systems Developer to design and build an end-to-end automated business system that manages our core operations—from bid intake and estimating through project execution, compliance tracking, invoicing, and reporting. This engagement is project-based and is expected to begin with a paid trial period. Based on successful performance and business needs, additional project phases and future consulting opportunities may become available. Continued work is not guaranteed and will be evaluated at the completion of each project phase. Project Overview Our company currently relies on Excel-based pricing templates, spreadsheets, and manual workflows to prepare estimates, manage projects, and perform administrative functions. We are seeking a highly skilled automation professional who can evaluate our existing business processes and develop practical, scalable solutions that reduce manual work, improve data accuracy, increase operational efficiency, and support future business growth. The successful contractor will be expected to think beyond software development by analyzing operational workflows and recommending process improvements where appropriate. Primary Responsibilities Estimating & Pricing Automation Review existing Excel estimating and pricing templates. Design and develop a centralized pricing database. Build an automated estimating platform. Create pricing logic based on labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors, overhead, and markups. Generate estimates from written scopes of work and project descriptions. Develop user-friendly estimating interfaces for office personnel. Improve estimating consistency, speed, and accuracy. Develop reporting tools, pricing analytics, and win/loss tracking by service item. AI-Powered Workflow Development Evaluate opportunities to implement AI throughout business operations. Design AI-assisted workflows capable of interpreting project descriptions and recommending pricing items. Develop AI agents to automate repetitive office processes. Automate data extraction from work orders, inspection reports, proposals, PDFs, invoices, and government documents. Implement intelligent document processing solutions. Government Forms & Document Automation Automate repetitive government and client forms. Populate forms using information stored within company databases. Reduce duplicate data entry across multiple systems. Generate proposals, reports, compliance documents, contracts, and client correspondence automatically. Administrative Process Automation Automate repetitive administrative workflows. Improve project tracking systems. Improve document management processes. Build dashboards and operational reporting. Integrate internal office systems. Improve workflow visibility and reporting. Accounting & Financial Automation Automate invoice preparation. Improve reporting workflows. Integrate estimating, project management, and accounting systems. Improve data flow between estimating, project management, and accounting systems. Improve operational reporting and financial visibility. Integrate with QuickBooks and other third-party systems where appropriate. Required Qualifications Advanced Microsoft Excel expertise VBA programming experience Strong Python development skills Experience building workflow automation systems Database architecture and management experience REST API integration experience Experience with AI platforms and Large Language Models (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, or similar) Prompt engineering experience Experience with AI workflow automation tools Strong understanding of Business Process Automation (BPA) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills Ability to document systems and recommend process improvements Excellent written and verbal communication skills Preferred Qualifications Construction industry experience Government contracting experience Estimating software experience QuickBooks integration experience Google Workspace & Google Apps Script Power Automate Power Apps OCR and document processing Experience developing custom business applications Project Engagement & Collaboration Requirements This is a remote, project-based independent contractor engagement. Compensation will be based on agreed project milestones, fixed-price deliverables, or hourly assignments as specified within the applicable project. The engagement will begin with a paid trial period. Completion of the trial period does not guarantee continued work or future project assignments. Continuation of the engagement is contingent upon the contractor's successful completion of Phase 1 (Discovery & Planning) and Phase 2 (Estimating & Pricing System Development), together with satisfactory performance, communication, technical proficiency, and overall compatibility with the Firm's project requirements. Contractors are expected to work collaboratively with our team throughout the engagement by analyzing existing workflows, designing automation solutions, documenting recommendations, and implementing approved project deliverables. Work Schedule Requirements The Firm operates on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), with core business hours of 8:00 AM through 8:00 PM EDT, Monday through Friday. This is a remote engagement. Assigned work schedules will be based upon project requirements, client priorities, and business needs. Contractors are expected to remain reasonably available and responsive during their agreed working hours and comply with all Firm communication, collaboration, and time-reporting procedures. The Firm reserves the right to modify project schedules and operating hours as necessary to meet client and operational requirements. Time Tracking & Collaboration Requirements (For hourly work only) To support project coordination, quality assurance, operational oversight, security, and accurate client billing, contractors must utilize one of the following approved methods while performing hourly work. Option 1 – Upwork Time Tracker Use Upwork's Time Tracker throughout all working hours in accordance with Upwork's policies and requirements. Option 2 – Firm Collaboration Method Contractors choosing the Firm's collaboration method must (No Exceptions): Participate in the Firm's designated Google Meet collaboration room throughout scheduled working hours. Maintain active screen sharing during all work sessions. Keep their camera enabled during scheduled work hours unless otherwise approved by the Firm. Record all working time in both QuickBooks Time and Upwork Manual Time. Accurately record work start times, meal and rest breaks, and work end times. Ensure all time entries remain complete, accurate, and consistent across both systems. Contractors acknowledge and consent that collaboration sessions may be recorded for training, quality assurance, documentation, security, compliance, operational oversight, and project management purposes. Documentation Requirements All work products must be thoroughly documented. Required documentation includes, where applicable: Workflow documentation Process diagrams Source code documentation Installation instructions Configuration documentation User guides Administrator guides Video walkthroughs API documentation Project deliverables will not be considered complete until all required documentation has been submitted. When Applying Please include: Relevant automation projects completed Examples of business systems you have designed and implemented Technologies you recommend for this project Your proposed system architecture Estimated implementation timeline Hourly rate or fixed-price proposal Availability (EDT) Project Deliverables Phase 1 – Discovery & Planning (Estimated 10–15 Hours) Audit current business workflows Review existing software, spreadsheets, and operational processes Identify automation opportunities Recommend technology stack Develop implementation roadmap Deliver system architecture proposal Phase 2 – Estimating & Pricing System (Estimated 20–40 Hours) Build centralized pricing database Develop automated estimating platform Create pricing logic Build estimating workflows Develop user-friendly estimating interface Implement service item reporting Develop win/loss tracking Phase 3 – Workflow Automation (Estimated 30–40 Hours) Automate project intake Automate document management Implement AI-assisted document processing Automate repetitive forms Build operational dashboards Improve project tracking workflows Phase 4 – Integration & Implementation (Estimated 30–40 Hours) Integrate estimating, accounting, and project management systems Automate invoicing and reporting Test and optimize workflows Train staff Deliver complete documentation