AI Automation Engineer Needed for Lead Qualification & CRM Integration Using n8n

We are looking for an AI Automation Engineer to build a reliable workflow that captures incoming enquiries, qualifies leads using our business criteria, and creates or updates the correct CRM records. Our team currently reviews enquiries manually and transfers information between tools. We want to reduce repetitive data entry, improve lead routing, and flag incomplete enquiries for human review. The project will be completed in three phases under one fixed price of $500. Phase 1: Lead Capture and Data Validation Connect one existing website form or webhook to n8n and prepare incoming lead information for processing. Scope includes: - Review sample enquiries and confirm the required fields. - Capture contact details and enquiry information where available. - Normalize email addresses and phone numbers using agreed rules. - Validate required fields before processing. - Identify repeated submissions using a submission ID or another agreed identifier. - Route incomplete or invalid enquiries for manual review. - Record processing status so failed submissions can be identified. Phase 2: AI Lead Qualification and CRM Integration Use OpenAI or Claude to evaluate enquiries against our supplied qualification criteria and send validated information to our CRM. Scope includes: - Configure one LLM provider. - Extract relevant information from each enquiry. - Classify leads into agreed categories such as qualified, needs review, and not a fit. - Return structured outputs with a category and short explanation. - Flag missing information rather than inventing details. - Validate AI outputs before updating CRM records. - Search for existing contacts using an agreed matching rule. - Create or update contacts while preventing duplicates. - Map up to ten agreed CRM fields. - Apply the appropriate qualification status or tag. - Route ambiguous enquiries for human review. The integration will connect to one CRM, such as HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Pipedrive, or Zoho, using authorized access. Phase 3: Notifications, Testing and Handoff Complete the workflow with notifications, failure handling, and documentation. Scope includes: - Notify the team through one agreed channel, such as an internal notification system or email. - Generate one suggested follow-up message for human review. - Keep customer messages as drafts until approved. - Add appropriate retries for temporary API failures. - Prevent repeated executions from creating duplicate records. - Log successful and failed executions without exposing credentials. - Alert the team when a lead cannot be processed. - Test valid leads, missing information, invalid AI outputs, duplicate submissions, and CRM API failures. - Deliver the n8n workflow export without embedded credentials. - Provide setup documentation and a recorded walkthrough. Expected Lead Flow 1. A new enquiry arrives through the connected form or webhook. 2. n8n validates and normalizes the submitted information. 3. The AI evaluates the enquiry using our qualification criteria. 4. The workflow validates the AI output. 5. The correct CRM contact is created or updated. 6. The team receives a notification for qualified leads or enquiries needing review. 7. Failed executions are logged and flagged for follow-up. Acceptance Criteria - Valid sample leads reach the correct CRM record with accurate field mapping. - Repeat submissions do not create duplicate contacts. - Qualification follows the agreed business criteria. - Missing or unclear information is flagged for review. - Invalid AI outputs and API failures are handled clearly. - No AI-generated customer message is sent without approval. - Our team can understand and operate the workflow using the supplied documentation. Preferred Experience - n8n workflow automation. - AI automation and LLM integration. - OpenAI API or Anthropic Claude. - CRM integrations. - REST APIs and webhooks. - JSON and structured output validation. - Lead qualification and duplicate prevention. - Error handling, retries, and execution logging. - JavaScript or Python for custom processing where necessary. What We Will Provide - Access to an existing n8n environment. - One configured lead source or webhook. - Qualification criteria and representative sample enquiries. - Authorized CRM access, API documentation, and test credentials. - LLM API credentials. - Required field mappings and notification requirements. The project includes one lead source, one CRM, one LLM provider, up to ten mapped fields, and one notification channel. Platform subscriptions, hosting, and API usage costs are separate. Lead scraping, unauthorized data collection, historical CRM cleanup, custom dashboards, and extended follow-up campaigns are outside scope. Please Include in Your Proposal - One relevant AI automation or n8n project you have completed. - Your approach to qualification and duplicate prevention. - How you would handle invalid AI outputs and CRM API failures. - Your estimated delivery time after receiving the required access.