Perhaps you could make your auditors happier by restricting that user's permissions to only run a defined function, and make that function do the work that the automation script wants? So even if the attacker can access the password he will still only be able to run that function? (You could even add DOS protection into the function to ensure it's only run so often, if you were worried about that.)
I realise (of course, after I sent this) that I misunderstood the thrust of your requirement, and that you want the ability to log in your own user without entering your own password. Apologies. Ignore me.
