AI Solution Architect

Role Overview

We are looking for an experienced AI Solution Architect to lead the design and articulation of enterprise-grade AI solutions, with deep hands-on knowledge of Microsoft Azure AI and modern generative and agentic AI capabilities. This role focuses on understanding customer business needs, shaping AI-driven transformation strategies, presenting compelling solution designs, and supporting successful delivery execution.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise with consulting skills-able to guide customers, recommend prudent AI approaches, and communicate clear value propositions that align with business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

1. Customer Engagement & Requirements Discovery

• Lead customer workshops to understand goals, processes, challenges, and expected outcomes.
• Translate business requirements into structured AI use cases with clear feasibility, ROI, and prioritization.
• Conduct current-state assessments covering data readiness, integration needs, compliance, and security.

2. AI Solution Architecture & Design

• Design end-to-end AI solutions using:
  - Azure OpenAI Service, Azure AI Studio, Azure Machine Learning, Azure Cognitive Services, Azure Data Platform (ADLS, Fabric, Databricks, Synapse)
  - Vector search, embeddings, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)
• Develop architecture diagrams, data flows, integration patterns, and system component definitions.
• Define solution options, trade-offs, and best-fit recommendations based on business value and risk.
• Ensure solutions adhere to enterprise standards for scalability, performance, privacy, and governance.

3. Consulting & Thought Leadership

• Act as a trusted advisor to customers on AI adoption, roadmap planning, and responsible AI practices.
• Provide clear guidance on MLOps/LLMOps, data governance, security, and deployment strategies.
• Share knowledge on Azure AI capabilities, innovations, and Microsoft's product roadmap.

4. Proposal Development & Presales Support

• Prepare high-quality proposals, solution decks, and value proposition statements.
• Respond to RFP/RFI documents with accurate, clear, and competitive solution descriptions.
• Conduct customer presentations, demos, POCs, and technical deep dives.
• Partner with sales teams to articulate solution differentiation and business value.

5. Delivery Handover & Execution Support

• Provide technical oversight during project initiation and design phases.
• Support delivery teams with clarifications, design governance, and risk mitigation.
• Participate in review sessions to ensure solution integrity throughout implementation.

6. Reusable Assets & Knowledge Creation

• Create reusable frameworks, solution accelerators, demo environments, and reference architectures.
• Contribute to internal playbooks, best practices, and industry-specific AI templates.
• Stay updated with Azure AI advancements, enterprise AI trends, and generative AI patterns.

Required Skills & Experience

Technical Skills

• 7+ years in AI/ML, cloud architecture, or solution design at least 3 years with Azure AI.
• Strong hands-on expertise with:
  - Azure OpenAI (GPT models, embeddings, chat orchestration)
  - Azure Machine Learning (pipelines, model registry, deployment)
  - Cognitive Services (vision, language, speech)
  - Azure Data services (Fabric, ADLS, Databricks)
  - API integration, microservices, and serverless architectures
• Experience designing RAG architectures, conversational agents, document intelligence, predictive models, or enterprise automation solutions.
• Understanding of enterprise security, identity, compliance, and responsible AI guidelines.

Consulting & Presales Skills

• Ability to translate technical concepts into business-friendly narratives.
• Strong presentation, negotiation, and client-facing communication skills.
• Experience in writing proposals, solution briefs, and architecture documents.
• Ability to guide CXO-level stakeholders and handle technical deep-dive discussions.

Soft Skills

• Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving and analytical abilities.
• Confident communicator with excellent articulation skills.
• Team collaborator, proactive, detail-oriented, and customer-obsessed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Microsoft certifications:
  - Azure AI Engineer Associate
  - Azure Solutions Architect Expert
  - Azure Data Engineer Associate
• Experience in enterprise data modernization, analytics, or cloud transformation.
• Exposure to domain-specific AI use cases (banking, insurance, retail, government, manufacturing).