Senior AI Architect

The client is looking for a Senior AI Architect to work a 6 month contract in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

About the Role:

The client is seeking a Senior AI Architect to drive the design, governance and delivery of advanced AI/ML solutions on Microsoft Azure. This strategic role will lead the architectural foundation for GenAI-powered applications, document-intelligence platforms and decision-support systems in highly regulated environments. You will help shape the AI landscape across the organization—transforming business goals into scalable, secure and compliant AI systems.

Key Interfaces:

• Internal Stakeholders: CTO, Director of Data & AI, Product Managers, Data Scientists, ML Engineers, Information Security, Clinical and Operations SMEs.
• External Interfaces: Technology vendors, Gartner advisors, auditors (ADHICS, DOH), and external solution integrators.

Key Responsibilities:

Architecture & Design:

• Develop and own the end-to-end Azure AI architecture, selecting appropriate services (Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Studio, AML, AI Search, Cosmos DB, etc.).
• Produce high-quality system diagrams, threat models and data-flow designs.
• Define reference architectures and maintain architectural blueprints across environments (Dev, UAT, Prod, DR).

Solution Delivery & MLOps:

• Design CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions / Azure DevOps for ML lifecycle management.
• Promote infrastructure-as-code (Bicep / Terraform) and reusable patterns across AI deployments.
• Ensure seamless deployment into Azure Landing Zone environments.

Governance, Security & Compliance:

• Integrate RBAC, encryption, private endpoints, key vaults and Azure Purview into solution design.
• Implement responsible AI guardrails: prompt logging, PHI redaction, model monitoring, content filtering.
• Prepare architectural artefacts for ADHICS audits and compliance reviews.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Convert strategic KPIs (e.g., claim automation, faster intake) into AI requirements and delivery plans.
• Facilitate architecture walkthroughs with C-suite, technical boards, and audit committees.

Thought Leadership & Mentoring:

• Stay ahead of the curve on Azure AI innovations (Real-Time Intelligence, Confidential VMs, Vector DBs).
• Coach data and ML engineers in distributed model training, prompt engineering, and cost optimization.

Qualifications & Experience Required:

• Education: Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline (Master’s preferred).
• Experience:
  • 8+ years in cloud solution architecture (minimum 3 years focused on Azure AI / Data Services).
  • Proven rollout of enterprise-scale AI platforms (10,000+ daily transactions, multiple environments).
• Certifications:
  • Required: Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
  • Preferred: Azure AI Engineer Associate, Azure Security Engineer, TOGAF.

Key Skills & Attributes:

• Deep expertise in Microsoft Azure AI services: OpenAI, Document Intelligence, AML, AI Search, Event Grid, AKS/ACA, Cosmos DB.
• Strong command of Python, REST APIs, and infrastructure automation (Bicep, Terraform).
• Understanding of retrieval-augmented generation, vector search, LangChain, prompt engineering.
• Security-first mindset with knowledge of compliance frameworks: ADHICS, DOH, HIPAA-equivalent.
• Outstanding communicator—able to simplify complex AI systems for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker with ability to lead architecture boards, evaluate vendors and guide large-scale delivery.