Senior Specialist – Technology

CERT The Centre of Excellence for Applied Research & Training; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 420,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

CERT The Centre of Excellence for Applied Research & Training in Abu Dhabi seeks a Senior Specialist – Technology to lead end-to-end technical delivery, shaping cloud-native architectures and AI/ML initiatives for government and institutional clients. This hands-on role requires expertise across AWS/Azure, MLOps, and security, with responsibility for project outcomes and client acceptance.

You will interface between CERT and partners, guide pre-sales, mentor teams, and ensure quality and SLA

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in IT/CS; postgraduate qualifications preferred.
• UAE NQF Level 7 or equivalent; qualifications attested by UAE MOHE.
• Experience delivering enterprise cloud/AI/ML platforms for government or GCC.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end technical project delivery from requirements to client acceptance.
• Architect scalable cloud-native platforms on AWS and Azure using IaC and CI/CD.
• Develop and deploy AI/ML pipelines and MLOps workflows.
• Provide pre-sales support and engage with government/institutional clients.
• Mentor teams and define development standards, testing, and deployment workflows.
• Attend governance meetings and report project status to senior leadership.

Skills

Cloud architectures

AI/ML development

System integration

Pre-sales support

Mentoring teams

CI/CD

Python

TypeScript/React

Security best practices

Education

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology or Computer Science

Tools

AWS

Azure

IaC (Terraform/CloudFormation)

Kafka

PostgreSQL

MS-SQL

SageMaker

OpenSearch

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

CERT is looking for a Senior Specialist – Technology to lead end-to-end technical project delivery, driving solution architecture, AI/ML implementation, and cloud platform development aligned to our strategic objectives. You will serve as the primary technical interface between CERT's business functions, government and institutional clients, and external technology partners — taking solutions from requirements through to client acceptance while maintaining quality standards and SLA commitments.

This is a hands-on senior role for someone equally comfortable designing cloud-native architectures, building and deploying AI/ML pipelines, leading pre-sales conversations, and mentoring development teams.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Solution Architecture & Technical Project Delivery

• Lead full project lifecycles — requirements gathering, solution design, development, deployment, and client acceptance — ensuring delivery against business objectives and SLA targets.
• Architect scalable, cloud-native enterprise platforms on AWS and Azure using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and CI/CD best practices.
• Develop and maintain strategic technology roadmaps; evaluate emerging technologies and drive adoption that improves delivery speed and operational efficiency.
• Apply agile methodologies to accelerate release cadence and reduce time-to-market for new capabilities.
• Architect and deploy AI/ML solutions: computer vision (YOLO-based object detection, EasyOCR/OpenALPR), facial recognition (FaceNet/ArcFace), LLM/RAG systems (AWS Bedrock), and ML-driven analytics platforms.
• Manage the full MLOps lifecycle — automated model deployment pipelines, containerised serving, production monitoring, drift detection, and automated retraining (AWS SageMaker, Azure ML).
• Design and execute cloud migration strategies (AWS, Azure, GCP) with measurable cost and efficiency outcomes; implement microservices, event-driven messaging (Kafka, Azure Service Bus, AWS SQS/SNS), and robust database architectures (PostgreSQL, MS-SQL).

Cybersecurity & Compliance

• Implement and maintain cybersecurity protocols and compliance frameworks (UAE PDPL, GDPR) across all projects; conduct risk assessments and support internal and external audits.
• Ensure data privacy standards are embedded in solution design from inception through deployment.

Pre-Sales & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead technical pre-sales initiatives — prepare comprehensive RFP responses, develop solution proposals, and deliver technical presentations to government and institutional clients (MoF, MoE, HCT, ADPF, and equivalent).
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients and technology partners; manage vendor contracts and SLA adherence.
• Lead and coordinate cross-functional development teams and external development partnerships, scaling resources to meet project demand while maintaining quality.
• Mentor team members; define development standards, testing strategies, and deployment workflows.
• Attend internal governance meetings; prepare regular project status and performance reports for senior leadership.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Experience

• 15+ years in technology, software development, or solution architecture — with at least 5 years in a senior or technical leadership capacity.
• Proven delivery of enterprise-scale cloud and AI/ML platforms for government or semi-government clients in the UAE or GCC.
• Track record of measurable outcomes: cost reductions, efficiency gains, and on-time client acceptance.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional teams, managing vendor relationships, and supporting pre-sales and RFP processes.

Technical Skills

• Cloud: AWS (Bedrock, Lambda, API Gateway, S3, EC2, OpenSearch, SageMaker, CodeCommit) and Azure (Container Apps, DevOps, Front Door, Application Gateway, Key Vault); Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
• Languages: Python, TypeScript (React, Remix)
• .NET / .NET Core: 10+ years of hands‑on development experience in .NET / .NET Core (WebAPI, MVC, ASP.NET); deep understanding of enterprise application design patterns, performance optimisation, and secure coding
• Vibe Coding & AI Development: Hands‑on experience using Claude Code (Anthropic) for AI‑assisted development; expertise in reviewing and validating AI-generated code for correctness, security, and maintainability; proven ability to mentor and upskill team members in responsible vibe coding practices

Other Requirements

• Knowledge of UAE PDPL, GDPR, and cybersecurity frameworks applicable to government technology projects.
• Strong communicator — able to present technical solutions clearly to non-technical stakeholders and at client level.
• UAE or GCC experience is mandatory; familiarity with a multi-cultural working environment.

NICE TO HAVE

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or equivalent cloud certification.
• PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent project management certification.
• ML Specialization (Stanford/Deeplearning.AI) or equivalent formal AI/ML credential.
• Experience with supercomputing, IoT platforms, or fleet management systems.
• Familiarity with Arabic language in a professional context.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field (minimum). Postgraduate qualification in IT, AI/ML, or Business Administration is preferred.
• UAE NQF Level 7 or equivalent; overseas qualifications must be attested by UAE MOHE.

Language:

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Location: Office-based, Abu Dhabi, UAE — with occasional site visits as required
• Hours: Standard: Monday – Friday , 8:00 – 17:00
• Travel: Occasional (<10%), primarily within the UAE
• On-Call: Availability required for critical production incidents outside standard working hours