Principal Consultant- AI

LAB3; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

LAB3 is a premier Azure engineering partner delivering leading AI, data, IoT, and security solutions. The Principal Consultant‑AI role leads client engagements, shaping AI programs from prototype to production, with responsibilities across architecture, governance, and delivery.

You’ll steer high‑impact initiatives, mentor engineers, and contribute to pre‑sales and practice development across LAB3’s AI portfolio.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading large client engagements.
• Strong commercial acumen: value framing, estimation, scope control.
• Exceptional communication—credible with executives and technical teams alike.
• Ability to coach, influence, and set direction without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders.
• Lead AI strategy engagements, including use case prioritization and delivery roadmaps.
• Translate business strategy into scalable AI architectures and operating models.
• Provide architectural leadership across Agentic AI, GenAI, RAG, MLOps, and data platforms on Azure.
• Define reference architectures, nonfunctional requirements, and design patterns for enterprise AI systems.
• Review and approve HLD/LLD produced by delivery teams; intervene on complex designs.
• Guide model selection, orchestration patterns, governance approaches, and platform choices.
• Own end to end technical accountability for large or complex AI programs.
• Derisk delivery through early architecture validation, proof points, and phased adoption strategies.
• Establish delivery standards across security, observability, MLOps, and responsible AI.
• Support engagement leads with estimates, delivery plans, and dependency management.
• Lead or support pre‑sales activities including discovery, solution shaping, estimates, SOW input, and technical assurance.
• Contribute to win‑strategy through differentiated architecture, accelerators, and compelling narratives.
• Act as a technical escalation point during bids and client negotiations.
• Define and evolve AI standards, accelerators, and reusable assets for LAB3.
• Mentor Senior Engineers and Consultants; uplift architectural thinking and consulting maturity.
• Contribute to hiring, role design, and skills benchmarking.
• Represent LAB3 externally through thought leadership, client showcases, and partner engagements.
• Set best practice approaches for AI governance, risk, compliance, and ethics.
• Ensure solutions align with enterprise security models.
• Champion responsible AI principles.

Skills

Azure AI Foundry

Azure AI Search

Agentic AI

GenAI

RAG

MLOps

Observability

Security

Tools

AKS

Databricks

Fabric

Job description

LAB3 is one of Australasia’s largest Azure engineering practices, specialising in Cloud & DevOps, Data, IoT & AI, Modern Workplace, Security, and Networks. We’re seeking a Principal Consultant‑AI to join our Professional Services team. This is a senior, client‑facing leadership role accountable for shaping, selling, and delivering high impact AI and Agentic AI programs for enterprise clients, working across the AI lifecycle from prototyping to production.

The Role

Client Leadership & Advisory

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders
• Lead AI strategy engagements, including use case prioritization, value articulation, and delivery roadmaps.
• Translate business strategy into scalable AI architectures and operating models.

Solution Architecture & Technical Authority

• Provide architectural leadership across Agentic AI, GenAI, RAG, MLOps, and data platforms on Azure.
• Define reference architectures, nonfunctional requirements, and design patterns for enterprise AI systems.
• Review and approve HLD/LLD produced by delivery teams; intervene on complex or high‑risk designs.
• Guide model selection, orchestration patterns, governance approaches, and platform choices aligned to business constraints.

Delivery Oversight & Risk Management

• Own end to end technical accountability for large or complex AI programs.
• Derisk delivery through early architecture validation, proof points, and phased adoption strategies.
• Establish delivery standards across security, observability, MLOps, and responsible AI.
• Support engagement leads with estimates, delivery plans, and dependency management.

PreSales & Commercial Contribution

• Lead or support pre‑sales activities including discovery, solution shaping, estimates, SOW input, and technical assurance.
• Contribute to win‑strategy through differentiated architecture, accelerators, and compelling narratives.
• Act as a technical escalation point during bids and client negotiations.

Practice & Capability Development

• Define and evolve AI standards, accelerators, and reusable assets for LAB3.
• Mentor Senior Engineers and Consultants; uplift architectural thinking and consulting maturity.
• Contribute to hiring, role design, and skills benchmarking.
• Represent LAB3 externally through thought leadership, client showcases, and partner engagements.

Governance, Security & Responsible AI

• Set best practice approaches for AI governance, risk, compliance, and ethics.
• Ensure solutions align with enterprise security models.
• Champion responsible AI principles.

Our Ideal Candidate

Core Technical Expertise

• Microsoft AI & Data Stack: Azure AI Foundry, Azure AI Search (vector & hybrid), Azure OpenAI, Azure ML, Fabric / Databricks.
• Agentic AI & GenAI: Agent frameworks, RAG at scale, orchestration patterns, tool/function calling, prompt optimisation.
• Architecture: Distributed systems, event driven design, API strategies, data platform integration.
• MLops & Platform Engineering: CI/CD, model lifecycle management, IaC, containers, AKS.
• Observability: End to end telemetry across application, data, and model layers.
• Security: Enterprise identity, networking, data protection, and compliance patterns.

Consulting & Leadership Capability

• Proven experience leading large or complex client engagements.
• Strong commercial acumen: value framing, estimation, and scope control.
• Exceptional communication—credible with executives and deeply technical teams alike.
• Ability to coach, influence, and set direction without direct authority.

Must be based anywhere in Australia, a citizen, and ideally hold security clearance.

What’s in it for you?

• Be part of a team that leverages modern technologies to solve real problems and provides top level of customer satisfaction.
• Work with a Microsoft Partner of the Year award winner with multiple specialisations.
• Be supported by experienced peers and leaders that value technical expertise and encourages innovation, with clear career pathways and ongoing learning.
• Enjoy a supportive workplace that promotes inclusion, flexibility, diversity, and celebrates differences.
• Take advantage of largely working from home in our remote/hybrid workplace and enjoy the flexibility to balance your life.
• Thrive in a community with strong values.

Apply now, call or connect on LinkedIn for further information.