Lead Data & AI Architect

1002 Zühlke Engineering AG; Schlieren; On-site; CHF 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work-life balance

Profit sharing

Global community

Professional development

Career growth

Job summary

Zühlke Engineering AG seeks a Lead Data & AI Architect to design data and AI platforms that empower advanced analytics, GenAI, and agentic systems. You will articulate architecture to stakeholders and guide teams through production-ready implementations in cloud and on-prem environments.

With expertise across AWS, Azure, GCP, and modern data tooling, you’ll shape scalable, secure solutions, contribute to pre-sales, and mentor junior colleagues while advancing Zühlke’s data & AI competencies

Qualifications

• Proven experience designing data & AI platforms and governance.
• Strong knowledge of security, scalability, and compliance.
• Ability to explain architectural decisions to stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design sophisticated data & AI architectures for client projects.
• Lead teams to implement data products and ML/GenAI systems.
• Ensure transparent, reproducible, and high-quality deployments.

Skills

Data & AI design

Cloud platforms

Data governance

DevOps mindset

Python

Spark

GenAI tooling

Communication skills

Education

Technical degree in CS/Math or related field

Tools

Databricks

Snowflake

Foundry

Fabric

SageMaker

Kafka

dbt

Delta Lake

Iceberg

Job description

Founded in Switzerland in 1968, Zühlke is owned by its partners and located across Europe and Asia. We are a global transformation partner, with engineering and innovation in our DNA. We're trusted to help clients envision and build their businesses for the future – to run smarter today while adapting for tomorrow’s markets, customers, and communities. Our multidisciplinary teams specialise in tech strategy and business innovation, digital solutions and applications, and device and systems engineering. We excel in complex, regulated spaces including health and finance, connecting strategy, tech implementation, and operational services to help clients become more effective, resilient businesses. If you share our values and want to do the best work, for the right reasons, we can offer you the chance to do it on a global scale and play a real role in shaping our exciting journey.

The role

As a Lead Data & AI Architect, you are responsible for architecting data and AI platforms that lay the foundation for advanced applications, from analytics to generative and agentic AI. You explain architectural choices in a way that resonates with stakeholders and inspire them with your vision. Your deep understanding of modern data platforms, security, and AI governance, coupled with a DevOps mindset, enables you to create sustainable, value-driven solutions. With a concept-driven approach and practical engineering skills, you empower your team to succeed in high-impact projects. You bring data integrations, analytical data products, machine learning, and agentic systems into production and implement principles such as transparency, reproducibility, and measurable quality. Whether on-premises or in the cloud, you design solutions that fit the client’s context and leverage leading platforms. As a thought leader, you help shape Zühlke’s offerings, drive service development, engage in pre‑sales, and stay on top of market trends. You actively contribute to the growth of internal talent and educate clients on data and AI possibilities.

How you’ll make an impact

• Architecture & Implementation: You design sophisticated architectures for data and AI projects, implementing them together with your team while inspiring your stakeholders.
• Methodology & Concepts: You possess a deep understanding of data & AI platforms, data products, data mesh, data security, and data & AI governance, along with a strong agile DevOps, DataOps, and MLOps mindset.
• Cloud Expertise: You feel at home in both cloud and on‑premises environments. In the cloud, you design scalable solutions on AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Data Engineering: You lead your team to success in flagship projects with solid data engineering knowledge, ensuring optimal data structures and pipelines that make data AI‑ready.
• AI Operationalization: You take ML and GenAI solutions from prototype to production readiness, focusing on evaluation, observability, traceability, and reproducibility.
• Thought Leadership & Consulting: You promote understanding of AI and data technologies, share your knowledge both internally and externally, and assist in the development of junior colleagues.

What’s important to us

You bring solid expertise in AI and data solutions, along with a deep understanding of their possibilities and limitations. You have a passion for sustainable software architecture in data and AI platforms and have taken on responsibility in technical mandates. With your confident presence and strong self‑motivation, you take responsibility for projects and the further development of our data and AI competencies.

Excellent communication skills in both German and English are essential. Your architectural decisions consider non‑functional requirements such as availability, flexibility, and security, as well as economic aspects and their impact on the code level.

You hold a technical degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or a comparable field.

You are proficient in technologies such as Python, Spark, Iceberg, Delta Lake, dbt, and streaming with Kafka, as well as the data and AI platform services of Databricks, Microsoft Fabric and Foundry, Amazon SageMaker, or Snowflake, and you are familiar with GenAI tooling such as vector stores and agent frameworks.

What we offer

• Work life blend: we offer a safe & healthy workplace, with flexible working hours and the possibility to work from home
• Profit share scheme: In addition to your annual salary, you may receive a profit share defined by the company’s success in the previous year
• Global and Diverse Zühlke community: witness how colleagues from all our 16 offices across the globe come together to create a unique, positive and inclusive work culture, learning from one another at annual team camps, and celebrating year‑end parties and other local festivities
• Committed to development: we are committed to the growth of our people and are investing in your development
• We’re empowering you to build the skills you need to make a positive impact, both personally and for our clients, today and in the future

To dive deeper into local benefits of working in Zühlke follow the link.

We welcome people from all backgrounds, regardless of their gender, personality, national origin, race, religion, colour, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, disability or veteran status.

Our promises

We deliver real impact, quickly Technology is at the heart of what we do, and your expertise is how we deliver real impact, quickly.

What you’ll do: you’re constantly learning and growing Our breadth of capabilities means you’ll have an outstanding network of people to call on to help you achieve more.

How we work: we trust in you You’ll be respected for the work you’re doing, and trusted to work independently.

What we believe in: we can make the world better We believe that technology can make a positive difference to society, and you’ll be proud of the kind of projects we make possible.

Where we’re going: you can shape our future Zühlke is at a scale where your expertise can be recognized and valued, and you’ll be able to have a significant impact on how we work.

Take a look at our life at Zühlke page to learn more about our culture and what it's like to work at Zühlke.

Our podcast series explores some of our own colleagues personal experiences working in Software & Hardware Engineering, Data & AI, UX, Cloud, Digital Consulting and beyond. In each episode you’ll get top tips on navigating challenges like: how to become an expert communicator in tech and innovation projects. How to get accessibility right, and how to practically contribute to sustainability.

Our cross-functional teams are located in ten countries, from Europe to Asia, and they collaborate globally. Learn more about our various teams here at Zühlke and how, using the latest technologies, we create new services, products and business models for our clients.