Principal AI architect

Vaisala; Helsinki; Hybrid; EUR 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaisala seeks a Principal AI Architect to lead the enterprise AI and agentic architecture. You will own the AI direction, build initial reference implementations, and collaborate with AI, Data, Platform and Security teams across Vaisala.

Reporting to the Head of Architecture, you will drive end-to-end architectural choices and vendor selections. You will work hands-on with Python and modern LLM/agent frameworks, shape patterns for retrieval-grounded systems, and ensure scalable, secure AI across

Qualifications

• Shipped production AI systems and written code (Python).
• Experience with retrieval-augmented or agent-based AI systems.
• Strong architecture leadership and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Set the direction for Vaisala's AI and agentic architecture.
• Build first implementations and create reusable reference patterns.
• Own model and vendor selection, benchmarking and evaluation.
• Define patterns for retrieval-grounded and agentic systems with security and cost considerations.
• Design AI Ops interfaces, CI/CD, versioning and monitoring.

Skills

Python

LLM & agents

Cloud architecture

Leadership

English communication

Education

M.Sc. in a technical field

Tools

AWS Bedrock

Copilot

Agent frameworks

Job description

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Location: Helsinki, FI

We are looking for a Principal AI Architect to join our Enterprise Architecture team at Vaisala headquarters in Vantaa, Finland, other locations negotiable. You will set the architectural direction for how Vaisala use AI and make the hands‑on technical calls — models, agents, retrieval and integration patterns — that turn a fast‑growing portfolio of AI solutions into a secure, scalable enterprise capability.

Vaisala is a global leader in measurement instruments and intelligence helping industries, nations, people, and the planet to thrive. From predicting hurricanes to optimizing renewable energy production, our technology is used where it matters the most – from data centers, windfarms and laboratories to airports, the Arctic and even the surface of Mars. For a second year running, Vaisala got recognized in TIME Magazine's World's Best Companies in Sustainable Growth 2026 study. Our team of close to 2,500 experts and 62 nationalities around the world is committed to taking every measure for the planet. Driven by our shared purpose, curiosity, and pioneering spirit, we stay ahead and make a difference. At Vaisala, you don't have to fit in to belong.

Shape AI from the ground up – Decide how Vaisala builds, scales and runs enterprise AI

Work hands‑on – Prove what works in practice, then turn it into the patterns teams across Vaisala build on

Broad influence – Connect business needs to AI architecture with teams across the company

A team that backs you – Collaborative, ideas welcome, and your work is visible company‑wide

Work with the best of what's out there – A stack already in production and still growing: AWS Bedrock and the wider AWS platform, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, GitHub Copilot, Salesforce Agentforce, SAP Joule etc.

What's your role?

You will own Vaisala’s AI and agentic architecture end to end — designing it, building the first version of it, and taking it from experiments to a capability the whole company runs on. You will work across AI, Data, Platform, Security teams as well as with business domains, and report to the Head of Architecture.

Your responsibilities include:

• Set the direction for Vaisala’s AI and agentic architecture


• Build it first, then scale it — reference implementations, evaluation harnesses and the patterns and guardrails teams across Vaisala reuse


• Own model and vendor selection — benchmark LLMs, embedding models and agent frameworks on quality, cost and latency


• Set the patterns for retrieval-grounded and agentic systems — grounding, vector search, orchestration, memory and evaluation — with security, cost and latency budgets designed in


• Design integration and AI Ops — MCP and tool‑calling interfaces, SaaS‑embedded AI (Copilot, Agentforce, Joule), CI/CD, versioning, evaluation gates and monitoring


• Lead the AI architecture community — coach architects and teams and set the technical bar

What will you bring?

• You have shipped production AI systems, not just pilots — and you still write code (Python, modern LLM and agent frameworks)


• M.Sc. in a technical field, or equivalent hands‑on experience


• Depth in retrieval‑grounded and agentic systems — RAG, embeddings and vector search, tool calling and MCP, agent orchestration


• Model selection, eval design and AI Ops — benchmarking, CI/CD for AI, versioning, monitoring and drift detection


• Cloud platform depth (ideally AWS and Bedrock) and experience wiring SaaS‑embedded AI — Copilot, Agentforce, Joule — into enterprise data


• Architecture leadership — you set direction through patterns, standards and platform choices, and can back it with target architectures and decision records


• Business sense and the communication skills to bring engineers and executives along with you; fluent English

For additional information

Please contact Head of Architecture, Janne Kokko, [e-mail], or by phone [phone] during the following times: Wednesday, 30th of September 13-14 EET.