Manager - Solution Architect

Sia; Paris; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Sia is seeking an experienced Solution Architect to join its AI Platforms team in Paris. You will be the technical authority on client engagements, translating complex business needs into robust data and AI architectures across cloud, ML, and generative AI domains.

You will collaborate with senior stakeholders to define technical vision, lead architecture reviews, ensure production readiness, and mentor junior staff while contributing to pre-sales with scoping and proposals.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field.
• 5 to 8 years of experience in solution architecture, cloud architecture, or a senior engineering role with significant design responsibilities.
• Deep expertise in at least two of the following technology ecosystems: AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Databricks, OpenAI, Anthropic, NVIDIA.
• Strong command of cloud architecture patterns - networking, security, compute, storage, and managed AI/ML services.
• Solid understanding of the data and AI landscape: classical ML, deep learning, generative AI, autonomous agents, and data engineering.
• Proven ability to engage with senior client stakeholders (CIO, CISO, VP Engineering) and translate business needs into technical solutions.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills - able to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to make sound architectural trade‑offs under uncertainty.
• Fluent in French; professional proficiency in English.

Responsibilities

• Define and own end-to-end technical architecture for data and AI projects including cloud infrastructure and ML/DL model serving.
• Act as primary technical contact for client stakeholders, aligning decisions with security, compliance (GDPR, EU AI Act), and business goals.
• Lead architecture reviews, design sessions, and governance forums to ensure coherence across workstreams.
• Remove technical impediments for engineering teams and provide hands-on guidance when needed.
• Oversee the full project lifecycle from advisory and prototyping to production deployment.
• Ensure solutions are production-ready with emphasis on scalability, reliability, observability, and cost optimization.
• Support pre-sales with technical scoping, architecture proposals, and effort estimation.
• Mentor junior consultants and contribute to building internal IP and reference architectures.

Skills

Solution architecture

Cloud architecture

Data engineering

MLOps

French language

English language

Education

Master's degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Databricks

OpenAI

Anthropic

NVIDIA

Job description

We are looking for an experienced Solution Architect to join our AI Platforms team. In this role, you will be the technical authority on client engagements - translating complex business requirements into robust, scalable data and AI architectures across cloud, machine learning, and generative AI domains. You will work directly with senior client stakeholders (CIO, CISO, Engineering leads) to define technical vision, remove impediments for delivery teams, and ensure that architectural choices align with security, compliance, and cost constraints. You will also contribute to pre‑sales activities by scoping solutions, estimating effort, and building technical proposals that win new business. This is a staff‑level individual contributor role embedded part‑time in cross‑functional project teams, with a clear path toward engineering management for those who choose it.

Responsibilities

Client Architecture & Technical Leadership (~70%)

• Define and own the end‑to‑end technical architecture for data and AI projects - covering cloud infrastructure, data pipelines, ML/DL model serving, generative AI applications, and agent‑based systems.
• Act as the primary technical point of contact for client stakeholders, aligning architectural decisions with business objectives, security policies, and regulatory requirements (GDPR, EU AI Act).
• Lead architecture reviews, design sessions, and technical governance forums to ensure quality and coherence across workstreams.
• Remove technical impediments for engineering teams and provide hands‑on guidance when needed.
• Oversee the full project lifecycle: from advisory and assessments through prototyping (POC/MVP) to full‑scale production deployment.
• Ensure solutions are designed for production readiness - addressing scalability, reliability, observability, and cost optimization.

Pre‑Sales & Business Development (~30%)

• Support business development by contributing to technical scoping, architecture proposals, and effort estimations during the sales cycle.
• Participate in client presentations and workshops to demonstrate Sia's technical capabilities and build trust.
• Identify expansion opportunities within existing accounts by surfacing new use cases and technical needs.

Knowledge Building & Mentoring

• Mentor junior consultants and engineers, helping them grow their architectural thinking and client‑facing skills.
• Contribute to building internal IP, accelerators, and reference architectures that leverage frontier technological developments.
• Stay current on the evolving landscape of cloud services, AI frameworks, and industry best practices.

Required

• Master's degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field.
• 5 to 8 years of experience in solution architecture, cloud architecture, or a senior engineering role with significant design responsibilities.
• Deep expertise in at least two of the following technology ecosystems: AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Databricks, OpenAI, Anthropic, NVIDIA.
• Strong command of cloud architecture patterns - networking, security, compute, storage, and managed AI/ML services.
• Solid understanding of the data and AI landscape: classical ML, deep learning, generative AI, autonomous agents, and data engineering.
• Proven ability to engage with senior client stakeholders (CIO, CISO, VP Engineering) and translate business needs into technical solutions.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills - able to convey complex technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to make sound architectural trade‑offs under uncertainty.
• Fluent in French; professional proficiency in English.

Nice to Have

• Hands‑on coding ability (Python, Terraform/IaC, or similar) for prototyping and technical validation.
• Experience with MLOps / LLMOps tooling and production deployment pipelines.
• Professional‑level certifications (e.g., AWS Solutions Architect Professional, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect, Databricks Professional Data Engineer).
• Experience in management consulting or client‑facing delivery environments.
• Familiarity with AI compliance frameworks and responsible AI practices.

What We Offer

• A staff‑level role with high visibility and direct client impact.
• A clear career path - whether you grow as an architect or move into engineering management.
• Exposure to a wide variety of industries, technologies, and business challenges.
• A collaborative, technically rigorous environment within Sia's AI Platforms Business Unit.
• Investment in your continuous development through training programs and technology partnerships.

Location: 38 Rue du Sentier, 75002 Paris, France - with regular travel to client sites in the Paris area.

Sia is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, remuneration, or discipline, are based solely on performance, competence, conduct, or business needs.

Sia is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of emplo