AI Architect

Harvey Nash Plc; Easter Howgate; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consulting firm in the UK is seeking a contract AI Architect for the Public Sector to drive the development of enterprise-wide AI strategies. The role involves evaluating various AI technologies, collaborating with different architectural teams, and implementing scalable solutions using Azure AI Services. Candidates must demonstrate robust experience with Azure Cognitive Services and programming in Python. Familiarity with legal systems and previous Azure service know-how is a plus. This position is hybrid, based in Edinburgh.

Qualifications

• Experience shaping AI capabilities aligned with business objectives.
• Proven track record in designing AI/ML solutions using Azure.
• Deep understanding of cognitive search and OCR.

Responsibilities

• Define enterprise-wide AI delivery aligned with strategy.
• Evaluate and integrate diverse AI technologies.
• Collaborate with architects to embed AI capabilities.

Skills

Azure Cognitive Services

Python

C#/.NET

React

RESTful API design

Tools

Azure AI Services

Azure OpenAI Service

Job description

AI Architect - Public Sector - Outside IR35 - Edinburgh (Hybrid)

Day Rate - Market Rates

Duration - 12 months

Harvey Nash's Public Sector Client are looking to bring in a contract AI Architect, you will be responsible for the development and ongoing maintenance of the enterprise-wide AI technology approach alongside the delivery of the AI strategic roadmap.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the enterprise-wide approach to AI delivery, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy, architecture principles, compliance requirements - driving innovation and informing strategic decisions.
• Evaluate and integrate diverse AI technologies and platforms (cloud, on‑premises, hybrid, open‑source, and vendor solutions) to meet different business needs.
• Collaborate with enterprise, data, principle and solution architects to ensure AI capabilities are seamlessly embedded within the broader technology ecosystem.
• Architect, design, and implement scalable AI solutions using Azure AI Services, including:
• Azure AI Document Intelligence
• Azure AI Speech (speech‑to‑text, text‑to‑speech, speaker recognition)
• Azure AI Translator
• Azure AI Search
• Lead technical PoCs in areas such as:
• Multilingual speech transcription and translation
• Intelligent document parsing and metadata extraction
• Cognitive search across structured and unstructured documents

Technical Requirements

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience of shaping AI capabilities to ensure they are designed, implemented, and integrated in alignment with business objectives, technology strategy, and architecture principles.
• Proven track record designing AI/ML solutions with Azure Cognitive Services.
• Strong hands‑on experience in:
• Python (data workflows, Azure SDKs)
• C#/.NET (integration with enterprise systems)
• React (front‑end POC/demo apps)
• Deep understanding of:
• RESTful API design & consumption
• Azure AI service orchestration & pipelines
• Cognitive Search (keyword, semantic & hybrid modes)
• OCR, key‑value pair extraction, and document layout analysis
• Experience building or deploying:
• Speech transcription pipelines
• Document intelligence models
• Multilingual translation solutions

Desirable:

• Familiarity with:
• Azure OpenAI Service
• Azure Content Safety and governance policies
• Azure DevOps CI/CD pipelines
• Knowledge of court or legal systems (highly advantageous but not essential)

Please note that you must be eligible for BPSS clearance.