AI Architecture Lead

The Citation Group; Leicester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Citation Group seeks an AI Architect to own the AI/Data architecture across delivery, reporting to the Chief AI Officer. You will shape patterns for retrieval/grounding, orchestration, and prompts, while ensuring security, cost governance, and architectural consistency across projects.

This senior role requires 6+ years in software, data, or platform engineering/architecture with hands-on production AI experience, influencing decisions beyond single teams and driving enterprise readiness.

Qualifications

• Senior — 6+ years in software, data, or platform engineering/architecture
• Hands-on experience with production AI systems
• Ability to influence architecture decisions across multiple functions

Responsibilities

• Own architectural standards and patterns across AI systems
• Design patterns for retrieval/grounding, agent orchestration, and prompt design
• Maintain architecture decision records and align to the five-layer AI platform
• Assess open-weight vs. closed models and data residency per workload
• Manage token-cost and observability for AI initiatives
• Involve Security from the start in significant initiatives
• Escalate decisions to Architecture Review Board as needed
• Provide production-quality governance for AI deployments

Skills

AI architecture

Data architecture

Production AI systems

Model selection

Security governance

Observability

Cost governance

Leadership influence

Job description

The Citation Group seeks an AI Architect to own the AI/Data architecture across delivery, reporting to the Chief AI Officer. You will shape patterns for retrieval/grounding, orchestration, and prompts, while ensuring security, cost governance, and architectural consistency across projects.

This senior role requires 6+ years in software, data, or platform engineering/architecture with hands-on production AI experience, influencing decisions beyond single teams and driving enterprise readiness.