AI Architecture Lead: Secure, Cost‑Aware AI Systems

The Citation Group; Bolton; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Citation Group is seeking an AI Architect to lead AI/Data architecture within the delivery area, reporting to the Chief AI Officer. This role combines hands-on design with governance across products, security, infrastructure and compliance.

You will establish patterns and standards for AI systems, own decision records, review partner statements of work, and ensure cost-aware, secure and scalable deployments across the organisation.

Qualifications

• Senior-level experience with 6+ years in software, data, or platform engineering/architecture.
• Hands-on experience with production AI systems, not just pilots.
• Ability to influence architectural decisions across multiple functions through governance.

Responsibilities

• Define architectural standards and patterns for AI systems, including retrieval/ grounding, agent orchestration, prompts, and routing.
• Maintain and publish architecture decision records aligning with five-layer platform architecture.
• Assess third-party Statements of Work from an architectural perspective before commitments.
• Oversee cost governance, security involvement, and performance observability for AI deployments.

Skills

AI architecture

Production AI systems

Software engineering

Data engineering

Job description

The Citation Group is seeking an AI Architect to lead AI/Data architecture within the delivery area, reporting to the Chief AI Officer. This role combines hands-on design with governance across products, security, infrastructure and compliance.

You will establish patterns and standards for AI systems, own decision records, review partner statements of work, and ensure cost-aware, secure and scalable deployments across the organisation.