RIS AI Architect Associate Director

Accenture in India; Mumbai; On-site; INR 3,000,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Accenture in India is seeking a Senior Solution Architect to own end-to-end cloud-native and AI-powered solution designs for mid-to-large transformations. You’ll lead pursuit teams from discovery through delivery, shaping commercially grounded narratives while staying hands-on in architecture decisions.

You will architect multi-cloud, leverage AWS/Azure/GCP, Kubernetes, Terraform, and CI/CD patterns, and ensure security, governance, and cost efficiency in a fast-paced consulting environment.

Qualifications

• 18+ years IT experience with at least 5 years in a Solution/Pre-Sales Architect role at a tier-1 IT services or consulting organisation.
• Proven experience winning and architecting deals in the $5M–$50M+ range across cloud transformation, application modernisation, and AI/data programmes.
• Mandatory cloud certifications: AWS Solutions Architect – Professional, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or GCP Professional Cloud Architect (two or more preferred).
• AI/ML certifications desirable: AWS ML Specialty, Azure AI Engineer, Google Professional ML Engineer, or equivalent.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead solution architecture for cloud-native and AI engagements in the $3M–$20M range — from discovery through proposal and transition-to-delivery.
• Support and contribute to application modernisation initiatives including microservices decomposition and API-led integration.
• Architect multi-cloud and hybrid solutions leveraging platform-native AI services and open-source frameworks.
• Define and validate non-functional requirements — security, resilience, observability, cost optimisation, governance.
• Engage client technical stakeholders to build credibility, uncover requirements, and co-shape solution vision.
• Produce high-quality proposal artefacts including solution overviews, architecture diagrams, and executive summaries.
• Mentor and guide senior and mid-level architects; contribute to reusable assets and thought leadership.
• Coordinate with delivery leads to ensure smooth handover from pre-sales to delivery.

Skills

Solution architecture

Pre-sales

Client-facing

Proposal development

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in CS/Engineering

Cloud architecture certifications

AI/ML certifications desirable

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Kubernetes

Docker

Terraform

Pulumi

CDK

GitHub Actions

OpenShift

Job description

Project Role Description: Support at the intersection of technical depth and client engagement, owning the end-to-end design of cloud-native and AI-powered solutions for mid-to-large transformation engagements. Operating with greater autonomy than a senior architect, this role leads pursuit teams, shapes proposals, and translates complex requirements into compelling, commercially grounded solution narratives — while remaining hands‑on in validating architecture decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead solution architecture for cloud-native and AI engagements in the $3M–$20M range — from discovery through proposal, orals, and transition-to-delivery — with Director oversight on larger bids.
• Support and contribute to application modernisation initiatives including microservices decomposition, API-led integration, event-driven architectures, and serverless patterns.
• Architect multi-cloud and hybrid solutions leveraging platform-native AI services (SageMaker, Azure AI Foundry, Vertex AI) and open-source frameworks.
• Define and validate non-functional requirements — security, resilience, observability, cost optimisation, and responsible AI/governance — across proposed solutions.
• Engage client technical stakeholders (architects, engineering leads, CTOs) to build credibility, uncover requirements, and co-shape solution vision.
• Produce high-quality proposal artefacts including solution overviews, architecture diagrams, technical sections of RFP responses, and executive summaries.
• Mentor and guide senior and mid-level architects within the practice; contribute to reusable assets, accelerators, and thought leadership.
• Coordinate with delivery leads and practice principals to ensure smooth handover from pre-sales to delivery.

Technical Experience

• Deep expertise across AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform—services, pricing, well-architected frameworks, and partner programs.
• Cloud-native architecture: Kubernetes (EKS, AKS, GKE), containerisation (Docker), service mesh (Istio/Linkerd), GitOps, Helm.
• Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, Pulumi, CDK; CI/CD toolchains: GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Jenkins.
• Private cloud and hybrid architectures: VMware Tanzu, Azure Arc, AWS Outposts, OpenShift.

Professional Attributes

• Strong client-facing presence — able to engage senior technical stakeholders and translate architectural decisions into business value clearly and confidently.
• Proven ability to contribute meaningfully to winning technology deals; comfortable owning the technical narrative on mid-market pursuits.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; adept at crafting architecture diagrams, solution narratives, and proposal content under deadline pressure.
• Commercially aware — can balance technical idealism with delivery pragmatism, scope management, and client constraints.
• Collaborative team member who can lead a small pursuit team, manage ambiguity, and coordinate across functions (sales, delivery, SMEs).
• Continuous learner with genuine curiosity about emerging AI and cloud technologies; actively builds and shares knowledge within the practice.

Educational Qualification

• 18+ years of overall IT experience, with a minimum of 5 years in a Solution Architect or Pre-Sales Architect role at a tier-1 IT services or consulting organisation
• Proven experience winning and architecting deals in the $5M–$50M+ range across cloud transformation, application modernisation, and AI/data programmes
• Mandatory cloud certifications: AWS Solutions Architect – Professional, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or GCP Professional Cloud Architect (two or more preferred)
• AI/ML certifications desirable: AWS ML Specialty, Azure AI Engineer, Google Professional ML Engineer, or equivalent
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field