Lead AI Architect

Harnham; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Senior exposure to leadership

Ownership & autonomy

Job summary

Harnham is seeking an AI Architect/Solutions Lead in Chicago to shape and execute the firm’s AI strategy. You will work with senior leadership to design, build, and deploy AI-driven workflows and agents using leading LLM platforms and cloud environments.

You will translate business needs into practical technology solutions, drive adoption, and partner with cross-functional teams to establish scalable AI capabilities with strong governance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in AI, automation, BI, analytics, digital transformation or consulting.
• Hands-on AI workflows, agents, or LLMS with major platforms.
• Translate business problems into practical tech solutions.

Responsibilities

• Identify high-impact workflows across investments, ops, IR, and functions.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to quantify value and prioritise opportunities.
• Design, build, deploy AI-driven solutions and workflows.
• Drive adoption with change management and training.
• Collaborate to establish scalable AI capabilities and governance.
• Monitor effectiveness and iterate based on feedback.

Skills

AI

Automation

Business Intelligence

Analytics

Digital Transformation

Consulting

Stakeholder Management

Tools

OpenAI

Anthropic

Microsoft Copilot

Azure AI

Databricks

Snowflake

Job description

Chicago, IL (4 days onsite per week, Monday-Thursday)

$180,000-$200,000 base salary + annual bonus

THE COMPANY

Our client is a highly respected middle-market private investment firm with a strong track record of partnering with founder-led businesses. With a collaborative, entrepreneurial culture and a reputation for integrity, the firm is investing heavily in AI and digital transformation to enhance decision-making, productivity, and operational excellence across the business.

This is a unique opportunity to become the organization's first dedicated AI Architect/Solutions Lead, working directly with senior leadership to shape and execute the firm's AI strategy while delivering tangible business impact.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Identify and evaluate high-impact business workflows across investment, operations, investor relations, and corporate functions that can be enhanced through AI and automation.
• Partner with stakeholders to understand existing processes, quantify business value, and prioritize opportunities for improvement.
• Design, build, and deploy AI-driven solutions, agents, and workflow automations using modern LLM technologies and cloud-based platforms.
• Drive adoption of AI tools by supporting change management, user training, stakeholder engagement, and ongoing feedback collection.
• Collaborate with technical teams to establish scalable and sustainable AI capabilities across the organization.
• Help develop and maintain data and document governance standards, including file structures, taxonomy, naming conventions, and information management best practices.
• Monitor solution effectiveness and continuously improve tools based on user behavior, business outcomes, and stakeholder feedback.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Required

• 5+ years of experience in AI, automation, business intelligence, analytics, digital transformation, consulting, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience building AI workflows, AI agents, or LLM-powered solutions using platforms such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft Copilot, Azure AI, or similar technologies.
• Strong ability to translate business challenges into practical technology solutions.
• Experience engaging directly with business stakeholders and managing cross-functional projects from concept through deployment.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Strong problem-solving mindset with a focus on execution, outcomes, and continuous improvement.
• Experience working with cloud platforms and modern data environments such as Azure, Databricks, Snowflake, or equivalent.

Preferred

• Experience within consulting, financial services, private equity, investment management, or other fast-paced, client-facing environments.
• Exposure to data governance, information architecture, and enterprise productivity tooling.
• Experience supporting change management and enterprise-wide technology adoption initiatives.

BENEFITS

• Competitive base salary of $180,000-$200,000
• Annual performance-based bonus opportunity
• High visibility role with direct exposure to senior executives and business leaders
• Opportunity to build and shape AI capabilities from the ground up
• Entrepreneurial, collaborative culture with significant ownership and autonomy
• Clear opportunity for professional growth as the firm's AI function evolves

KEY TERMS

AI Solutions Lead | AI Architect | Artificial Intelligence | Generative AI | LLMs | AI Agents | Automation | Digital Transformation | Azure | Databricks | Microsoft Copilot | OpenAI | Anthropic | Workflow Automation | Data Governance | Business Intelligence | Change Management | Consulting | Financial Services | Private Equity | Chicago Jobs | Hybrid Working