AI & Automation Engineer

Boardroom Appointments; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Boardroom Appointments is seeking an experienced AI & Automation Engineer to drive real AI adoption across the business. This hands-on role designs, builds and rolls out enterprise AI solutions and automations to reduce manual effort and improve turnaround times.

You will own master data governance, set security standards, guide teams, train staff, and help scale an enterprise AI capability while ensuring compliance with POPIA and data privacy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering or related IT field.
• At least 6 years experience in IT roles.
• At least 4 years experience with enterprise AI solutions and automation.
• Strong hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure, Fabric, Foundry, Copilot Studio and LLM platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini.
• Experience in retail or wholesale environments is a strong advantage.
• Comfortable working with APIs, integrations and secure deployments.
• Experience leading change and helping non-technical teams adopt new technology.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and deploy enterprise AI solutions that solve real business problems.
• Deliver automations that reduce manual work and speed up processes.
• Lead rollout, testing and continuous improvement of AI solutions across the business.
• Define and maintain technical standards for AI and automation builds.
• Ensure solutions are scalable as the business grows toward a dedicated AI capability.
• Integrate AI solutions with existing systems and approved data sources using secure access controls.
• Own and manage Master Data across the business and ensure quality and governance.
• Ensure all AI solutions comply with POPIA and data privacy legislation; align with AI policies.
• Help design and deliver training to upskill teams on AI tools and encourage responsible AI adoption.

Skills

Enterprise AI

Automation

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Data Science / Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Fabric

Microsoft Foundry

Copilot Studio

LLM platforms (ChatGPT / Gemini)

Job description

An experienced AI & Automation Engineer is required to help drive real, practical AI adoption across the business. This role is hands‑on and impact-driven, responsible for designing, building and rolling out enterprise AI solutions and automations that reduce manual effort, improve turnaround times and unlock efficiency across a group of companies.

The role plays a key part in shaping how AI is used across the organisation: from building secure, scalable solutions, to enabling teams through training and guidance, and setting standards for responsible AI use. This role will also take ownership of Master Data across the business, ensuring accuracy, governance and consistency.

This role focuses on turning new technology into tangible business outcomes, not just proof‑of‑concepts.

Key Responsibilities

AI Solutions & Automation

• Design, build and deploy enterprise AI solutions that solve real business problems
• Deliver automations that reduce manual work, improve customer experience and speed up processes
• Lead the rollout, testing and continuous improvement of AI solutions across the business

Technical Ownership

• Define and maintain technical standards for AI and automation builds
• Ensure solutions are scalable as the business grows towards a dedicated AI capability
• Integrate AI solutions with existing systems and approved data sources using secure access controls

Master Data Ownership

• Own and manage Master Data across the business
• Ensure data quality, consistency and governance across all entities

Security, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure all AI solutions comply with POPIA and relevant data privacy legislation
• Align AI usage with internal AI policies and responsible AI practices
• Apply practical security controls around access, data protection and auditability

AI Enablement & Capability Building

• Help design and deliver training to upskill teams on AI tools
• Support a culture of responsible AI adoption and self-service innovation
• Contribute to the growth and coordination of an enterprise AI team over time

Experience & Background

• Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering or a related IT field
• At least 6 years experience in IT roles
• At least 4 years experience working with enterprise AI solutions and automation
• Strong hands‑on experience with:
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Microsoft Fabric
  • Microsoft Foundry
  • Copilot Studio
  • LLM platforms such as ChatGPT and/or Gemini
• Experience building AI solutions in retail or wholesale environments is a strong advantage
• Comfortable working with APIs, integrations and secure deployments
• Experience leading change and helping non-technical teams adopt new technology