AI Engineering Lead

Belay Talent Solutions; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Belay Talent Solutions seeks an AI Engineering Lead (Principal Engineer) to drive enterprise AI, automation, and digital engineering for a leading bank. You will lead the engineering execution of AI, intelligent automation, cloud, integration, and software engineering solutions that transform the organization.

You will mentor teams, set engineering standards, review architectures, and champion DevOps and security practices.

Qualifications

• 8+ years' experience in Software Engineering, System Development, Automation, or Solution Delivery.
• Strong hands-on development experience in .NET and/or Java.
• Experience designing and delivering enterprise-scale technology solutions.
• Proven experience producing technical and infrastructure design artefacts.
• Strong code review and engineering governance experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across AI, Intelligent Automation, RPA, Power Platform, integration, and custom software development initiatives.
• Define and drive engineering standards, frameworks, development practices, and governance processes.
• Translate solution designs into scalable, secure, and production-ready engineering solutions.
• Design and review technical architectures, infrastructure designs, deployment models, and integration approaches.
• Build proof-of-concepts, reference implementations, and reusable engineering components.
• Conduct code reviews and provide guidance on design patterns, security, testing, and engineering best practices.
• Drive adoption of DevOps, DevSecOps, CI/CD, and modern engineering practices.
• Support architecture, security, infrastructure, and production-readiness forums.
• Mentor developers, engineers, and automation specialists to improve technical capability and delivery excellence.
• Act as the technical escalation point for complex engineering and integration challenges.

Skills

AI & Automation

.NET & Java

Solution delivery

DevOps & CI/CD

Code review

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field

Tools

Azure Cloud Services

Power Platform

Blue Prism / RPA

API & Integration

Security Engineering

Job description

AI Engineering Lead (Principal Engineer)

Lead Enterprise AI, Automation & Digital Engineering for a Leading Bank

Are you a hands-on engineering leader who enjoys building, solving complex technical challenges, and shaping the future of digital innovation?

A leading bank is seeking an AI Engineering Lead to serve as the senior engineering authority within its Digitization & Automation function. This is an exceptional opportunity for a technically strong professional to lead the engineering execution of AI, Intelligent Automation, Cloud, Integration, and Software Engineering solutions that drive enterprise-wide transformation.

Working closely with Solution Architects and business stakeholders, you will ensure solutions are engineered, deployed, secured, and supported to the highest standards while mentoring teams and driving engineering excellence across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership across AI, Intelligent Automation, RPA, Power Platform, integration, and custom software development initiatives.
• Define and drive engineering standards, frameworks, development practices, and governance processes.
• Translate solution designs into scalable, secure, and production-ready engineering solutions.
• Design and review technical architectures, infrastructure designs, deployment models, and integration approaches.
• Build proof-of-concepts, reference implementations, and reusable engineering components.
• Conduct code reviews and provide guidance on design patterns, security, testing, and engineering best practices.
• Drive adoption of DevOps, DevSecOps, CI/CD, and modern engineering practices.
• Support architecture, security, infrastructure, and production-readiness forums.
• Mentor developers, engineers, and automation specialists to improve technical capability and delivery excellence.
• Act as the technical escalation point for complex engineering and integration challenges.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years' experience in Software Engineering, System Development, Automation, or Solution Delivery.
• Strong hands-on development experience in .NET and/or Java.
• Experience designing and delivering enterprise-scale technology solutions.
• Proven experience producing technical and infrastructure design artefacts.
• Strong code review and engineering governance experience.

Technical Expertise:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Intelligent Automation
• Microsoft Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Copilot Studio)
• Blue Prism or similar RPA platforms
• API & Integration Development
• Azure Cloud Services
• DevOps & CI/CD
• Infrastructure & Deployment Architecture
• Security Engineering & Governance
• Enterprise Application Development

Advantageous:

• Banking or Financial Services experience.
• Azure, Power Platform, AI, Blue Prism, or Architecture certifications.
• Experience with enterprise integration and cloud-native solutions.

Why This Opportunity?

• Lead strategic AI and automation initiatives within a top banking environment.
• Influence enterprise engineering standards and technology direction.
• Work across cutting-edge AI, cloud, integration, and automation technologies.
• Operate in a true Principal Engineer capacity while remaining hands-on.
• Mentor talented engineering teams and make a lasting impact on the organisation's digital future.

Ready to build the future of intelligent banking?

Join a team where your technical expertise, leadership, and innovation will directly influence how AI and automation transform one of the country's leading financial institutions.