AI Lead

Syspro; Sandton; Hybrid; ZAR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 25 days

Sick leave 30 days over 3 years

Hybrid work

Pension 10%

Medical aid

Life insurance

Income protection

Funeral benefit

Provident fund

Global education protection

Bonus programmes

Maternity leave 6 months

Paternity leave 2 weeks

Employee assistance program

Free daily lunch

Job summary

Syspro seeks an AI Lead to architect and deliver AI-powered capabilities across the product suite. You will be the senior technical authority for AI engineering, translating strategy into production-grade software and establishing standards for enterprise-grade delivery.

You will own end-to-end AI development, drive integration of AI services, ensure secure coding, and collaborate across Product Management and engineering to accelerate Syspro's AI roadmap in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Architect end-to-end AI features across front-end and back-end.
• Define and drive AI product requirements into technical designs.
• Lead secure coding practices and enterprise-grade delivery.

Responsibilities

• Design full-stack AI features from UI to APIs and models.
• Integrate third-party AI services and cloud AI platforms.
• Set engineering standards and code quality benchmarks for AI work.
• Translate AI requirements into detailed specs and plans.
• Own end-to-end delivery quality including tests and CI/CD.
• Provide architectural direction and code reviews within the team.
• Collaborate with Product, Innovation, and other engineering teams.
• Evaluate emerging AI tech and assess adoption risks.

Skills

AI architecture

Full-stack dev

Azure OpenAI

Security practices

CI/CD pipelines

Technical leadership

Tools

CI/CD tooling

Job description

Architect and deliver AI-powered capabilities and full-stack solutions across Syspro's product suite, acting as the senior technical authority for AI engineering within the Solutions, Technology & Customer function. The AI Lead translates the AI Director's strategic vision into production-grade, enterprise-ready software — setting technical standards, driving engineering quality, and applying deep full-stack and AI expertise to accelerate Syspro's AI product roadmap. Requirements

• Design and architect full-stack AI features end-to-end — from front-end AI experiences and responsive UI through to back-end services, APIs, and AI/ML model integrations within the Syspro platform.
• Drive the integration of third-party AI services, LLMs, and cloud AI platforms (e.g. Azure OpenAI) into Syspro product features, ensuring implementations comply with responsible AI principles and data privacy standards.
• Set and uphold engineering standards, coding practices, and quality benchmarks for AI development work, ensuring solutions are robust, maintainable, secure, and enterprise-grade.
• Translate AI product requirements from the AI Director into detailed technical specifications, designs, and delivery plans — managing technical complexity and communicating trade-offs clearly to stakeholders.
• Own end-to-end delivery quality for AI engineering work, including automated testing strategies (unit, integration, and end-to-end), CI/CD pipelines, performance monitoring, and proactive resolution of technical debt.
• Act as the go-to technical authority on AI engineering within the team — providing informal guidance, code review feedback, and architectural direction to other engineers working on AI-related features.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product Management, the Head of Innovation, and other engineering teams to deliver AI features on time, to specification, and aligned to the Syspro product roadmap.
• Research and evaluate emerging AI technologies, frameworks, and engineering patterns — providing informed technical recommendations to the AI Director on adoption opportunities and risks.
• Apply and champion secure coding practices and secure API patterns across AI and full-stack development work, safeguarding enterprise data and upholding Syspro's security and compliance standards.
• Produce clear technical documentation for AI features, integration patterns, and architectural decisions to support knowledge sharing and long-term maintainability of the platform

Benefits

• 25 annual leave days
• 30 days paid sick leave over 3-year cycle
• Hybrid working environment (3 office days as determined by the function/ manager)
• Pension 10%
• Medical aid
• Life insurance
• Income continuation protection
• Funeral Benefit
• Provident Fund Admin Fee
• Global Education Protection
• Bonus/ commission programmes
• Maternity: 6 months at half pay
• Paternity: 2 weeks full pay
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Free Barista Coffee Daily
• Gym Facilities
• Free Daily Lunch
• Free Fruit on a Tuesday & Thursday