AI Product Engineering Lead

Network Finance; Randburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Network Finance seeks an AI Product Engineering Lead to own the intelligence layer within a fast-growing product environment in Randburg, South Africa. You will balance hands-on AI development with long-term product vision, delivering AI capabilities that automate work and improve decision-making while ensuring governance and scalability.

You will mentor teams, partner with product owners and engineers, and shape the AI roadmap, aligning technical delivery with business outcomes and measurable

Qualifications

• Degree in CS/SE/AI/Data Science or related field.
• Proven experience building and deploying AI-enabled apps.
• Extensive C#/.NET development experience in production.
• Strong background with Microsoft AI tech and cloud platforms.
• Experience delivering production-grade AI solutions with product teams.
• Experience in Agile product development and leadership.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to translate business problems into AI solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and evolution of AI capabilities within a production environment.
• Define and drive the AI roadmap alongside product stakeholders.
• Design and implement intelligent solutions that support business processes and operational decision-making.
• Evaluate and improve AI outputs through testing, monitoring, and validation frameworks.
• Develop AI-powered solutions using .NET and Microsoft AI technologies.
• Build organisational knowledge systems and intelligent retrieval mechanisms.
• Implement learning loops, feedback frameworks, and continuous improvement processes.
• Drive AI engineering standards, best practices, and technical governance.
• Mentor team members and contribute to growing organisational AI capability.
• Partner with users, stakeholders, and product owners to ensure solutions deliver measurable value.
• Support AI solution deployment, optimisation, and ongoing operational success.

Skills

C# / .NET development

Leadership & mentoring

Product thinking

Stakeholder engagement

Problem solving & analytical

Education

Computer Science / Software Engineering / AI / Data Science degree

Tools

Azure OpenAI

Azure AI Foundry

Azure cloud services

ASP.NET Core

API-first development

Event-driven architectures

Job description

An innovative technology organisation is seeking an AI Product Engineering Lead to take ownership of the intelligence layer within a rapidly growing product environment. This role combines AI engineering, product strategy, software development, and technical leadership, making it ideal for someone who enjoys balancing hands‑on delivery with long‑term product vision. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing and delivering AI capabilities that help organisations automate work, improve processes, and make more informed decisions. You will work closely with product owners, engineers, and users to ensure that AI solutions create measurable business value while remaining reliable, governed, and scalable. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced AI professional who wants to influence product direction, mentor teams, and remain actively involved in development and implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and evolution of AI capabilities within a production environment.
• Define and drive the AI roadmap alongside product stakeholders.
• Design and implement intelligent solutions that support business processes and operational decision-making.
• Evaluate and improve AI outputs through testing, monitoring, and validation frameworks.
• Develop AI-powered solutions using .NET and Microsoft AI technologies.
• Build organisational knowledge systems and intelligent retrieval mechanisms.
• Implement learning loops, feedback frameworks, and continuous improvement processes.
• Drive AI engineering standards, best practices, and technical governance.
• Mentor team members and contribute to growing organisational AI capability.
• Partner with users, stakeholders, and product owners to ensure solutions deliver measurable value.
• Support AI solution deployment, optimisation, and ongoing operational success.

Job Experience and Skills Required

• Relevant qualification in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or a related field.

• Extensive experience developing commercial software solutions using C# and .NET.
• Proven experience building and deploying AI-enabled applications.
• Strong exposure to Microsoft AI technologies and cloud platforms.
• Experience delivering production-grade AI solutions rather than proof-of-concept projects.
• Experience working closely with product teams and business stakeholders.
• Background in Agile product development environments.
• Experience leading technical direction and mentoring development teams.
• C# and ASP.NET Core development.
• Azure OpenAI and Microsoft AI technologies.
• Azure AI Foundry and modern AI development frameworks.
• Agent-based AI and intelligent workflow solutions.
• Model Context Protocol (MCP).
• AI evaluation, testing, and governance.
• Event-driven architectures and API-first development.
• Azure cloud services and deployment practices.
• Security, auditability, and governed AI solutions.
• Strong product thinking and business process understanding.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to translate complex business challenges into practical AI solutions.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• Leadership and mentoring abilities.
• Ownership mindset with a focus on delivering measurable outcomes.
• Ability to balance innovation, governance, and operational reliability.
• Passion for emerging AI technologies and their practical application.