AI Solutions Architect

Centrax Group; Sandton; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Centrax Digital in Sandton, South Africa, seeks an AI Solutions Architect to turn prioritized AI use cases into secure, costed and operable designs that fit each client's platforms.

You will hold design authority, guide trade-offs across models, data, integration and security, and collaborate with the AI Engineering team to maintain reference architectures and advise clients on AI platforms and vendors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems or a related field.
• Master's in CS, AI or data science is an advantage.
• Minimum 8 years' experience in software engineering or solution architecture, including at least 3 years as an architect.
• Hands-on experience designing LLM-based applications in production, including retrieval and evaluation.
• Architect-level knowledge of Azure, AWS or Google Cloud and its AI services, and experience designing for POPIA.
• A cloud architect certification is preferred.
• An AI or ML specialization, TOGAF certification, or Zoho integration experience is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Produce AI solution architecture for client engagements: context, logical and physical designs, data flows, integration points and non-functional requirements.
• Select models, platforms and deployment patterns based on quality, cost, latency, data residency and risk.
• Design data and retrieval architecture for AI workloads, including ingestion, vector and search stores, access control and lineage.
• Design the integration of AI capabilities into client systems, including Zoho applications, line-of-business platforms and APIs.
• Build security, privacy and safety into every design, including POPIA-aligned data handling, cross-border transfer controls and human oversight points.
• Estimate effort, infrastructure and run costs, and support pre-sales with credible scoping.
• Hold design authority during delivery, recording decisions in architecture decision records and reviewing builds against the design.
• Maintain the CAIF reference architecture patterns with the AI Engineering team, and advise clients on AI platforms and vendors without bias.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems or a related field

Master's in CS, AI or data science

8+ years' experience in software engineering or solution architecture

LLM-based design experience in production

Cloud architecture knowledge of Azure/AWS/GCP

Security, POPIA compliance design

Cloud architect certification preferred

AI/ML specialization

TOGAF certification or Zoho integration experience a plus

Job description

You design the end-to-end architecture of the AI solutions Centrax Digital delivers, and you hold design authority from use case to production.

ABOUT CENTRAX DIGITAL

Centrax Digital is an AI-first consulting and digital engineering firm operating from Bryanston, Sandton and Grand Prairie, Texas. We are a Level 1 B-BBEE, black woman-owned Advanced Zoho Partner. Our work spans AI and advisory, platforms, cloud and security, and digital engineering, delivered on our own published methodology. Because Innovation Matters.

THE ROLE

To turn prioritised AI use cases into secure, costed and operable designs that fit each client's existing platforms, on CAIF-5, the Centrax AI delivery framework. You make the trade-offs across models, data, integration, security, cost and operations explicit, and you work within the Ground and Embed pillars of CAIF-5.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• - Produce AI solution architecture for client engagements: context, logical and physical designs, data flows, integration points and non-functional requirements.
• - Select models, platforms and deployment patterns based on quality, cost, latency, data residency and risk.
• - Design data and retrieval architecture for AI workloads, including ingestion, vector and search stores, access control and lineage.
• - Design the integration of AI capabilities into client systems, including Zoho applications, line-of-business platforms and APIs.
• - Build security, privacy and safety into every design, including POPIA-aligned data handling, cross-border transfer controls and human oversight points.
• - Estimate effort, infrastructure and run costs, and support pre-sales with credible scoping.
• - Hold design authority during delivery, recording decisions in architecture decision records and reviewing builds against the design.
• - Maintain the CAIF reference architecture patterns with the AI Engineering team, and advise clients on AI platforms and vendors without bias.

WHAT YOU NEED

• - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems or a related field.
• - A Master's in CS, AI or data science is an advantage.
• - Minimum 8 years' experience in software engineering or solution architecture, including at least 3 years as an architect.
• - At least two AI or ML solutions designed and taken to production, with measurable outcomes.
• - Hands-on experience designing LLM-based applications in production, including retrieval and evaluation.
• - Architect-level knowledge of Azure, AWS or Google Cloud and its AI services, and experience designing for POPIA or an equivalent privacy regime.
• - A cloud architect certification is preferred.
• - An AI or ML specialisation, TOGAF certification, or Zoho integration experience is an advantage.

WHERE THE BOUNDARIES SIT

AI strategy, business cases and client AI governance sit with the AI Strategy Consultant. Build and operation sit with the AI Engineers. The wider client landscape and non-AI integration sit with the Solution Architect.

HOW THIS ROLE EVOLVES

Centrax is concurrently advertising an AI Engineer and a Lead / Principal AI Strategy Consultant. Progression from this role runs through Senior AI Solutions Architect to Principal AI Architect, with a path to AI Practice Lead.

WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

Standard working hours of 08:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday, with flexibility expected around design reviews, deployment windows and client steering cycles. Hybrid working in line with company policy. Travel to client sites is expected, including occasional travel within South Africa and to the Texas office where engagements require it. Standard 21 days annual leave and BCEA leave entitlements apply.

REMUNERATION

Market related, commensurate with experience.

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY AND POPIA

Centrax Digital is an equal opportunity employer. Appointments are made in line with the Employment Equity Act and the company's employment equity plan, and preference may be given to suitably qualified candidates from designated groups.

By applying, you consent to the processing of your personal information for recruitment purposes in accordance with POPIA.