Cloud & AI Solution Engineer – Data Platform

Microsoft; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading cloud solutions provider is seeking a Cloud & AI Solution Engineer for their Data Platform in Cape Town. The role focuses on driving technical sales, leading engagements, and influencing solution design in Azure Databases and Analytics. Candidates should have strong experience in pre-sales or consulting, with expertise in Azure products. This position offers opportunities for professional growth in a collaborative environment.

Benefits

Healthcare benefits

Educational resources

Generous time off

Qualifications

• 5+ years of technical pre-sales or consulting experience.
• Expertise in Azure Databases, including migration and AI application development.
• Proficiency in Azure Analytics and data warehousing.

Responsibilities

• Drive technical sales through demos and PoCs.
• Lead technical engagements like hackathons.
• Build trusted relationships and co-design architectures.
• Address technical blockers and collaborate with teams.

Skills

Azure Databases expertise

Azure Analytics proficiency

Technical engagement leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Master’s degree in a relevant field

Tools

Azure Databases (SQL DB, Cosmos DB, PostgreSQL)

Azure Analytics (Fabric, Azure Databricks)

Data warehousing solutions (BigQuery, Redshift, Snowflake)

Job description

Overview

Are you insatiably curious, deeply passionate about databases and analytics, and ready to tackle complex challenges in a dynamic AI-driven environment? Join us as a Cloud & AI Solution Engineer in Data Platform at Microsoft, working on cutting-edge projects that leverage the latest technologies to create impact. Collaborate with a team that values innovation, creativity, and continuous learning.

Databases & Analytics is a growth area for Microsoft Azure, encompassing a broad portfolio of IaaS and PaaS services designed for building, deploying, and managing cloud-native database and analytics applications.

As a Data Platform Solution Engineer, you will help enterprises unlock the potential of Microsoft’s cloud database and analytics stack. Your role involves working closely with engineering teams to accelerate the Fabric Data Platform, including Azure Databases and Analytics, through engagements like Proof of Concepts, hackathons, and architecture workshops. This role offers opportunities for career growth, developing business and technical skills, and guiding customers in secure, scalable solution design and migration strategies.

As a trusted advisor, you’ll influence technical decisions and help modernize data platforms, maximizing the value of Microsoft’s solutions for customers.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and organization to achieve more. We foster a culture of respect, integrity, and inclusion, encouraging innovation and collaboration to reach our shared goals.

Qualifications

Required qualifications

• 5+ years of technical pre-sales or consulting experience OR a relevant Bachelor’s degree with 4+ years experience, OR a Master’s degree with 3+ years experience, or equivalent experience.
• Expertise in Azure Databases (SQL DB, Cosmos DB, PostgreSQL), including migration, modernization, and AI application development.
• Proficiency in Azure Analytics (Fabric, Azure Databricks, Purview) and experience with competitors like BigQuery, Redshift, Snowflake, especially in data warehousing, data lakes, big data, analytics, and reporting with security and governance.
• Proven ability to lead technical engagements such as hackathons, PoCs, and MVPs that deliver production-scale results.

Preferred qualifications

• 6+ years in technical pre-sales, consulting, or related fields.
• Experience with cloud/hybrid/infrastructure architecture, migrations, and technology management.
• Knowledge of data warehouse and big data migration, including on-premises appliances (Teradata, Netezza, Oracle), Hadoop (Cloudera, Hortonworks), and Azure Synapse Gen2.

Responsibilities

• Drive technical sales through demos and PoCs, influencing solution design and enabling deployments.
• Lead hands-on engagements like hackathons and architecture workshops to promote Microsoft cloud adoption.
• Build trusted relationships with platform leads, co-designing secure, scalable architectures.
• Address technical blockers, collaborating with engineering teams to share insights and improve products.
• Maintain expertise in Microsoft Fabric, Azure Databricks, Purview Data Governance, and Azure Databases.
• Expand knowledge in on-prem EDW solutions and Hadoop & BI tools.
• Represent Microsoft in community forums and thought leadership activities.

Benefits and perks vary by employment nature and location, including healthcare, educational resources, discounts, savings, parental leave, generous time off, giving programs, and networking opportunities.