Lead AI Solutions Architect - Natural Language Processing

Placements24; South Africa; Remote; ZAR 1,800,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work flexibility

Professional growth

Global projects

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead AI Solutions Architect focused on NLP to design and implement scalable AI systems for language-based tasks. You will shape the strategic direction of NLP initiatives and lead a distributed team of data scientists and engineers in a remote-first environment.

The role demands 7+ years in AI/ML with a strong NLP background, hands-on experience with spaCy, Hugging Face, and transformer models, plus cloud platform proficiency.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in CS/AI or related field.
• 7+ years in AI/ML with a strong NLP focus.
• Proven delivery of production NLP solutions.

Responsibilities

• Architect end-to-end AI solutions using NLP for text classification, sentiment analysis, translation, and chatbots.
• Set technical vision and roadmap for NLP initiatives aligned with business goals.
• Collaborate with PMs, data scientists, and engineers to build scalable NLP apps.
• Evaluate NLP models, algorithms, and tools for use cases.
• Oversee development, testing and deployment of NLP models in production.
• Provide leadership and mentorship to data scientists and engineers.
• Ensure ethical use of NLP, addressing bias and fairness.
• Maintain documentation and best practices for AI solutions.
• Stay updated with NLP research and industry trends.

Skills

AI/ML experience

NLP expertise

Remote collaboration

Communication

Education

Master's or PhD in CS/AI/Computational Linguistics

Tools

spaCy

NLTK

Hugging Face Transformers

TensorFlow

PyTorch

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a global leader in AI & Emerging Technologies, is seeking a highly experienced Lead AI Solutions Architect specializing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) to join their innovative, fully remote team. This pivotal role will be responsible for designing and implementing scalable AI solutions that leverage advanced NLP techniques to solve complex business problems. You will have the opportunity to shape the strategic direction of AI initiatives, working with cutting-edge technologies and a talented, distributed workforce. If you are passionate about building intelligent systems that understand and generate human language and thrive in a remote-first environment, this is the perfect opportunity for you. Your expertise will be crucial in driving innovation and delivering impactful NLP solutions across the organization, ensuring our client remains at the forefront of technological advancement.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect and design end-to-end AI solutions leveraging NLP for tasks such as text classification, sentiment analysis, machine translation, and chatbot development.
• Lead the technical vision and roadmap for NLP initiatives, aligning with business objectives.
• Collaborate with product managers, data scientists, and software engineers to deliver robust and scalable NLP applications.
• Evaluate and select appropriate NLP models, algorithms, and tools for specific use cases.
• Oversee the development, testing, and deployment of NLP models and systems in production environments.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to a team of data scientists and engineers.
• Ensure the responsible and ethical application of NLP technologies, considering bias and fairness.
• Develop and maintain documentation for AI solutions and best practices.
• Stay current with the latest research and trends in NLP and artificial intelligence.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computational Linguistics, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.
• Extensive experience (7+ years) in AI/ML, with a significant focus on Natural Language Processing.
• Demonstrated experience in architecting and deploying production-level NLP solutions.
• Proficiency with NLP libraries and frameworks such as spaCy, NLTK, Hugging Face Transformers, TensorFlow, or PyTorch.
• Strong understanding of machine learning principles, deep learning, and transformer architectures.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their AI/ML services.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, crucial for a remote role.
• Proven ability to lead technical teams and drive projects to completion.
• Experience working in a remote-first or distributed team environment.

Benefits

• Highly competitive remuneration package.
• Remote work flexibility, allowing you to work from anywhere.
• Access to advanced tools and platforms for AI development.
• Opportunities for continuous professional growth and training.
• A culture that values innovation, collaboration, and individual contribution.
• Comprehensive benefits package including health and wellness support.
• Generous allowance for home office setup and professional development.
• Chance to work on impactful projects with global reach.