Principal AI Solutions Architect

Placements24; Rustenburg; On-site; ZAR 1,800,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement savings plan

Learning opportunities and conferences

Office in Rustenburg

Job summary

Placements24 in Rustenburg, North West, seeks a Principal AI Solutions Architect to lead enterprise AI strategy design and platform implementations, translating complex business needs into scalable AI-driven solutions.

You will guide AI transformations, architect data pipelines, model development, deployment and governance, provide technical leadership, and contribute to pre-sales with stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field with focus on AI.
• 10+ years in solution architecture with at least 5 years in AI/ML.
• Experience across AWS/Azure/Google Cloud and their AI services.
• Proven end-to-end AI/ML system design: ingestion, features, training, deployment, monitoring.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management and client-facing skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead architectural design of AI/ML solutions across data pipelines, models, deployment and monitoring.
• Define strategic AI roadmaps with business stakeholders.
• Evaluate AI technologies and tools to meet client needs.
• Provide technical leadership to AI/ML engineers and data scientists.
• Develop PoCs to demonstrate AI value and drive adoption.
• Ensure scalable, secure, and compliant AI solutions.
• Translate business requirements into technical specs for development teams.
• Contribute to pre-sales activities with client presentations and proposals.

Skills

AI/ML solution design

Data pipelines

MLOps

Cloud platforms

Stakeholder management

Pre-sales support

Strategic thinking

Technical leadership

Education

Master's degree in CS/Engineering

PhD in AI or related field

Tools

AWS

Azure

Google Cloud

Job description

About the Role

Our client is a global technology firm renowned for its innovative solutions across various industries. We are seeking a highly experienced Principal AI Solutions Architect to spearhead the design and implementation of enterprise-level AI strategies and platforms. This senior role requires a deep understanding of AI technologies, cloud computing, and business process optimization to translate complex business challenges into scalable, AI-driven solutions. You will be instrumental in guiding our clients through their AI transformation journeys, ensuring the successful adoption and integration of cutting-edge AI capabilities. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of AI adoption in the Rustenburg, North West region and beyond, working from our state-of-the-art facility.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the architectural design of AI and Machine Learning solutions, encompassing data pipelines, model development, deployment, and monitoring.
• Collaborate closely with business stakeholders to identify AI opportunities and define strategic roadmaps for AI adoption.
• Evaluate and recommend appropriate AI technologies, platforms, and tools to meet client needs and project requirements.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to AI/ML engineers, data scientists, and solution architects.
• Develop proofs-of-concept (PoCs) and prototypes to demonstrate the value of AI solutions.
• Ensure AI solutions are scalable, secure, and compliant with relevant regulations and industry best practices.
• Translate complex business requirements into technical specifications for AI development teams.
• Stay ahead of emerging AI trends and technologies, integrating them into architectural frameworks.
• Contribute to pre-sales activities, including client presentations and proposal development.

Requirements

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, with a strong focus on Artificial Intelligence.
• 10+ years of experience in solution architecture, with at least 5 years specifically focused on AI/ML solutions.
• Extensive experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, including their AI/ML services.
• Proven expertise in designing and implementing end-to-end AI/ML systems, covering data ingestion, feature engineering, model training, deployment, and monitoring.
• Strong understanding of various AI methodologies, including deep learning, reinforcement learning, and natural language processing.
• Experience with MLOps principles and tools for managing the ML lifecycle.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to think strategically and translate business needs into actionable technical plans.
• Experience in a client-facing consulting or advisory role is highly desirable.

Benefits

• Our client provides a highly competitive salary and bonus structure, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, and a generous retirement savings plan.
• We invest in our employees' growth through continuous learning opportunities, including advanced training programs, certifications, and conference attendance.
• Enjoy the dynamic environment of our Rustenburg, North West office, with ample opportunities for professional advancement and impactful project involvement.