Data & AI Solution Architect

Role: Data & AI Solution Architect

Experience: 15+ Years

Location: Long Term work assignment in South Africa

Role Overview:

We are seeking a highly experienced Data & AI Solution Architect to lead enterprise-scale Data, Analytics, Cloud, and AI transformation initiatives. The ideal candidate will possess a strong foundation in Data Engineering, Data Architecture, Modern Data Platforms, Advanced Analytics, and Cloud Technologies, coupled with hands-on experience delivering Generative AI and/or Agentic AI solutions on leading hyperscaler platforms such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

This role will drive solution architecture, technology strategy, and end-to-end delivery of large-scale data modernization and AI transformation programs for global enterprises.

Key Responsibilities:

Data & Analytics Architecture

• Architect enterprise Data & AI solutions aligned with business and technology objectives.
• Design scalable data platforms leveraging modern cloud-native architectures.
• Define enterprise data strategies including Data Lake, Lakehouse, Data Warehouse, Data Mesh, and Data Fabric architectures.
• Establish data governance, metadata management, data quality, and master data management frameworks.
• Lead data modernization and cloud migration programs.

Data Engineering Leadership

• Design and govern large-scale batch and real-time data pipelines.
• Define data ingestion, transformation, orchestration, and storage strategies.
• Drive implementation of modern data engineering frameworks using Spark, Kafka, Databricks, Snowflake, and cloud-native services.
• Mentor engineering teams and establish architecture standards and best practices.

AI & Generative AI Solutioning

• Design and implement enterprise Generative AI solutions powered by Large Language Models (LLMs).
• Lead development of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architectures.
• Define AI governance, responsible AI, security, and compliance frameworks.
• Build Agentic AI solutions using autonomous agents, orchestration frameworks, and multi-agent architectures.
• Evaluate and integrate OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Claude, Bedrock, Vertex AI, and other foundation models.

Cloud Architecture

• Architect cloud-native solutions on Azure, AWS, or GCP.
• Lead cloud migration, modernization, and optimization initiatives.
• Drive platform engineering, security, scalability, and reliability best practices.
• Collaborate with enterprise architects, business stakeholders, and delivery teams.

Stakeholder Management

• Serve as a trusted advisor for C-level executives and business leaders.
• Lead client workshops, architecture reviews, and solution presentations.
• Support pre-sales, solution estimation, and proposal development activities.

Required Skills:

Data & Analytics

• Data Architecture
• Data Engineering
• Data Lakehouse Architecture
• Data Warehousing
• Data Modeling
• Data Governance
• Metadata Management
• Master Data Management (MDM)
• Data Quality Frameworks
• Real-Time Analytics

Cloud Platforms (Any One Mandatory)

• Microsoft Azure
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Modern Data Platforms

• Databricks
• Snowflake
• Microsoft Fabric
• Azure Synapse Analytics
• BigQuery
• Redshift

Data Engineering Tools

• Apache Spark
• PySpark
• Kafka
• Airflow
• Data Factory
• dbt
• Python
• SQL

AI / GenAI / Agentic AI

• Large Language Models (LLMs)
• Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)
• Prompt Engineering
• AI Agents & Multi-Agent Systems
• Agentic AI Frameworks
• LangChain
• LangGraph
• CrewAI
• Semantic Kernel
• Vector Databases
• AI Governance
• MLOps / LLMOps

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience architecting enterprise-scale AI transformation solutions.
• Exposure to OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI.
• Experience with AI copilots, knowledge assistants, and intelligent automation solutions.
• Strong background in enterprise architecture and consulting engagements.
• Experience supporting large global clients across industries.
• Relevant Cloud Certifications (Azure/AWS/GCP) preferred.
• TOGAF, Databricks, Snowflake, or AI certifications are advantageous.

Education

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Data Science, or related field.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 15+ years in Data Analytics, and Cloud Architecture.
• 5+ years leading cloud-native data modernization programs.
• 2+ years architecting and delivering Generative AI or Agentic AI solutions.
• Proven experience with Databricks, Snowflake, Microsoft Fabric, Spark, and modern data platforms.
• Strong consulting, stakeholder management, and solutioning capabilities.
• Ability to lead architecture discussions from strategy through implementation.