AI Architect - IT

Job Description: AI Architect 
Position Overview
We are seeking a highly skilled AI Architect to lead the design, development, and implementation of a production enterprise grade artificial intelligence solutions that support power trading, asset optimization, risk analysis, and decision support. In this role, you will define the architectural vision for AI and machine learning platforms, guide cross-functional engineering & analytics teams, and ensure solutions are scalable, secure, and aligned with business objectives. The ideal candidate combines deep technical mastery with strategic thinking and strong leadership capabilities.
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Key Responsibilities
AI Strategy & Architecture
•    Define and maintain the enterprise AI architecture, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and technology roadmaps.
•    Lead the design of scalable, robust, and secure AI/ML systems, platforms, and data pipelines.
•    Evaluate and select AI technologies, frameworks, cloud services, and tools to support solution development.
•    Develop reference architectures, best practices, and governance models for AI and ML solutions.
Solution Design & Delivery
•    Architect end-to-end AI/ML solutions—from data ingestion and feature engineering to model deployment and monitoring.
•    Partner with product, data, and engineering teams to translate business problems into AI-based solutions.
•    Oversee MLOps implementation, ensuring continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines for machine learning models.
•    Establish and enforce standards for model lifecycle management, versioning, observability, and performance tuning.
Data & Cloud Engineering Integration
•    Collaborate with data engineers to design data models, ETL/ELT pipelines, and real-time streaming architectures.
•    Architect AI platforms using cloud technologies (Azure preferred; AWS or GCP experience a plus).
•    Ensure AI systems meet enterprise standards for security, privacy, compliance, and reliability.
Leadership & Collaboration
•    Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to AI engineers, data scientists, and cross-functional teams.
•    Champion AI innovation by staying current with emerging technologies, research advancements, and industry practices.
•    Communicate technical concepts to executives, business stakeholders, and non-technical audiences.
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Required Qualifications
•    Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or related field.
•    8+ years of experience in Software Engineering, Data Engineering, or Machine Learning, including 3+ years in an AI architecture leadership role.
•    Hands-on expertise with:
o    Machine learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit learn, LangChain)
o    Time-series modeling and forecasting
o    Real-world experience implementing:
    RAG systems
    LLM orchestration pipelines
    Agent-based AI workflows
o    AI/ML cloud services (Azure Machine Learning, AWS Sagemaker, or GCP Vertex AI)
o    Modern data platforms (Databricks, Snowflake, Synapse, BigQuery, etc.)
o    Distributed systems and container orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
•    Strong knowledge of MLOps, CI/CD, and model governance frameworks.
•    Proficiency with Python, SQL, and at least one other programming language 
•    Understanding of security, compliance, data governance, and responsible AI practices.
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Preferred Qualifications
•    Experience with large language models (LLMs), vector databases, and generative AI.
•    Prior Experience in
o    Energy trading firms, utilities, IPPs, or commodities trading
o    Optimization models or market simulation frameworks

•    Experience integrating AI into:
o    Trader tools
o    Risk and analytics platforms
o    Decision-support workflows
•    Experience with:
o    Vector databases and semantic search
o    Feature stores and model registries
o    LLM evaluation, guardrails, and observability
o    Technical leadership or architecture ownership across teams
•    Certifications in cloud architecture (Azure, AWS, GCP).
•    Experience implementing real-time AI and high-scale distributed systems.
•    Familiarity with enterprise architecture frameworks (TOGAF, Zachman).
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Key Competencies
•    Strategic thinking with an innovative mindset
•    Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
•    Excellent communication and stakeholder management
•    Ability to lead and influence without authority
•    Passion for emerging AI technologies and continuous learning

Range: $180,000 - $210,000