Azure AI Architect (Only W2) - 12+ years exp

Role: AI Architect (Azure)

Location: Bay City, TX - Onsite

Pay Rate: $75-95/hour on W2, client will not consider C2C

We are seeking an experienced AI Architect to lead the design, development, and implementation of enterprise AI solutions that support business transformation initiatives. This individual will play a key role in defining the organization's AI strategy, evaluating emerging technologies, and delivering scalable AI solutions leveraging Microsoft Azure's AI ecosystem.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise in cloud architecture, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and generative AI with the ability to engage business stakeholders and translate business objectives into practical technology solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and architect enterprise AI and machine learning solutions using Microsoft Azure.
• Develop AI roadmaps, standards, governance models, and best practices.
• Evaluate and recommend AI technologies, platforms, and frameworks to support business objectives.
• Lead the design and implementation of Generative AI, Large Language Model (LLM), and intelligent automation solutions.
• Collaborate with business leaders, IT teams, cybersecurity, and data engineering teams to identify and prioritize AI use cases.
• Design scalable, secure, and cost-effective cloud-based AI architectures.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to AI developers and engineering teams.
• Establish AI governance, security, compliance, and responsible AI practices.
• Work closely with data teams to ensure appropriate data architecture, quality, and accessibility for AI initiatives.
• Support proof-of-concepts, pilots, and production deployments of AI solutions.
• Stay current on emerging AI technologies and industry trends.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in software engineering, solution architecture, cloud architecture, or AI-related roles.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience designing AI/ML solutions.
• Strong experience with Microsoft Azure cloud services.
• Experience with Azure AI Services, Azure OpenAI, Azure Machine Learning, Cognitive Services, and related Azure technologies.
• Experience with Generative AI, LLMs, prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and AI application architecture.
• Proficiency in Python and modern AI/ML frameworks.
• Strong understanding of API development, integrations, and microservices architectures.
• Experience designing secure, scalable, and highly available cloud solutions.
• Knowledge of AI governance, security, and compliance considerations.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.