Senior AI Architect

Overview

Microsoft is seeking a Senior AI Architect to serve as the technical lead for the Microsoft AI CoInnovation Lab in Wisconsin, located at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and within the Microsoft TechSpark team in Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA).

This role is central to Microsoft's mission to empower every organization to achieve more, extending that mission through a statewide AI diffusion engine that helps Wisconsin businesses, especially manufacturers and industrial organizations, explore, prototype, and adopt artificial intelligence in practical, responsible, and impactful ways.

The AI CoInnovation Lab is a hands-on studio operated in partnership with TitletownTech and UW-Milwaukee, serving as a catalyst for applied AI across the state. The Senior AI Architect acts as the Lab's technical leader and architect-in-residence, working directly with CEOs, CTOs, CIOs, and senior technical leaders from Wisconsin companies to translate real business challenges into working AI solutions built on Microsoft platforms.

While the primary focus of this role is hands-on technical leadership within the AI CoInnovation Lab, there may be select opportunities to engage across the TechSpark innovation portfolio including with startups at TitletownTech, in the Discovery collab, and in other regions with TechSpark investments.

Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical lead and architect for engagements within the Microsoft AI CoInnovation Lab in Wisconsin.
• Design, architect, and help deliver hands-on AI solutions using Microsoft Azure AI Studio, Azure AI Search, and related AI, data, and cloud platforms.
• Lead rapid lab engagements, including design sessions, technical deep dives, proof-of-concept development, and pilot deployments focused on real business problems.
• Translate executive- and operations-level business challenges into scalable, secure, cost-efficient, and responsible AI architectures.
• Engage directly with CEOs, CTOs, CIOs, and senior technical leaders to communicate technical vision, tradeoffs, risks, and value in clear, practical terms.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to AI Engineers involved in lab engagements, setting standards for engineering quality, security, and responsible AI.
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies, architectures, and frameworks, assessing their relevance and applicability to real-world industrial and enterprise use cases and keeping the lab working with the newest technologies.
• Contribute technical thought leadership to regional workshops, innovation forums, and AI CoInnovation Lab programming.
• Participate in select TitletownTech initiatives that reinforce shared ecosystem and innovation objectives.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree AND 4+ years experience in engineering, product/technical program management, data analysis, or product development OR equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree AND 8+ years experience engineering, product/technical program management, data analysis, or product development OR equivalent experience.
• 6+ years of experience managing cross-functional and/or cross-team projects.
• 1+ year(s) of experience reading and/or writing code (e.g., sample documentation, product demos).
• 1+ years of experience directly leading a team, either as a people manager or team lead

Technical Program Management IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $158,400 - $258,000 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
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This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.