Associate Distinguished Engineer- Enterprise Architect (Azure AI)
• Preferred location is NYC, but open to candidates located in the East Coast Role Overview The Solution Architect serves as the technical lead and platform owner for the AI Adoption initiative. This role designs and governs the AI Landing Zone, oversees integrations, ensures security and compliance, and provides technical direction for all AI use cases and platform components. The Solution Architect ensures that the AI platform is scalable, secure, interoperable, and aligned with IT standards, supporting both pilot development and long-term institutionalization.
Key Responsibilities
AI Platform & Landing Zone Architecture
- Architect the AI Landing Zone, including Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Foundry, Power Platform, Microsoft Fabric, and Microsoft Copilot services.
- Ensure the platform is secure, compliant, and designed to scale across academic, administrative, research, and healthcare environments.
- Define and enforce governance, identity/SSO integration, and infrastructure requirements.
Security, Compliance & Responsible AI Controls
- Implement architectural controls to support FERPA, accessibility (WCAG/508), privacy, and institutional policy requirements.
- Ensure solutions incorporate responsible AI checks, fairness validation, and observability.
Integration & Data Architecture
- Design integration patterns with core client systems (SIS, LMS, SSO, APIs, data sources).
- Collaborate with the Data/Technology Lead to define secure data pipelines, connectors, and access patterns.
- Ensure interoperability and reliability across departments and technical environments.
Use Case Technical Design & Feasibility
- Evaluate technology options (Azure OpenAI, Copilot, Power Platform, Fabric) for each use case.
- Define technical requirements, constraints, and architectural components for low, medium, and high-complexity use cases.
- Provide technical guidance to developers and ML engineers during design, build, and deployment.
Platform Maturity, Monitoring & MLOps
- Establish CI/CD pipelines, monitoring dashboards, cost transparency mechanisms, and lifecycle management processes.
- Set standards for performance, security, reliability, and operational readiness.
- Support the evolution of the platform from early pilots to scalable enterprise services.
Technical Leadership & Quality Assurance
- Review prototypes, solution designs, integrations, and deployments for technical completeness and architectural alignment.
- Ensure consistency of implementation across teams and phases.
- Provide coaching and guidance to development and engineering teams.
Collaboration & Engagement The Solution Architect works closely with the Functional Consultant to ensure technical designs meet functional needs, with the Data/Technology Lead on integrations and data architecture, and with developers on implementation. The role supports the Project Manager with technical sequencing and risk mitigation and engages governance groups and ITS stakeholders as needed.
Qualifications
Required Skills & Experience
- Expertise in cloud/enterprise architecture, preferably across Azure AI services.
- Strong understanding of identity, security, compliance frameworks, and data governance.
- Experience designing scalable AI or cloud platforms and integrating enterprise systems.
- Ability to evaluate technical feasibility, optimize performance, and implement MLOps/CI-CD.
- Strong communication skills for translating complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
Good to have skills: AI Application Solution Design (Strong), Metasonic, Microsoft Azure Artificial Inteligence and Machine Learning (Expert), Microsoft Fabric (Expert) Additional Information Salary Range for NYC based candidates: $170K Gross - $220K Gross (includes base + bonuses), depending on skills and years of experience.