AI Architecture Consultant

Kumar Consulting, LLC•City of Albany, NY

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced AI Architecture Consultant to design and implement advanced AI and machine learning solutions on the Azure platform. This role involves leveraging cutting-edge technologies like Azure OpenAI, Microsoft Fabric, and Copilot Studio to build generative, agentic, predictive, and autonomous AI systems. You will be responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of AI solutions, from initial concept and design to deployment, monitoring, and optimization. This includes architecting data and AI pipelines, developing secure APIs, implementing MLOps/LLMOps practices, and ensuring compliance with responsible AI governance. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in software and data engineering, extensive experience with Microsoft Azure AI services, and a proven ability to collaborate with stakeholders to deliver impactful AI solutions.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in software engineering, data engineering, or AI/ML solution development in enterprise environments.
5+ years of hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure AI services, including Azure OpenAI Service, Azure AI Search, Azure Machine Learning, Azure AI Foundry, and Copilot Studio.
3+ years of experience with Microsoft Fabric, including OneLake, Data Engineering, Data Science, and Real-Time Intelligence workloads.
3+ years of experience building Microsoft 365 Copilot extensions, Copilot Studio agents, Graph connectors, and Teams message extensions.
Strong proficiency in Python, C#, or TypeScript for AI application development and API integration.
Experience implementing RAG architectures, vector databases, embeddings, and prompt flow orchestration.
Proven knowledge of MLOps/LLMOps, CI/CD for ML, model monitoring, and Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions.
Familiarity with Microsoft Purview for data governance, Microsoft Entra ID for identity, and Azure security best practices.
Experience with Power Platform integration, including Power Automate and Power Apps, to operationalize AI outputs.
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Data Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent work experience.

Nice To Haves

Relevant Microsoft certifications preferred: AI-102, DP-600, PL-300, or AI-900.

Responsibilities

Design and implement generative, agentic, predictive, and autonomous AI and machine learning solutions using Azure Foundry AI, including model selection, prompt engineering, RAG patterns, and responsible AI governance.
Develop end-to-end data and AI pipelines in Microsoft Fabric and Copilot Studio, leveraging Data Factory, Synapse Data Engineering, OneLake, Real-Time Analytics, and AWS Redshift.
Build and extend Microsoft 365 Copilot and custom Copilot agents using Copilot Studio, Graph connectors, and plugins to automate business processes.
Integrate Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Search, and Azure AI Document Intelligence into line-of-business applications and intranet experiences.
Architect semantic models, lake houses, and data warehouses in Microsoft Fabric to support AI workloads and analytics.
Develop secure APIs and orchestration layers using Azure Functions, Logic Apps, and API Management to expose AI capabilities.
Implement MLOps/LLMOps practices for model deployment, monitoring, evaluation, and versioning using Azure Machine Learning and Azure DevOps.
Collaborate with business stakeholders to identify high-value AI use cases, define success metrics, and deliver POCs and production solutions.
Ensure compliance with data privacy, security, and responsible AI standards, including content filtering, grounding, and auditability.
Provide technical documentation, architecture diagrams, and knowledge transfer to LIPA staff.
Assume project management duties, including planning, scheduling, monitoring, and presenting project status to stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
Troubleshoot and optimize performance, latency, and cost of AI solutions in Azure.