AI Solutions Leader

AArete • Chicago, IL

5d • $235,000 - $280,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

AArete is seeking an AI Solutions Leader to spearhead the design, development, and implementation of enterprise AI solutions aimed at resolving complex business and operational challenges for both AArete and its clients. This role demands a blend of deep technical expertise and a consulting approach, requiring close collaboration with clients and internal leadership to define business problems, identify viable AI opportunities, and manage solutions from conception through to production deployment. It is a hands-on leadership position, ideal for a candidate with proven experience in designing, building, and deploying AI solutions in production environments, who is comfortable working directly with code, architecture, data, APIs, and engineering teams. The individual will also play a key role in shaping AArete's AI capabilities, creating reusable solutions and accelerators, and identifying avenues to deliver significant value through AI. The role necessitates the ability to thrive in a fast-paced consulting setting, manage multiple priorities and engagements, and communicate effectively with both executive stakeholders and technical teams.

Requirements

• 10+ years of relevant experience in technology, software engineering, data, advanced analytics, AI/ML, consulting, or related disciplines with a Bachelor’s Degree, or 14+ years of equivalent experience
• 4+ years of hands-on experience with AI, machine learning, advanced analytics, or intelligent automation
• Demonstrated recent experience personally designing, building, and deploying AI solutions into production environments
• Experience implementing multiple AI solutions in production, with the ability to clearly articulate individual technical contributions, architecture decisions, challenges, and outcomes
• Strong hands-on development capabilities using Python, SQL, APIs, and modern software-development practices
• Experience building generative AI applications, AI agents, retrieval-augmented generation solutions, conversational AI, predictive models, or intelligent automation solutions
• Hands-on experience with model selection, prompt engineering, embeddings, vector databases, evaluation frameworks, guardrails, monitoring, and performance optimization
• Experience integrating AI solutions into complex enterprise environments, applications, workflows, and data platforms
• Familiarity with enterprise AI and data platforms such as Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, Databricks, Snowflake, Salesforce, Microsoft Power Platform, or similar technologies
• Understanding of cloud architecture, data engineering, DevOps, MLOps, LLMOps, testing, observability, and production-support requirements
• Proven ability to move AI solutions from prototype or proof of concept into secure, scalable production environments
• Experience working directly with business and technical stakeholders to define problems, evaluate AI use cases, develop technical approaches, and lead implementation
• Ability to estimate implementation effort, define resource requirements, manage delivery risks, and develop practical implementation plans
• Strong executive communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business recommendations
• Ability to operate effectively across multiple concurrent initiatives and adapt quickly to changing priorities in a dynamic environment
• Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, or providing technical direction to engineers, data scientists, architects, or other technical professionals
• Willingness to engage in direct client interaction, including travel to client locations
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in consulting, professional services, systems integration, or another client-facing technology environment
• Experience delivering enterprise AI solutions within healthcare, health plans, or another highly regulated industry
• Working knowledge of healthcare payer functions such as claims, enrollment, member and provider services, care management, utilization management, payment integrity, risk adjustment, quality, or finance
• Familiarity with healthcare data, privacy, security, compliance, and responsible-use requirements
• Experience working with distributed or global engineering and delivery teams
• Based in Chicago, IL, and flexible to work from our Chicago office as needed

Responsibilities

• Partner with clients and AArete leaders to understand complex business and operational challenges and translate them into practical AI use cases and implementation strategies
• Lead AI engagements from discovery and business-case development through solution architecture, implementation, testing, deployment, and production support
• Design, prototype, code, test, troubleshoot, and deploy AI solutions while providing technical leadership to engineering and data teams
• Build and implement generative AI applications, agentic AI workflows, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) solutions, conversational AI, predictive models, and intelligent automation solutions
• Design enterprise AI architectures that integrate with existing data platforms, applications, APIs, workflows, security controls, and operating models
• Develop implementation plans, technical requirements, resource estimates, delivery timelines, and solution architectures for AI initiatives
• Lead model selection, prompt engineering, RAG design, model evaluation, performance optimization, guardrails, monitoring, and other activities required to deliver reliable AI solutions
• Move AI initiatives beyond demonstrations and proofs of concept into secure, scalable, production-ready solutions
• Diagnose and resolve technical challenges related to data quality, integration, performance, hallucinations, security, scalability, and adoption
• Design solutions across modern cloud, data, and enterprise platforms such as Azure, AWS, Databricks, Snowflake, and Salesforce
• Establish standards and best practices for responsible AI, privacy, security, testing, monitoring, governance, and human oversight
• Develop reusable AI accelerators, reference architectures, demonstrations, frameworks, and delivery playbooks that can be leveraged across clients and engagements
• Work directly with client executives, business leaders, architects, engineers, data scientists, and other stakeholders to communicate AI opportunities, limitations, risks, costs, and tradeoffs
• Recruit, mentor, and provide technical leadership to AI engineers, data scientists, architects, and consultants
• Partner across AArete to identify opportunities to embed AI into client solutions, internal capabilities, and broader transformation initiatives
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies, platforms, and partnerships based on their enterprise applicability and commercial potential
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• Flexible PTO
• monthly half-day refuels
• volunteer time off
• 10 paid holidays
• Own Your Day flexible work policy
• Competitive majority employer-paid benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401K Match
• Generous paid parental leave options
• Employer paid Life Insurance, STD, LTD
• Charitable contribution matching program
• New client commission opportunities
• referral bonus program
• Bike share discount program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior