Director, AI Architect & Engineer

Core Spaces•Chicago, IL

20d•$205,000 - $215,000

About The Position

The AI Architect & Engineering Director is a hands-on technical leader responsible for designing, building, and deploying artificial intelligence solutions across the organization. This role blends deep practical experience with Databricks-based machine learning, modern AI platforms, and Microsoft’s AI ecosystem, with the ability to translate business needs into working, production-grade systems. This is not solely an advisory role. The ideal candidate actively architects, prototypes, and implements AI solutions, while also shaping long-term strategy, governance, and adoption. They will serve as both the principal AI engineer and the strategic leader defining how AI is responsibly applied across operations, development, leasing, and asset management.

Requirements

5+ years in a senior leadership role designing and deploying AI systems at scale
Proven, hands-on experience building ML models in Databricks (not just managing teams that do)
Deep experience with PySpark/Spark ML, modern Python ML frameworks, and end‑to‑end ML lifecycle management, from model training through deployment and ongoing monitoring
Experience integrating ML/AI solutions into production systems
Experience translating business problems into technical solutions and back again
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related technical field required, or equivalent practical experience

Nice To Haves

Microsoft Copilot Studio or Microsoft AI tooling
Applying AI in real estate, finance, operations, or asset-heavy industries
Machine Learning Ops patterns and CI/CD for data and ML workloads

Responsibilities

Hands-On AI Architecture & Development
Design, build, and maintain end-to-end AI solutions using Databricks, including:
Feature engineering pipelines
ML model training, evaluation, and tuning
Model deployment and monitoring in production
Develop machine learning models directly in Databricks (e.g., predictive models, classification, forecasting, NLP, and applied generative AI use cases)
Leverage Databricks AI capabilities (MLflow model registry, feature stores, notebooks, jobs, and orchestration)
Build and integrate AI solutions with existing enterprise systems (Yardi, Salesforce, ERP, BI platforms, internal applications)
Prototype quickly, validate value, and harden solutions for production use
AI Platforms & Tooling
Design and implement AI solutions using:
Databricks (core requirement)
Microsoft Copilot Studio and related Microsoft AI services
Azure-native data and AI services where appropriate
Evaluate when to use traditional ML vs. generative AI vs. automation
Own the technical decisions around model selection, architecture, and scalability
AI Strategy
Define and maintain the enterprise AI roadmap based on what can be realistically built and supported
Identify high-value, practical AI use cases tied to measurable business outcomes (cost reduction, revenue lift, operational efficiency)
Balance experimentation with production readiness
Governance, Reliability & Responsible AI
Implement practical AI governance that does not slow delivery, including:
Model versioning and lineage
Performance monitoring and drift detection
Data privacy and security controls
Ensure AI systems are explainable, auditable, and aligned with internal standards
Execution & Delivery
Oversee the development and deployment of AI products, tools, and automations
Manage vendor relationships with AI platforms, cloud providers, and consulting partners
Build and lead a high-performing AI team (engineers, data scientists, analysts)
Create documentation, playbooks, and best practices for AI adoption across the company
Occasional travel may be necessary as needed
Perform all other duties and tasks as assigned by management
Must be able to complete all physical requirements of this role with or without a reasonable accommodation

Benefits

A culture that provides you with a sense of belonging
Hybrid or remote work options may vary by role to support work-life balance
Competitive pay that values your contributions
Incentives designed to reward your achievements
Paid flexible PTO to disconnect or celebrate life milestones
Paid 14+ holidays, including your birthday, to disconnect and celebrate
Paid Parental Leave that begins after 90 days
Paid volunteer time off to give back to your community
Monthly workshop weeks; fewer meetings & more collaboration
Robust health plan options that begin within at least 30 days of your employment
Monthly phone reimbursement
Wellness allowance and perks, including a yearly subscription to a meditation app
An environment that provides you a voice to share your perspectives
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for access to confidential support services
Company retirement options including 401(k) + matching & Roth account option