Senior AI Architect

Salary: £61,000 - 91,000 per year

Requirements:

• 8-10 years of experience in software architecture or technical lead roles, with 4-5 years focused on AI/ML platforms and data-intensive systems
• Proven experience designing end-to-end architectures or processes for AI/ML systems in production environments supporting large user bases
• Understanding of cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP
• Understanding of containerization technologies such as Kubernetes and Docker
• Understanding of MLOps frameworks and practices
• Understanding of Waterfall and Agile practices, including Kanban and SAFe
• Deep understanding of telecommunications systems and integration patterns with OSS/BSS, customer platforms, and network management systems
• Ability to work effectively with technical teams and business stakeholders, translating between technical and business language
• Proficiency in AI/ML technologies including model training platforms, deployment frameworks, data pipelines, and monitoring tools
• Experience with distributed systems design, API architecture, and microservices patterns for building scalable platforms
• Strong knowledge of database technologies, data warehousing, streaming platforms such as Kafka and Pulsar, and big data processing frameworks
• Excellent communication and presentation skills for explaining complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences and business stakeholders
• Understanding of budget planning, cost modelling, and operational considerations for large-scale technology platforms and businesses
• Ability to source, process, and analyse complex datasets to generate actionable insights that inform business and product decisions
• Desirable: hands-on coding and prototyping experience in AI/ML development using Python, TensorFlow, or PyTorch
• Experience with proof-of-concept development and technical validation of new AI technologies
• Background in data science or machine learning engineering with an understanding of model development workflows
• Practical experience with infrastructure-as-code and DevOps practices for AI platforms
• Knowledge of data management
• Experience in telecommunications, cable, or network infrastructure industries with understanding of subscriber analytics and operational systems
• Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Telecommunications, or a related technical field
• Background in hands-on development with Python, Java, or similar languages
• Knowledge of AI ethics, responsible AI practices, and regulatory requirements relevant to European telecommunications markets
• Experience with architectural frameworks and documentation practices for enterprise-scale systems

Responsibilities:

• Design and maintain comprehensive AI platform architecture spanning data pipelines, model development, infrastructure, deployment frameworks, and integration with on-prem and cloud platforms and applications
• Own the technical vision for AI platform evolution, ensuring our architecture supports current and future business requirements across customer experience, AI innovation, and operational efficiency use cases
• Define architectural standards, design patterns, and technology selection criteria that enable scalable, reliable AI implementations across multiple European markets and ventures
• Ensure architectural decisions consider operational requirements, budget constraints, and business priorities while maintaining technical excellence
• Take accountability for AI platform integration with our core telecommunications infrastructure and ventures, ensuring seamless data flow and system reliability
• Design integration patterns and API strategies that connect AI services with existing platforms while maintaining security, performance, and data quality standards
• Collaborate with enterprise architects and engineering teams to ensure AI solutions align with our overall technology architecture and infrastructure capabilities
• Establish output goals, monitoring, observability, and quality assurance practices for AI platform components, ensuring operational stability and performance targets are met
• Provide technical expertise and architectural guidance to engineering teams, data scientists, and product managers throughout the AI solution development lifecycle
• Work closely with business stakeholders to understand requirements, translate them into technical architectures, and communicate trade-offs, timelines, and resource needs clearly
• Review and approve technical designs, ensuring alignment with architectural standards and best practices while addressing scalability, security, and maintainability concerns
• Collaborate with operations teams on deployment strategies, capacity planning, and cost optimization for AI infrastructure and cloud resources
• Support comprehensive technical due diligence for potential acquisitions, investments, or partnerships
• Contribute to budget planning and cost optimization discussions, providing recommendations on infrastructure investments, cloud resource allocation, and technology choices
• Design architectures that optimize operational efficiency through automation, resource utilization, and smart platform design while meeting performance requirements
• Support capacity planning and infrastructure scaling decisions based on usage patterns, performance metrics, and business growth projections
• Participate in vendor evaluations and technology assessments, providing technical recommendations that balance capability, cost, and operational impact
• Define, refine, and optimise processes, frameworks, and context to ensure the right business outcomes
• Set lifecycle management expectations and govern end-of-existence models and components
• Define and validate business cases by establishing clear metrics, measurable outcomes, and ROI, ensuring solutions deliver tangible customer value and product impact

Technologies:

• AI
• API
• AWS
• Architect
• Azure
• Big Data
• Cloud
• DevOps
• Docker
• Flow
• GCP
• Support
• Java
• Kafka
• Kanban
• Kubernetes
• Machine Learning
• MLOps
• Model Training
• Network
• OSS
• PyTorch
• Python
• Security
• TensorFlow
• microservices

More:

We are seeking a Senior Architect AI to help design and oversee the end-to-end AI platform architecture powering our telecommunications services across a base of 85 million subscribers. This is a full-time role based in London or Reading. We offer the opportunity to work at the intersection of AI, telecommunications, and large-scale platform architecture, collaborating with engineering teams, business stakeholders, enterprise architects, operations, and product teams to deliver measurable business outcomes across customer experience, AI innovation, and operational efficiency.

last updated 34 week of 2026