Azure Data & AI Architect

eGroup is a remote‑first technology consulting organization and Microsoft partner, focused on delivering thoughtful, reliable solutions while building lasting relationships—with our clients and with one another. We are a nine‑time Microsoft Partner of the Year award winner, reflecting our deep technical expertise and commitment to excellence. Our people are at the center of our success, and we believe great work happens when employees feel trusted, supported, and respected. We are committed to integrity, collaboration, accountability, and creating an inclusive workplace where individuals can do meaningful work and continue to grow. eGroup is hiring a Azure Data & AI Architect to design and personally deliver modern data and AI solutions in the Microsoft ecosystem (Azure AI services, Microsoft Fabric, and Azure data platforms). This is a hands‑on consulting role — approximately 80% delivery / build work, with the remainder focused on continuous learning and occasional pre‑sales support. You’ll work directly with clients to understand their goals, translate ambiguity into a clear technical plan, and deliver solutions that are secure, scalable, and explainable to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders. This role is not research‑only, prompt‑only, or slideware‑focused. You will be expected to ship real solutions. This role is client‑facing. Clear, timely communication and follow‑through are part of the job. We review applications for specificity and real project ownership. If your application is generic, overly polished, or doesn’t show what you built, it will not move forward. Application requirement: Please answer the three short questions within this posting. Applications without these answers will not be reviewed. Key Responsibilities Lead End‑to‑End Solution Delivery Own delivery end‑to‑end: requirements → architecture → design → build → test → deployment Serve as the technical lead: set engineering standards, unblock delivery, and ensure quality across testing and release Architect AI Solutions Design and implement AI solutions using Azure AI services (e.g., Azure OpenAI, Cognitive Services, Azure Machine Learning) and, where appropriate, Copilot / Copilot Studio Emphasize security, governance, and real‑world usability over experimentation for its own sake Develop Modern Data Platforms Build data platforms using Azure data services (ADF, Databricks, Synapse, ADLS) and/or Microsoft Fabric Deliver production‑grade pipelines (ETL/ELT), storage and compute patterns, and data models supporting BI and AI workloads Leverage Automation & Power Platform (Bonus Skill) Use Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI) when it’s the right tool for rapid business value Power Platform experience is a plus, not the primary focus Collaborate Across Teams Partner with engineers and business stakeholders to translate requirements into buildable designs Coordinate with security and governance teams to ensure solutions meet best practices and client constraints Client Engagement & Communication Communicate architecture decisions — including tradeoffs — in plain language Act as a trusted advisor: align scope to outcomes, manage expectations, and keep clients informed when things change Innovation & IP Development Create reusable internal assets (reference architectures, accelerators, playbooks) that improve delivery quality Continuous Learning Stay current on Azure AI and data platform changes and apply learning pragmatically to client solutions Pre‑Sales Support (As Needed) Support early discovery, solution envisioning, and contribution to technical proposals, estimates, and SOWs Required Qualifications Experience 10+ years delivering technology solutions, including 5+ years leading data engineering, analytics, or AI work on Azure Clear evidence of personal ownership — you can explain what you built, why you chose it, and what you’d change next time Azure & Data Expertise Hands‑on experience with Azure AI services and Azure data platforms and/or Microsoft Fabric Architecture Judgment Ability to design scalable patterns (lakes, warehouses, modeling) and integrate AI responsibly into workflows Practical operational mindset (CI/CD and MLOps experience is a plus) Problem‑Solving & Adaptability Comfortable working in ambiguity, making tradeoffs explicit, and keeping delivery moving without hand‑holding Communication & Leadership Strong client‑facing communicator who can explain complex decisions clearly and lead technical direction confidently Education Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent professional experience Preferred Qualifications Consulting or professional services background Power Platform and Power BI experience Microsoft Fabric and data governance familiarity Azure DevOps, CI/CD, and infrastructure‑as‑code experience Relevant Microsoft certifications Python used in real production systems Experience writing and maintaining code for data processing, automation, or model deploy