Senior Solutions Architect

Company Description

Job description

The Real-World Context

• **You will see legacy code and uneven documentation.**
• Some services are modern .NET 8; others are ASP.NET Framework 4.8 and WCF relying on "tribal knowledge."
• **You will own the vendor transition.**
• You need to define the boundaries, repo strategy, and handover steps to move ownership safely in-house.
• **You will build the future.**
• You will have the authority and influence to leave this platform cleaner, safer, and AI-enabled, transitioning from partly manual deployments to automated, secure DevSecOps pipelines.

1. Platform Takeover & Architecture Modernization

• **Map the As-Is:**
• Figure out what is currently running.
• Map components, integrations, environments, and deployment paths of the vendor-operated platform.
• **Own the Modernization Path:**
• Design a phased, risk-controlled architectural roadmap from ASP.NET 4.8/WCF to a clean .NET 8 (LTS) microservices ecosystem.
• **Set the Standards:**
• Establish API contracts, coding standards, and Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) to ensure the new internal team operates consistently.

2. Engineering Delivery & DevSecOps

• Execute the software development lifecycle (SDLC) in line with approved governance and Zero Trust security principles.
• Partner with Ops/DevOps to replace manual deployment habits with auditable CI/CD pipelines (approval gates, mandatory SAST scanning, artifact integrity, zero-downtime rollbacks).
• Oversee technical delivery timelines, resource allocation, and overall release readiness.

3. AI Implementation & Operationalization

• Execute the AI roadmap, leading the development, integration, and deployment of AI/ML models (NLP, Computer Vision, Predictive Analytics).
• Implement MLOps pipelines and full model lifecycle management to ensure AI solutions are scalable, monitored, and production-ready.
• Ensure AI systems strictly comply with data governance and enterprise security policies.

4. Cloud Infrastructure & System Integration

• Implement cloud architecture standards within Azure, optimizing for both modern AI workloads (GPU, model hosting) and legacy .NET integrations.
• Oversee complex data architectures bridging legacy and modern systems (SQL Server, MySQL).
• Monitor cost optimization, system performance, and infrastructure scalability.

5. Team Leadership & Localized AI Optimization

• Build, manage, and mentor an onsite, high-signal team of senior engineers, architects, and AI specialists.
• Translate tribal knowledge into structured, understandable documentation for the team.
• Supervise AI localization, ensuring Arabic NLP tuning, validation, and regional adaptability are culturally and linguistically precise.

6. Stakeholder Communication & Authority

• Translate deep technical challenges (both legacy untangling and AI scaling) into structured risk reports for executive leadership.
• Present updates clearly in both Arabic and English.
• *Authority Level:*
• Approves technical implementations, enforces governance, and escalates architectural risks. (Cannot override enterprise architecture board decisions).

Required Qualifications

• **Education:**
• Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, AI, Data Science, or a related technical field (or equivalent extensive architectural experience).
• **Experience:**
• 10+ years of engineering experience, with 3-4+ years in a dual architecture/AI leadership role.
• **Modernization Reality:**
• Proven experience in "vendor takeover" scenarios, legacy decoupling, and migrating legacy .NET to modern frameworks.
• **Tech Stack Fluency:**
• Deep, hands-on knowledge across ASP.NET Framework 4.8 + WCF, .NET 8 (LTS), SQL Server, and MySQL.
• **AI Leadership:**
• Proven experience deploying and operationalizing AI systems (MLOps) in production environments.
• **Language:**
• Native or professional fluency in Arabic and English (written and verbal).
• **Location:**
• Must be able to work 100% onsite at the Dubai office.

Core & Technical Competencies

• **Hybrid Architecture:**
• Ability to bridge legacy enterprise patterns with modern distributed/microservices architectures.
• **Azure Cloud Execution:**
• Deep implementation knowledge of Azure-native services, cloud scalability, and migration paths.
• **AI/MLOps Mastery:**
• Moving models from POC to monitored, production-grade environments (drift detection, retraining strategies).
• **Governance & Risk:**
• Identifying architectural and scalability risks, and structured decision-making within strict security/compliance mandates.
• **Frontend/Integration (Nice to have):**
• Working knowledge of React/Angular ecosystems to design BFF (Backend for Frontend) approaches, Python, or mobile integrations.

Required Technical Certifications

• AZ-204 – Azure Developer Associate
• AZ-104 – Azure Administrator Associate
• AI-102 – Azure AI Engineer Associate
• AZ-305 – Azure Solutions Architect Expert
• AZ-400 – Azure DevOps Engineer Expert
• DP-100 – Azure Data Scientist Associate
• *Optional but Valuable:*
• Kubernetes on Azure (AKS), Azure Security Engineer (AZ-500), Advanced MLOps/Model Monitoring specializations.
• **To Apply:**
• Please include a short note detailing the largest legacy system you have modernized (what it was, what you changed, and how you managed risk) alongside your experience in operationalizing AI systems.