Job Title: Senior Data & AI Consultant (Senior Manager / Manager)

About the Company & the Role

Our client is a leading Global Business Consulting firm with presence in many countries and domains. We are seeking a Senior Data & AI Consultant (Manager/Sr. Manager Level) with 8–12 years of deep experience in Data Governance, Data Engineering, and AI/ML Engineering, with Microsoft Azure as a mandatory skillset.

This is a client-facing consulting role requiring strong technical expertise, strategic advisory capabilities, and leadership presence. You will lead enterprise-level Data & AI transformation programs across GCC markets.

Location: The role is based in Doha, Qatar with travel across GCC (UAE, KSA) as required.

Key Responsibilities

1. Data Strategy & Advisory

• Develop enterprise-wide Data & AI strategies aligned with business priorities.
• Assess organizational maturity and design end-to-end transformation roadmaps.
• Advise on data lifecycle management and Responsible AI frameworks.
• Conduct CXO-level workshops and stakeholder alignment sessions.

2. Data Architecture & Engineering (Azure-Focused)

• Architect modern data platforms on Microsoft Azure with scalability, security, and compliance.
• Design conceptual/logical/physical data models for operational and analytical workloads.
• Build batch and real-time data pipelines using Azure Data Factory, Synapse, Databricks, etc.
• Implement governance frameworks including data quality, metadata, lineage (Azure Purview).
• Collaborate with AI teams to ensure robust data readiness for ML workloads.

3. AI, Machine Learning & Advanced Analytics

• Lead full lifecycle AI/ML solution design and deployment.
• Build and operationalize ML & Generative AI use cases using Azure ML, OpenAI, Cognitive Services.
• Implement MLOps for CI/CD, monitoring, and model lifecycle governance.
• Embed Responsible AI principles — fairness, explainability, transparency.
• Build end-to-end data-to-model pipelines in collaboration with engineering teams.

4. Consulting, Pre-Sales & Thought Leadership

• Lead client workshops, PoCs, and pre-sales engagements.
• Support proposals, solution demos, and value-based use case design.
• Contribute to thought leadership via whitepapers, blogs, and speaking engagements.
• Mentor junior team members and cultivate a culture of excellence.

Required Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, AI, Information Systems, or related fields.
• 8–12 years in Data & AI consulting, architecture, or strategy roles.
• Strong working knowledge of Azure ecosystem (mandatory); familiarity with AWS/GCP is a plus.
• Experience across industries: Public Sector, FS, Oil & Gas, Government, Healthcare, Utilities.

Technical Expertise

A. Data Management

• Azure Data Factory, Synapse Analytics, Data Lake/Delta Lake, Databricks, Event Hubs, Stream Analytics.
• SQL, Python, Spark.
• Data modeling (conceptual/logical/physical), ETL/ELT, Data Quality frameworks.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Fabric and open-source tools (Airflow, Kafka, Presto).

B. Data Governance & Strategy

• Knowledge of DAMA-DMBOK, CMMI-DMM or similar frameworks.
• Experience with Informatica Governance Suite (Axon, IDQ, EDC, IDMC).
• Understanding of global data privacy, data sovereignty, and GCC regulatory expectations.
• Ability to define governance operating models and stewardship frameworks.

C. AI/ML Engineering

• Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, or Azure ML.
• Hands-on experience with Generative AI (LLMs, RAG, prompt engineering).
• Strong knowledge of MLOps and automated model lifecycle management.
• Experience in 3+ domains: NLP, Predictive Modeling, Computer Vision, Recommender Systems, Anomaly Detection.

Consulting & Leadership Skills

• Exceptional client-facing communication and stakeholder management.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into business value.
• Experience in pre-sales, proposals, and workshops.
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and delivery management capabilities.

Preferred Certifications

• Microsoft Certified
• Azure Data Engineer Associate
• Azure AI Engineer Associate
• Azure Solutions Architect
• DAMA CDMP or equivalent certification