Azure AI Architect

As a Azure AI Architect you will make an impact as the primary point of contact for all domain-related queries and issues. You will be a valued member of the team and work collaboratively with management, team members and client. We believe remote/hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this roleu2019s business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring 3-4 days a week in the client or Cognizant office. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance though our various wellbeing programs. The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project youu2019re engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations. Location: San Francisco, Remote, Canada Role & Responsibilities: AI Architecture + Architect design and implement enterprise search solutions using Azure AI Search Azure OpenAI and related Azure AI technologies + Lead the development of RAG architectures combining Azure AI Search and LLMs to enable knowledge grounded conversational AI and intelligent assistants + Build and optimize indexing pipelines including ingestion enrichment and meta data driven content processing for both structured and unstructured data + Implement semantic and vector search capabilities using embeddings for natural language queries and contextual relevance + Define and enforce search architecture best practices governance standards and scalability frameworks across enterprise implementations Integration Data Connectivity u00b7 Integrate Azure AI Search with Microsoft Graph Microsoft Search and external data sources such as SharePoint databases file systems and SaaS applications u00b7 Design and deploy custom connectors and API based ingestion pipelines to unify enterprise content into Azure AI Search u00b7 Establish security compliance and access control mechanisms aligned with organizational standards u00b7 Architect solutions with high availability HA disaster recovery DR and performance optimization considerations AI and RAG Enablement u00b7 Lead the implementation of retrieval augmented generation RAG frameworks to enhance LLM based chatbot accuracy reliability and contextual grounding u00b7 Collaborate with AI engineering and data teams to finetune models integrate vector databases and deliver knowledge driven conversational AI u00b7 Design and optimize AI orchestration pipelines leveraging Azure Bot Service Azure Functions and Azure API Management for scalable delivery u00b7 Continuously improve AI and search relevance using analytics telemetry and feed back driven tuning Microsoft Ecosystem Integration u00b7 Configure and extend Microsoft Search and Graph Connectors to complement Azure AI Search solutions u00b7 Integrate Azure AI Search outputs into Microsoft 365 Teams or custom Copilot experiences to enhance enterprise productivity u00b7 Leverage Microsoft Search Analytics and Azure insights to measure performance and drive adoption u00b7 Provide strategic architectural guidance on the intersection of search AI and knowledge management within the Microsoft Cloud ecosystem Required Skills: + 10 years of experience in enterprise search AI or cloud architecture with at least 5 years in Azure based environments + Proven expertise in Azure AI Search Cognitive Search and Azure OpenAI solution design and deployment + Strong understanding of RAG architecture semantic retrieval vector indexing and AI search integration patterns + Handson experience in content crawling indexing and data integration across multiple repositories + Deep technical knowledge of Microsoft Graph Azure Functions Event Grid and Logic Apps for data orchestration + Experience designing secure scalable architectures that comply with enterprise governance and compliance frameworks + Excellent communication and leadership skills to drive architecture vision and mentor technical teams Preferred Skills u00b7 Experience integrating Azure OpenAI with Copilot Studio Azure Cognitive Services or custom GPT based solution u00b7 Familiarity with Azure Synapse Azure Data Lake or Cosmos DB for data integration and enrichment u00b7 Knowledge of C Python or TypeScript for automation connectors and custom AI integration u00b7 Relevant certifications such as Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert or Azure AI Engineer Associate Applications will be accepted until 11/21/2025. The annual salary for this position is between $105,750 u2013 $167,500 depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate. This position is also eligible for Cognizantu2019s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizantu2019s applicable plans. Benefits : Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: u00b7 Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance u00b7 Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off u00b7 401(k) plan and contributions u00b7 Long-term/Short-term Disability u00b7 Paid Parental Leave u00b7 Employee Stock Purchase Plan Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Created: 2025-11-17