AI and Data Consultant – Team Lead

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Provide client solutions while offering daily leadership for consultants and contract delivery resources.

• Allocate approximately 70% of work to billable client delivery and 30% to non-billable team leadership and practice support.

• Conduct discovery sessions, clarify requirements and acceptance criteria, estimate workloads, and discuss delivery trade-offs.

• Develop and enhance data pipelines and platforms utilizing SQL, Python, Microsoft Fabric, Azure data services, and Databricks.

• Deliver validated datasets for analytics and AI applications.

• Integrate Azure AI and Azure OpenAI functionalities into client solutions, ensuring output quality, data management, and failure handling are validated.

• Implement access controls, data quality assessments, security protocols, version control, automated testing, and deployment pipelines.

• Oversee assigned tasks through implementation, validation, documentation, and handoff processes.

• Collaborate with project managers on timelines, efforts, dependencies, budgets, scope, and client acceptance.

• Identify risks, blockers, and changes in scope, while recommending recovery actions.

• Establish expectations, assign responsibilities and deliverables, and follow up with consultants and contractors.

• Mentor team members through regular check-ins, feedback sessions, developmental actions, and progress evaluations.

• Review code, configurations, data pipelines, AI outputs, and documentation; organize peer reviews and verify corrections.

• Manage workload, staffing priorities, onboarding, access, delivery expectations, and handoffs.

• Track task statuses and ensure timesheet accuracy.

• Facilitate cross-training, knowledge exchange, reusable methodologies, templates, candidate evaluations, and onboarding processes.

• Provide weekly updates on team delivery, capacity, risks, quality issues, coaching, reviews, corrective measures, and evidence of improvements.

⛳️ Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in data engineering, analytics, or AI, including practical Microsoft Azure delivery and client-facing consulting roles.

• Proven experience in leading or mentoring consultants, engineers, or contractors, encompassing expectation setting, work review, and addressing delivery issues.

• Proficient in SQL and practical skills in Python.

• Hands-on experience with at least two platforms such as Microsoft Fabric, Databricks, Azure Synapse Analytics, or Azure SQL.

• Experience in implementing AI integrations and validating their functionalities.

• Knowledgeable in data quality, access controls, and secure management of client data.

• Understanding of data lakes, warehouses, pipelines, and analytics, as well as how prepared datasets support Power BI and AI applications.

• Familiarity with Git, testing, release procedures, and technical documentation.

• Ability to assess a team member's work and provide constructive feedback.

• Excellent client communication, accurate estimation skills, and the ability to balance delivery obligations with team leadership duties.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

• Preferred: Experience leading diverse teams across various client engagements.

• Preferred: Experience with Spark, event-driven data integration, AI assessment, or managing machine learning solutions in production.

• Preferred: Familiarity with Elastic, Tines, infrastructure as code, or delivery automation.

• Preferred: Relevant Microsoft certifications in data engineering, analytics, Azure, or AI.

🏝️ Benefits

• Leadership development: Gain coaching and team leadership experience with dedicated time allocated to this work.

• Technical growth: Collaborate with architects and consultants, contribute to shared delivery practices, and enhance expertise through training and client projects.

• Remote work arrangement.