Job Title

Role Overview We are seeking a highly skilled Azure AI Foundry Architect to design, build, and scale enterpriseu2011grade AI solutions using Microsoftu2019s Azure AI ecosystem. This role requires a handsu2011on technical leader with deep expertise in agentic AI architectures , orchestration frameworks, and cloudu2011native engineering. You will drive the endu2011tou2011end AI solution lifecycleu2014from experimentation to productionu2014ensuring secure, scalable, and responsible AI adoption across the organization. Key Responsibilities AI Architecture & Solution Design + Architect and handsu2011on develop endu2011tou2011end AI solutions using Azure AI Foundry , including model lifecycle management, prompt orchestration, vector search, and evaluation pipelines. + Design and implement agentic AI architectures , including multiu2011agent workflows, toolu2011use patterns, retrievalu2011augmented generation (RAG), and autonomous tasku2011orchestration frameworks. + Build scalable, productionu2011ready solutions leveraging Azure OpenAI, Azure Machine Learning, Cognitive Search, AKS, Azure Functions, Event Grid, and API Management . + Create architectural blueprints, reusable components, and reference implementations. Agentic Systems & Orchestration + Handsu2011on development of AI agents capable of reasoning, planning, tool invocation, and multiu2011step task execution. + Implement and optimize orchestration frameworks such as Semantic Kernel, LangChain, AutoGen, Prompt Flow , or custom agent frameworks within Azure environments. + Apply Azureu2019s responsible AI tooling, guardrails, and governance controls to ensure safe and aligned agent behavior. Technical Leadership & Delivery + Lead technical discovery, solution workshops, and architecture reviews with engineering, data science, and product teams. + Translate business requirements into actionable, scalable AI architectures and implementation roadmaps. + Oversee and contribute to CI/CD automation, MLOps pipelines, and deployment workflows for AI workloads. + Provide handsu2011on guidance during development, testing, optimization, and production rollout. Governance, Security & Compliance + Implement enterpriseu2011grade security patterns including identity, data protection, network isolation, and model governance. + Ensure compliance with organizational, regulatory, and responsible AI standards. + Establish monitoring, observability, and evaluation frameworks for model performance, drift, and safety. Innovation & Thought Leadership + Stay current with emerging AI technologies, agentic frameworks, and Azure AI platform capabilities. + Advise leadership on AI strategy, platform evolution, and opportunities for automation and transformation. + Mentor engineering teams on AI best practices, architectural principles, and modern development patterns. Required Qualifications Technical Expertise + 8+ years in software architecture or cloud engineering, with at least 3+ years focused on AI/ML solutions. + Demonstrated handsu2011on experience building and deploying solutions using Azure AI Foundry, Azure OpenAI, Azure Machine Learning, Cognitive Search, and Azure Data services . + Strong proficiency in Python , with additional experience in C#, .NET, or Java preferred. + Proven experience designing and building agentic AI systems, including multiu2011agent orchestration, toolu2011use, planning, and autonomous workflows. + Expertise with frameworks such as Semantic Kernel, LangChain, AutoGen, Prompt Flow , or similar. + Strong understanding of RAG architectures , embeddings, vector databases, and LLM optimization techniques. Architecture & Cloud Skills + Deep experience with cloudu2011native architecture , microservices, APIs, eventu2011driven systems, and distributed computing. + Handsu2011on experience with DevOps/MLOps , CI/CD pipelines, Docker, and AKS. + Familiarity with enterprise security, identity (Azure AD), and governance frameworks. Soft Skills & Leadership + Excellent communication and stakeholderu2011management abilities. + Ability to lead crossu2011functional teams and drive architectural decisions. + Strong problemu2011solving mindset with the ability to simplify complex technical concepts. Preferred Qualifications + Azure certifications (e.g., Azure Solutions Architect Expert , Azure AI Engineer Associate , Azure Data Engineer Associate ). + Experience with responsible AI frameworks, model evaluation, and safety guardrails. + Background in largeu2011scale digital transformation or enterprise AI platform design. Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring company sponsorship now or at any time in the future.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.