AI Architect📣 Job Ad

About the Role

SAP is seeking an AI Architect to join its team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This role is instrumental in defining the architecture for intelligent, enterprise-grade applications and platforms, ensuring AI is a core design element. The architect will shape end-to-end solutions that encompass application services, integration layers, data architecture, event-driven systems, security, and AI/ML components. The work will directly influence the speed at which engineering teams can build, govern, and scale AI-enabled capabilities across products and customer scenarios.

The position is part of a growing AI and industry expert team focused on serving customers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This is a collaborative environment where deep AI expertise, strong industry knowledge, and regional understanding are combined to support customer innovation and transformation. The company fosters a culture of curiosity, ownership, and continuous learning, encouraging new ideas and valuing real-world impact. The role is suited for individuals who are customer-centric, motivated by outcomes, and comfortable navigating ambiguity in a rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the architecture for intelligent, enterprise-grade applications and platforms with AI as a core design element.
• Shape end-to-end solutions across application services, integration layers, data architecture, event-driven systems, security, and AI/ML components.
• Design patterns for model integration, batch and real-time inference, feature and data pipelines, vector search, LLM orchestration, agent frameworks, evaluation services, and responsible AI controls.
• Guide teams on scalability, resilience, interoperability, observability, privacy, and compliance.
• Ensure architecture choices support both near-term delivery and long-term platform evolution.
• Lead architecture reviews to influence engineering roadmaps and align technical direction across multiple teams or product areas.
• Communicate complex architectural decisions clearly to engineers, product leaders, and executive stakeholders.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Deep expertise in software architecture for large-scale distributed systems, including microservices, event-driven patterns, APIs, integration layers, and data platforms.
• Strong understanding of AI and ML system architecture, including training pipelines, inference layers, model lifecycle design, and ML platform capabilities.
• Experience designing enterprise-grade generative AI solutions using LLMs, embeddings, vector databases, RAG patterns, tool use, and orchestration frameworks.
• Skilled in designing scalable and secure application architectures that integrate transactional systems, analytical platforms, and AI-powered services.
• Strong knowledge of cloud-native architecture, including containers, Kubernetes, infrastructure automation, observability, resilience, and performance engineering.
• Experience defining reference architectures, design standards, and reusable technical patterns for AI-enabled product development.
• Strong understanding of data architecture, governance, metadata, privacy, and access patterns required to support trustworthy AI solutions.
• Ability to evaluate build-versus-buy decisions across models, platforms, data services, and integration tooling, articulating technical and business trade-offs.
• Knowledge of responsible AI, model governance, security controls, compliance requirements, and architectural guardrails for safe enterprise adoption.
• 6+ years of experience in software engineering, architecture, or a related field, with a strong track record of designing and delivering complex systems.
• Systems thinking ability, connecting architecture decisions to broader platform strategy and business outcomes.
• Technical leadership skills, influencing without authority and driving alignment across teams and organizations.
• Passion for building robust, extensible systems.
• Commitment to staying current with emerging technologies, particularly in AI, cloud, and distributed systems.

Required Skills

• Software architecture for large-scale distributed systems
• Microservices, event-driven patterns, APIs, integration layers, and data platforms
• AI and ML system architecture, including training pipelines, inference layers, model lifecycle design, and ML platform capabilities
• Enterprise-grade generative AI solutions, LLMs, embeddings, vector databases, RAG patterns, tool use, and orchestration frameworks
• Scalable and secure application architectures integrating transactional systems, analytical platforms, and AI-powered services
• Cloud-native architecture, including containers, Kubernetes, infrastructure automation, observability, resilience, and performance engineering
• Defining reference architectures, design standards, and reusable technical patterns for AI-enabled product development
• Data architecture, governance, metadata, privacy, and access patterns for trustworthy AI solutions
• Build-versus-buy decision analysis for AI components
• Responsible AI, model governance, security controls, compliance requirements, and architectural guardrails
• Architecture reviews, influencing engineering roadmaps, and aligning technical direction
• Systems Thinking
• Technical Leadership
• Communication

Work Environment and Location

This is a full-time, regular position based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The role involves professional career status with expected travel between 0-10%. SAP is committed to fostering an inclusive culture that prioritizes health and well-being, offering flexible working models. The company is committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provides accessibility accommodations to applicants with disabilities.