Lead AI Forward Deployed Engineer - Databricks

Lead AI Forward Deployed Engineer – Databricks

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ON Data Staffing is partnering with a leading Data & AI consultancy to recruit an experienced Lead AI Forward Deployed Engineer – Databricks to join their growing consulting practice.

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This is a senior, highly client-facing engineering role focused on designing, building, and deploying AI-native solutions on Databricks.

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You'll work directly with enterprise clients to understand complex business problems, assess their data and AI architecture, define the right technical approach, and build production-grade AI solutions that create measurable business impact.

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This role combines AI Engineering, Data Engineering, Solution Architecture, and hands-on development, so we're looking for someone who can move comfortably from client discovery and architecture through to building and deploying the solution.

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What You'll Be Doing

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• Work directly with business and technical stakeholders to identify high-value AI and Data use cases
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• Design, build, and deploy production-grade AI solutions on Databricks
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• Lead client discovery sessions covering business workflows, data availability, AI opportunities, platform maturity, integrations, and success criteria
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• Architect AI-native data platforms supporting agentic workflows, RAG, semantic analytics, model deployment, retrieval systems, and operational AI applications
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• Build solutions using Mosaic AI, Databricks Agents, Model Serving, Vector Search, MLflow, Unity Catalog, Databricks Apps, Genie, and Lakebase
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• Develop AI agents, RAG applications, semantic layers, data products, and decision-support applications
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• Partner with AI Engineering, Data Engineering, Analytics, Security, and Governance teams to deliver secure and scalable AI solutions
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• Build prototypes, AI demos, technical reference architectures, and reusable accelerators
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• Take AI solutions from proof of concept through to production
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• Support technical pre-sales and help shape AI and Databricks-led client opportunities
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• Contribute to technical thought leadership and the continued development of the wider AI & Databricks practice
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What We're Looking For

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We're looking for an experienced AI Engineer / Forward Deployed Engineer who combines strong Databricks expertise with a builder's mindset and excellent client-facing skills.

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You'll ideally have:

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• Strong experience across AI Engineering, ML Engineering, Data Engineering, Solution Architecture, or Software Engineering
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• Hands-on experience building and deploying AI/ML solutions on Databricks
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• Strong Python and SQL skills
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• Experience with Mosaic AI, MLflow, model deployment, Databricks Workflows, and Unity Catalog
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• Experience with modern enterprise AI patterns including RAG, AI Agents, model serving, vector search, semantic layers, and evaluation frameworks
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• Experience translating ambiguous business problems into technical AI solutions
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• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage executives, architects, engineers, and business stakeholders
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• The ability to move comfortably between strategy, architecture, and hands-on AI engineering
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• Experience taking AI solutions from prototype through to production
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AI & Databricks Experience

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Experience across the following would be highly desirable:

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• Generative AI and RAG
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• AI Agents and agentic workflows
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• Mosaic AI
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• Databricks Agents
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• Model Serving
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• Vector Search
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• MLflow
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• Databricks Apps
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• Genie
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• Lakebase
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• Feature pipelines and feature stores
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• Semantic layers and analytics
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• AI evaluation, monitoring, and governance
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• Production ML and AI deployment patterns
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Ideal Background

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• Previous experience within Consulting, Professional Services, Forward Deployed Engineering, AI Engineering, Solution Architecture, or technical client delivery
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• Strong hands-on Databricks and AI/ML delivery experience
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• Databricks certifications are highly desirable
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• Experience with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform
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• Experience designing and deploying production GenAI, ML, or agentic AI systems
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• Comfortable creating architecture diagrams, technical roadmaps, prototypes, demos, and reusable AI accelerators
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• Strong understanding of building secure, governed, scalable, production-ready AI systems
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• Passion for helping enterprise organisations use Databricks as the foundation for enterprise AI at scale
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