AI Design Services Architect/ Hands-on AI Engineering Lead

AI Design Services Architect / Hands-on AI Engineering Lead Role Summary We are looking for a hands-on AI Design Services Architect to lead the development of AI-enabled design capabilities across engineering, product design, CAD, documentation, and digital content workflows. This role will define the architecture, select the right AI platforms, build working prototypes, and partner with business, engineering, IT, and external vendors to deliver scalable AI design services. The ideal candidate combines strong AI/ML knowledge, practical software engineering skills, and real-world experience applying AI to design, CAD, PLM, product development, visualization, or technical documentation.

Key Responsibilities AI Design Strategy & Architecture Define the architecture for AI-based design services across engineering, product, and business workflows. Identify high-value AI use cases such as CAD-to-documentation, design automation, product visualization, image generation, assembly instructions, technical manuals, and knowledge search. Develop the AI services roadmap from proof of concept to production deployment.

Evaluate AI platforms, LLMs, computer vision models, generative design tools, and agent-based workflows. Design secure, scalable integration patterns with enterprise systems such as PLM, CAD, ERP, DAM, PIM, and document repositories. Hands-on Development Build working prototypes using AI/ML tools, APIs, LLM frameworks, and cloud services.

Develop AI agents, prompts, workflows, and automation pipelines. Create proof-of-concepts for CAD file interpretation, STEP file processing, assembly sequence generation, instruction manual creation, product rendering, and design assistance. Work with structured and unstructured data including CAD metadata, drawings, specifications, images, manuals, BOMs, and engineering documents.

Collaborate with software developers to convert prototypes into production-grade applications. Design & Engineering Workflow Enablement Partner with product engineering, industrial design, packaging, marketing, and operations teams to understand design workflows. Translate manual design and documentation processes into AI-assisted workflows.

Support use cases such as: CAD-to-assembly instructions CAD-to-technical manuals automated product image generation design variant generation engineering knowledge assistant BOM and drawing intelligence PLM document search and summarization AI-supported product configuration Establish validation processes to ensure technical accuracy, usability, and compliance. Governance, Security & Quality Define AI governance standards for design data, intellectual property, model usage, and human review. Ensure AI-generated outputs are traceable, reviewable, and approved by appropriate design or engineering owners.

Develop accuracy testing, hallucination controls, version control, and auditability for AI-generated design content. Partner with cybersecurity and legal teams to protect CAD files, product IP, customer data, and proprietary engineering knowledge. Vendor & Platform Management Evaluate and manage AI design vendors, CAD automation platforms, and cloud AI providers.

Lead vendor proofs of concept and technical assessments. Recommend build-versus-buy decisions. Ensure vendor solutions integrate with the company's enterprise architecture and security standards.

Required Qualifications 8+ years of experience in software architecture, enterprise applications, AI/ML, engineering systems, or digital product development. Hands-on experience with AI/ML, LLMs, generative AI, computer vision, or intelligent automation. Experience building AI prototypes using tools such as Python, APIs, LangChain/LlamaIndex, vector databases, OpenAI/Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, or similar platforms.

Strong understanding of design or engineering workflows, preferably involving CAD, PLM, product development, or technical documentation. Experience integrating AI services with enterprise systems, APIs, cloud platforms, and data repositories. Ability to translate business problems into AI-enabled technical solutions.

Strong hands-on technical capability; this is not a pure strategy or management role. Strong communication skills with the ability to work with engineering, IT, business, and executive stakeholders. Preferred Qualifications Experience with CAD/PLM platforms such as Creo, SolidWorks, Windchill, AutoCAD, Autodesk, Siemens NX, Teamcenter, or similar.

Experience with 3D file formats such as STEP, IGES, STL, OBJ, or CAD assemblies. Experience with AI-based image generation, 3D visualization, design automation, or digital twin technologies. Experience with product content creation, assembly instructions, service manuals, or technical documentation.

Knowledge of BOM structures, drawings, specifications, and engineering change processes. Experience with cloud-native architecture, microservices, serverless functions, and API-based integration. Familiarity with data governance, cybersecurity, IP protection, and responsible AI practices.

Technical Skills AI/ML: LLMs, RAG, AI agents, prompt engineering, computer vision, generative AI Programming: Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, APIs, scripting, automation Cloud: Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud AI services Data: Vector databases, SQL, document parsing, metadata extraction Enterprise Integration: REST APIs, middleware, event-driven architecture Engineering Systems: CAD, PLM, PDM, BOM, technical documentation systems Governance: AI security, model validation, auditability, human-in-the-loop review