AI Technical Lead

Employment Type: Full-Time FLSA Status: Exempt Pay Type: Salary, Exempt. $115,000 - $140,000 annual base salary, depending on experience Work Location: Remote. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship. This position is open only to candidates currently residing in the United States. Travel Requirement: Occasional travel for all-team meetings and client workshops AI Technical Lead Purpose of this Position The AI Technical Lead is a seasoned AI practitioner and trusted client consultant who serves as the senior technical voice of VeilSun’s AI Practice. This role is consultant first. Before a model is selected or an integration is built, the Technical Lead has done the harder and more important work. They have learned the client’s business, their data, and their goals, and achieved Radical Alignment on what AI should accomplish and why. Radical Alignment is genuine, documented agreement with the client on what is being built, why it is being built, and what success looks like before development begins. This role combines hands-on AI engineering depth with the consultative presence to guide enterprise AI roadmaps and AI service package engagements. Their expertise goes well beyond third-party AI tools. It includes models, APIs, MCP servers, and the work of connecting AI securely to client data and schemas. The AI Technical Lead also carries an internal mandate. They redesign how VeilSun delivers, prove on real projects that AI can compress weeks of technical work into days, and build AI capability across the delivery organization. Low code moves the work. AI makes it intelligent. This role makes that promise real for our clients and keeps VeilSun’s low-code practices competitive and growing. Business Outcomes Success in this role means AI engagements deliver measurable client value, VeilSun delivers faster with leaner teams, and AI capability is spreading across the delivery organization. You will be measured on: Engagement quality. AI roadmaps and service package engagements are technically sound, right-sized, and tied to client business outcomes. Client satisfaction. Clients feel heard, informed, and confident. Risks around data, security, and model behavior are surfaced early and worked through together. Acceleration results. Complex work such as data mapping and code generation moves from weeks or months to days. Results are measured, documented, and repeatable. Team enablement. Delivery team members, including PMs and leadership, show measurable growth in AI skills and day-to-day adoption. Knowledge distribution. AI expertise is held by multiple team members, not one person. Commercial discipline. Meets the billable utilization target agreed with AI Practice leadership. Estimates are accurate and margin is protected. Core Responsibilities Enterprise AI Roadmapping & Client Consulting Serve as the technical expert on enterprise AI roadmap and AI service package engagements, partnering with the AI Services Lead and the project lead. Lead discovery with discipline. Learn the client’s business, data landscape, and systems before recommending an AI approach. Achieve Radical Alignment on AI use cases, success measures, and boundaries before any build begins. Translate AI possibilities into practical, phased roadmaps that deliver value in small, high-value increments. Advise clients candidly on what AI can and cannot do today. Redirect them away from poorly fit use cases, unsafe data practices, or oversized investments. Educate client stakeholders on tradeoffs among cost, accuracy, security, and speed so they can make informed decisions. Partner with the Solution Engineer during the handoff from sales so technical design and estimates carry into delivery intact. AI Engineering & Architecture Design and build AI solutions that go beyond off-the-shelf tools, including model selection, API integration, prompt and agent design, and MCP server development. Connect AI to client data and schemas securely, with attention to data quality, access controls, and governance. Integrate AI capabilities with the Quickbase, Mendix, and custom web applications delivered by VeilSun’s other practices. Serve as the primary technical authority on assigned AI engagements. Make and defend architecture decisions with confidence. Establish and document AI development standards, reusable patterns, and evaluation practices for the practice. Validate AI output quality through testing and evaluation. Keep a human in the loop where the risk calls for it. Delivery Model Modernization Redesign VeilSun’s delivery methods so engagements of $400K to $500K can be run by a project lead and one developer, with QA added when needed. Identify where AI can compress effort across the delivery lifecycle, including requirements, data mapping, code generation, testing, and documentation. Prove new approaches on real client projects. Measure the results and turn what works into repeatable practice. Partner with the PMO and Delivery Team Managers to update estimating, staffing, and quality practices to fit the new model. AI-Accelerated Development Show the team, on live engagements, how AI cuts complex technical work like data mapping and code generation from weeks or months to days. Build and share the tools, prompts, workflows, and templates that let other developers repeat those results. Protect quality while moving faster. AI-generated work is reviewed, tested, and maintainable before it reaches a client. Internal Initiatives & Platform Depth Help build and accelerate VeilSun’s internal MCP integration between Claude and Quickbase. Work with the related work group as testers. Gather feedback, prioritize fixes, and move the integration toward production use. Learn and build VeilSun’s depth on RapidMiner AI Studio and AI Graph with existing team members so the expertise does not sit with one person. Apply AI to keep VeilSun’s Quickbase practice competitive and growing through new offerings, faster delivery, and stronger client outcomes. Team Enablement & Change Leadership Lead workshops, coaching, and hands-on sessions that build AI skills across delivery, including Developers, PMs, and leadership. Drive the change toward AI-first thinking about what is technically possible and how long it should take. Meet people where they are. Tailor enablement to each role and build real confidence, not just awareness. Mentor Developers through pairing, reviews, and direct coaching on AI-assisted development. Contribute to the practice’s knowledge base. Document solutions, patterns, and lessons learned in a form others can use. Risk Identification & Commercial Discipline Scan engagements continuously for technical, data, security, scope, and client relationship risks. Raise them with enough lead time for the team to act, not react. Escalate architectural and delivery risks to AI Practice leadership before they become delivery problems. Balance billable delivery with enablement and internal initiative work deliberately. Meet the utilization target agreed with AI Practice leadership. Size AI workstreams with practiced accuracy. Recognize when scope expansion warrants a change order and coordinate rather than absorbing it silently. Business Development Support Identify new AI use cases and account growth within assigned clients. Coordinate with the Account Manager on growth opportunities. Support pre-sales efforts including technical discovery, AI readiness assessments, and proof-of-concept development when needed. Decision Authority You have authority to: Make architecture, model, and integration design decisions on assigned AI engagements. Hold or redirect scope on active engagements, in coordination with the project lead or AI Practice leadership. Require rework when AI solutions do not meet quality, security, or architectural standards. Pilot new AI-accelerated delivery methods on assigned engagements, in agreement with the project lead. Recommend AI tools, platforms, and models for delivery and internal use, within VeilSun’s AI governance policies. Escalate technical risks, data concerns, scope issues, or client issues to AI Practice leadership. Desired Behaviors & Attributes Consultant First. Approaches every engagement as a business consultant who happens to be a deep AI practitioner. Starts with the client’s problem, not the technology. Radical Alignment. Does not build until alignment is real. Re-validates use cases, data assumptions, and success measures throughout the engagement. Deep Technical Fluency. Understands how models, APIs, and data actually work, not just how tools present them. Stays current without being prompted. Proves It. Shows what is possible with working results on real projects, not slides. Measures outcomes and shares them openly. Change Leadership. Moves people toward AI-first thinking with patience and conviction. Challenges assumptions about what is possible and how long it should take. Teacher at Heart. Builds capability in others rather than becoming the bottleneck. Knows the difference between doing the work and building someone’s capacity to do it. Boldness and Directness. Says what needs to be said to clients, teammates, and leadership. Pushes back on unrealistic AI expectations while keeping the relationship intact. Responsible Judgment. Treats client data, security, and AI governance as non-negotiable. Knows when a human must stay in the loop. Composure Under Pressure. Steady when experiments fail, timelines compress, or clients are frustrated. Sets the tone for the team and does not pass stress downward. Failure Patterns We Avoid Building before Radical Alignment. Starting an AI build before use cases, data, and success measures are agreed is a fundamental failure of this role. Leading with the technology. AI is a means, not the goal. Solutions must tie back to the client’s business outcomes. Overpromising. Unrealistic claims about what AI can do damage client trust and VeilSun’s credibility. Staying at the surface. Relying only on third-party tools when the engagement calls for deeper engineering. Demonstrating without delivering. Proofs of concept that never become repeatable practice do not change how VeilSun works. Hoarding expertise. Knowledge that sits with one person is a business risk, not job security. Trading quality for speed. Faster delivery never excuses unreviewed, untested, or unmaintainable AI-generated work. Ignoring data security and governance. Connecting AI to client data without proper controls is unacceptable. Leaving people behind. Enablement that builds awareness but not skill and confidence does not change behavior. Letting scope drift without surfacing it. Scope integrity is a core responsibility of this role, not the project lead’s alone. Preferred Capabilities 5+ years of software development or technical consulting experience, including 1+ years of hands-on AI solution delivery. Hands-on experience with LLM APIs such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, or Google, including prompt design, tool use, and agent patterns. Experience building or integrating MCP servers and connecting AI to enterprise data sources, APIs, and database schemas. Proficiency in at least one language commonly used for AI integration, such as Python or TypeScript. Experience with data science, analytics, or AI modeling platforms. VeilSun currently uses RapidMiner AI Studio and AI Graph, but experience with similar tools is acceptable, along with the willingness to build depth on ours. Experience with low-code platforms, especially Quickbase or Mendix, is a strong plus. Demonstrated experience leading client engagements from discovery through delivery in a consulting environment. Experience designing and delivering technical training, workshops, or enablement programs. Working knowledge of AI governance, data privacy, and security practices. Familiarity with Agile and Waterfall delivery methodologies. Strong written and verbal communication across technical and non-technical audiences. Compensation & Benefits The annual base salary range for this position is $115,000–$140,000, depending on experience. VeilSun offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life and supplemental insurance, short- and long-term disability, eligibility to participate in company stock or equity programs, 401(k), paid vacation, and sick time. Inclusion & Accommodations VeilSun is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law. VeilSun also complies with all applicable laws regarding employment eligibility and verification. VeilSun provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and hiring process. Applicants who require a reasonable accommodation to submit an application or participate in the interview process should contact VeilSun’s Talent Management team at [email protected]. Learn more about us atwww.veilsun.com