Lead AI

Company Overview:

Dar, the founding member of the Sidara group, is an international multidisciplinary consulting organization specializing in engineering, architecture, planning, environment, project management, facilities management, and economics. Sidara operates in 60 countries with 20,500 professionals, Dar connects people, places, and communities through innovative solutions to the world's most complex challenges. We deliver projects from inception through completion, embracing challenges to empower communities worldwide. Learn more at www.dar.com.

Our Vision and Values:

We aspire to be the chosen home of those with a gift for crafting solutions that empower people and an unwavering passion for learning and innovation. Our core values shape our culture and guide our decision-making. We are committed to:

• Excellence
• Responsibility
• Empowerment
• Connectivity
• Courage

Role Overview

We are seeking a seasoned and visionary Lead, AI & Data Science to drive the strategy, development, and deployment of advanced AI solutions across our Digital Solutions department. This role is leadership and technically grounded, you will define and guide our AI roadmap, mentor a team of experts, and ensure delivery of world-class solutions. While you will not be coding daily, you must possess deep technical knowledge across the AI/ML spectrum and the ability to review, advise, and step in when critical decisions or mentorship are needed.

You will play a pivotal role in building and scaling the AI & Data Science team, shaping career paths, and representing the department in global events, partnerships, and thought leadership platforms.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Technical Leadership

• Define and lead the AI & Data Science vision and roadmap, aligned with business priorities.
• Provide technical oversight for AI initiatives across domains:
• Generative AI & LLMs (fine-tuning, RAG pipelines, multi-agent systems).
• Predictive Analytics & Time-Series Modeling.
• Computer Vision & Multimodal AI.
• Reinforcement Learning & Optimization.
• Knowledge Engineering & Semantic Search.
• Edge AI & Real-Time AI Deployments.
• Act as the architect and reviewer of AI systems, ensuring scalability, robustness, and compliance.
• Guide the adoption of MLOps best practices (CI/CD for ML, monitoring, retraining, governance).
• Drive innovation while balancing pragmatism and production readiness.

Mentorship & Team Development

• Build and grow a world-class AI & Data Science team, including hiring, onboarding, and performance management.
• Mentor and coach team members to elevate technical depth and problem-solving skills.
• Create career development plans, learning paths, and certification opportunities for the team.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, experimentation, and continuous improvement.

Collaboration & Representation

• Work closely with Product Managers, Solution Architects, and Engineering Leads to embed AI across the product suite.
• Translate business challenges into scalable, impactful AI solutions.
• Represent the department in industry conferences, technical forums, and client engagements.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in AI/ML, including at least 3 years in a technical leadership or team lead role.
• Strong knowledge (architectural & practical) of:
• LLMs, RAG, and AI Agents.
• Predictive analytics & time-series forecasting.
• Computer vision, multimodal learning, and geospatial AI.
• Reinforcement learning and optimization techniques.
• MLOps practices & data pipelines.
• Ability to review code, design architectures, and guide technical teams.
• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD is a plus) in Computer Science, AI, Data Science, or related technical field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with digital twins, IoT/OT data, and smart systems.
• Familiarity with vector databases.
• Knowledge of AI ethics, explainability, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience representing organizations at global conferences and industry summits.

Career Development & Opportunities

• Build and scale your own AI & Data Science team.
• Define career plans and growth frameworks for your team members.
• Access to continuous training, certifications, and skill development programs.
• Opportunities to attend and present at global AI/tech events.
• Collaborate with top-tier technology partners and thought leaders.