Software Architect - Consultant - Artificial Intelligence

Position is Fully Remote with occasional onsite visits to Columbia, SC required.
Candidate MUST be a SC resident. No relocation allowed. 
 

Project Overview
This position will support Office of Technology and Information Services (OTIS) and the State’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center of Excellence by providing technical expertise for the evaluation, design and responsible implementation of artificial intelligence solutions. The role will contribute to the development of secure architectures, reusable technical patterns, prototypes and feasibility assessments; evaluate AI products, platforms, tools, models and services; and support statewide validation and approval processes for AI use cases and vendors. The position will also assist agencies in identifying opportunities, understanding risks and implementing AI strategies that align with organizational goals, security requirements and statewide standards.

Background screenings required for this position:

• 7-year standard background check
• Credit history
• Driving Record (MVR)
• E-Verify
• SLED Check
• CJIS certification required for this position

Scope of the project:
As an artificial intelligence (AI) subject-matter expert, this position will support OTIS and the State’s AI Center of Excellence by providing technical expertise for the evaluation and responsible implementation of AI solutions. The role will assist state agencies and other government entities in assessing AI use cases, tools, risks and opportunities and developing secure, reusable technical approaches. The position will also contribute to statewide AI strategies and guidance that align with organizational goals and established governance, security and privacy requirements.

Daily Duties / Responsibilities:

1. Support the development and implementation of AI strategies that align with organization’s goals and objectives.
2. Contribute to the AI review and approval process for use cases and vendors, ensuring they meet established compliance and operational requirements across the state.
3. Support and promote the adoption of standardized AI processes.
4. Support the State’s AI Center of Excellence by contributing technical expertise to the design of secure architectures, development of reusable technical patterns, use case development, prototyping, feasibility assessments and responsible implementation of AI solutions.
5. Develop and maintain a high level of expertise in AI, positioning Office of Information Technology Services as a leader.

Required Skills
(Please ensure candidate’s relevant experience is listed with appropriate supporting documentation)

• 1 year of proven experience with establishing proof of concept success criteria and evaluating AI solutions against criteria.
• 2 years of hands-on experience with ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and comparable generative AI platforms.
• 2 years of experience designing and implementing AI agents and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) solutions.
• 1 year of experience using AI-assisted coding tools to accelerate development, testing, debugging, and documentation.
• 1 year of experience defining AI use case success criteria, key performance indicators (KPIs) and production monitoring measures for AI use cases.
• 1 year of experience building dashboards and reporting for AI adoption, performance, cost, risk, and operational outcomes.
• 1 year of hands-on experience integrating AI capabilities with Azure and AWS.

Preferred Skills

• Background in a variety of programming languages and principals.
• Familiarity with the foundations of artificial neural networks (ANNs), transformers, natural language processing, image classification and time-series data.
• Experience with data tools and techniques for storing, retrieving, and cleaning data.

Required Education

• Undergraduate degree in computer science, data science, artificial intelligence or related field required; advanced degree preferred.

Other Skills/Duties

• Strong communication and knowledge-transfer skills.
• Advanced report writing ability.
• Excellent communication skills and relevant public speaking.
• Experience working on complex projects.