AI Solutions Lead Engineer – Durbanville – Cape Town - Onsite

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:
ENVIRONMENT: Our client who specializes in end-to-end engineering for medium and heavy-duty platforms is seeking a business-oriented, innovation-driven problem solver to join them as an AI Solutions Lead Engineer. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of how manufacturing and engineering businesses operate and how complex workflows function, bringing structured problem-solving and hands-on thinking to the table. This position is business-driven and focused on operational strategy, engineering product ownership, and innovation. It is not a software or coding position. It is specifically not suited to persons pursuing programming or data science, as it does not involve coding or technical model deployment; it does, however, require owning prompt design, decision thresholds, curated knowledge inputs, response structures, and evaluation criteria.   DUTIES: AI Strategy & Opportunity Identification Identify high-value AI use cases across engineering, operations, HR, finance, and business development functions Engage with teams and map workflows to uncover opportunities for productivity improvement, automation, business insights, and competitive advantage Analyse industry and business trends and translate opportunities and challenges into structured problem and solution statements Assess operational processes, constraints, and technologies to determine AI solution viability Design, pilot, and refine AI-enabled workflows in collaboration with business stakeholders Business Case Development Prioritise AI opportunities based on business impact, effort, and speed to value Develop ROI-driven business cases aligned with operational objectives Present recommendations and strategic opportunities to senior leadership and stakeholders Stakeholder & Vendor Management Identify, evaluate, and collaborate with AI vendors, technology providers, and subject matter experts Act as the primary liaison between business units and AI delivery teams Translate business requirements into solution objectives and requirements Ensure solutions remain aligned with agreed business outcomes AI Solution Implementation & Change Management Lead discovery, design, pilot, and rollout activities for AI initiatives Define success metrics and monitor implementation progress Identify and remove execution roadblocks Develop and deliver training programmes to support AI adoption and capability development Drive organisational change management and user engagement initiatives Innovation & AI Advocacy Promote practical understanding and adoption of AI across the organisation Facilitate workshops, demonstrations, and awareness sessions Encourage innovation, experimentation, and continuous improvement practices Foster a culture of AI-enabled business transformation AI Solution Governance & Management Oversee AI tools, licensing, access management, and approved use cases Monitor adoption, effectiveness, compliance, and risk associated with AI solutions Drive corrective actions where required Ensure AI solutions remain scalable, practical, and aligned with business objectives AI Market Research & Technology Evaluation Monitor emerging AI technologies, tools, and industry developments Evaluate new AI platforms and capabilities against business requirements Identify practical, high-value innovations for implementation Ensure the organisation remains competitive and current in AI adoption AI Product Ownership Own the engineering AI product vision, roadmap, and backlog priorities Prioritise specialist-agent capabilities and AI use cases based on business value and urgency Define MVP requirements and phased delivery approaches Collaborate with technical teams on feasibility, dependencies, and delivery planning Specialist-Agent Management Define specialist-agent prompts, thresholds, knowledge sources, response structures, and evaluation criteria Manage specialist-agent content and domain configurations Establish escalation, abstention, and human-review requirements Participate in specialist-agent tuning and optimisation initiatives Knowledge Management & Engineering Content Ownership Curate engineering knowledge repositories, standards, taxonomies, and authoritative information sources Maintain source quality and knowledge governance practices Identify and nominate engineering content for AI knowledge integration SME Validation & Continuous Improvement Lead subject matter expert validation and review processes Identify knowledge gaps and opportunities for enhancement Define feedback mechanisms, review queues, and continuous improvement processes Support learning-loop initiatives for ongoing AI optimisation Use-Case Analysis & Solution Design Participate in AI use-case intake, classification, and evaluation processes Assess whether solutions require deterministic automation, probabilistic AI reasoning, or hybrid approaches Contribute domain expertise to workflow orchestration and routing design Adoption & Benefits Realisation Drive AI adoption, user engagement, and behavioural change initiatives Monitor KPI achievement and business value realisation Collect user feedback and identify improvement opportunities Ensure AI initiatives deliver measurable business outcomes and operational benefits     REQUIREMENTS: Qualifications, Experience and Skills: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, Engineering, Innovation, Operations, or a related field. 5+ years of experience in operations, product development, innovation, continuous improvement, or business transformation preferably in manufacturing or engineering environments. Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and manage external technology partners. Fluent in English, with exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, capable of engaging confidently across technical and executive audiences. Experience in product ownership, backlog management, or business analysis able to define requirements, prioritise work, and track outcomes. Able to influence technical and business domains.   ATTRIBUTES: Strong business instincts and engineering curiosity. Naturally curious, hands-on, and relentless about solving real problems. Not afraid of technology, but more focused on what it enables rather than how it works under the hood. Attention to detail and accuracy in work. Ability to handle confidential information with discretion. Excellent organisational and multitasking abilities. Outstanding time management skills. Willingness to travel internationally