AI Unit Head

We are seeking a visionary, hands-on, and deeply technical leader to serve as the Head of AI Unit. This role will oversee four strategic sub-units: Generative AI & Information Retrieval, Advanced Analytics, Smart City AI, and KYC AI Systems. The ideal candidate will lead by example, mentor sub-unit leaders, and serve as the organization’s principal AI consultant, providing expert guidance on complex challenges. The role also includes supporting presales efforts, contributing to technical proposal writing, and participating in RFP responses. Experience working with vendors and system integrators in the UAE and Saudi Arabia is essential to ensure alignment with regional delivery models and partnerships.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Governance

- Co-Define and execute the AI Unit’s strategic roadmap in alignment with UAE and Saudi national AI transformation goals.

- Lead by example, actively contributing to architecture, design, and problem-solving across AI initiatives.

- Serve as the primary AI consultant for the organization, being the go-to expert for resolving complex technical and strategic challenges.

- Oversee and align with AI governance frameworks, including the UAE AI Council, to align the public sector client upcoming needs with the team upskilling and alignment requirements.

Team Management & Mentorship

- Directly manage and mentor four sub-unit team leads, ensuring delivery excellence and cross-functional collaboration.

- Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning across all AI teams.

- Provide architectural and technical reviews for all major AI projects and initiatives.

Sub-Unit Focus Areas

1. Generative AI & Information Retrieval

- Oversee LLM development and fine-tuning (i.e Falcon, Llama, Gemma).

- Architect RAG systems using Qdrant, Flowise, Langflow, and other frameworks.

- Lead semantic search, document intelligence, and knowledge extraction initiatives.

2. Advanced Analytics

- Drive predictive and prescriptive analytics for operations, finance, healthcare and government.

- Align with Data Management colleagues on implementation of scalable data platforms with governance tools like Informatica.

- Ensure regulatory compliance and implement explainable AI models.

- Champion AI-driven cost optimization and strategic decision-making and use case consultancy.

- Lead the team to upskill and work on Major Data Science Platforms such as Dataiku and Cloudera Data Science and Azure ML.

3. Smart City AI

- Develop AI solutions for urban smart cities, energy optimization, and public safety.

- Collaborate closely with the adjacent IoT Smart City Unit to co-develop solutions in:

- Computer vision for traffic, crowd, and infrastructure monitoring.

- Object detection for surveillance, safety, and automation.

- Sensor data analysis for predictive maintenance, environmental monitoring, and real-time decision systems.

- Integrate AI with IoT and edge computing platforms for smart city applications.

4. KYC AI Systems

- Lead development of AI-powered KYC and AML systems using advanced ML and Video Analysis and Face Recognition techniques.

- Optimize fraud detection and customer profiling using GPU-accelerated inference systems.

Cloud Platforms & Infrastructure

- Architect and manage AI workloads across Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), , and Compass.

- Leverage GPU-accelerated infrastructure internally in Datacenter and in the client data centers and clouds for LLM training and inference.

- Lead efficient deployment process across the team for containerized MLOps pipelines using Kubernetes, Docker, AKS, and CI/CD automation.

- Ensure interoperability, scalability, and performance optimization across production deployments and operationalization of models.

Collaboration with Data Management

- Maintain close collaboration with Data Management, IoT, and support other departments to provide AI as a Service internally and externally..

- Align AI initiatives with enterprise data architecture, metadata standards, and data quality frameworks.

- Ensure AI models are built on trusted, well-governed data sources and support business intelligence goals.

Presales & Proposal Support

- Support presales teams by contributing technical writeups, solution architectures, and AI strategy sections for proposals.

- Participate in RFP responses, providing expert input on feasibility, scalability, and innovation.

- Represent the AI Unit in client-facing discussions, workshops, and technical evaluations.

Vendor & Market Engagement

- Bring proven experience working with AI vendors and system integrators in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

- Build and maintain strategic partnerships to support delivery, integration, and innovation.

- Ensure alignment with regional market expectations, compliance standards, and delivery models. And be well aware about the UAE and Saudi Data and AI Ecosystem.

Qualifications:

- PhD in Computer Science, AI, or related field is preferred, or at least M.Sc.

- 10+ years of experience in AI, data science, and cloud computing production rollouts.

- Proven leadership in deploying enterprise-scale AI systems and LLMs.

- Deep expertise in Azure, GCP, Core42, Compass, Containerized workloads, and GPU-based training (CUDA, NCCL,NIM,…).

- Strong publication and patent record in AI and distributed systems is preferred

- Demonstrated ability to lead by example and serve as a trusted technical advisor and consultant.

- Experience in technical proposal writing, RFP participation, and presales support.

• - Familiarity with the AI ecosystem, vendors, and integrators in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.