[Hiring] AI and Data Consultant Team Lead @Coretek Services

Role Description

Coretek is seeking an AI & Data Consultant, Team Lead to deliver client solutions and provide day-to-day leadership for consultants and contract delivery resources. You will remain hands-on with Microsoft data and AI technologies while helping the team meet commitments, improve delivery quality, and develop its consulting skills.

The role is allocated 70% to billable client delivery and 30% to non-billable team leadership and practice support. Plan and review this split with the Delivery Manager, using Coretek’s utilization rules. Record time against the work performed. Client-specific work is billable only when authorized within the engagement scope, and internal leadership time must be recorded separately.

Billable Client Delivery

• Client engagement: Lead discovery sessions, clarify requirements and acceptance criteria, estimate assigned work, and explain options and delivery tradeoffs to technical and business stakeholders.
• Data engineering: Build and improve data pipelines and platforms using SQL, Python, Microsoft Fabric, Azure data services, and Databricks. Deliver tested datasets for analytics and AI use cases.
• AI implementation: Integrate Azure AI and Azure OpenAI capabilities into client solutions. Test output quality, data handling, and failure behavior before release, working with architects on design decisions.
• Secure delivery: Apply access controls, data quality checks, and approved security practices. Use version control, automated testing, and deployment pipelines to make changes repeatable and reviewable.
• Delivery ownership: Own assigned work through implementation, validation, documentation, and handoff. Coordinate with project managers on dates, effort, dependencies, and client acceptance.
• Scope and communication: Raise risks, blockers, and scope changes before commitments are missed. Recommend recovery actions and obtain required approvals before undertaking additional work.

Team Leadership and Practice Support

• Day-to-day leadership: Set clear work expectations for assigned consultants and contractors. Confirm owners, deliverables, due dates, and support needs, and follow up until commitments are closed.
• Coaching: Hold regular check-ins and provide specific feedback on technical work, client communication, documentation, and consulting skills. Agree development actions and review progress.
• Quality review: Inspect code, configurations, data pipelines, AI outputs, and project documentation against team standards. Arrange peer reviews and confirm that findings are corrected.
• Workload coordination: Review assignments, upcoming demand, and capacity with the Delivery Manager and project managers. Identify skill gaps, conflicting priorities, and overloaded resources early.
• Contractor support: Help coordinate Coretek and client onboarding, access, delivery expectations, and handoffs. Serve as an escalation point for assigned contractors and raise performance or continuity concerns promptly.
• Operating discipline: Review task status and timesheet completeness regularly. Expect early communication when work is at risk, accurate time recording, and consistent adherence to delivery processes.
• Team capability: Organize cross-training, knowledge sharing, and practical enablement. Contribute reusable methods and templates, and support candidate assessments and onboarding when requested.
• Inspection and reporting: Provide a weekly summary of team delivery, capacity, risks, and quality concerns. Show the coaching and review work completed, corrective actions, and evidence of improvement.

How Success Is Measured

• Personal utilization: Achieve the 70% billable target while completing the planned 30% non-billable leadership work.
• Delivery quality: Meet agreed acceptance criteria, reduce recurring defects and avoidable rework, and maintain usable documentation.
• Team performance: Demonstrate reliable follow-through, early escalation, completed coaching actions, and improvement in reviewed work.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in data engineering, analytics, or AI, including hands-on Microsoft Azure delivery and client-facing consulting work.
• Demonstrated experience leading or mentoring consultants, engineers, or contractors, including setting expectations, reviewing work, and addressing delivery concerns.
• Strong SQL and practical Python skills, with hands-on experience in at least two platforms such as Microsoft Fabric, Databricks, Azure Synapse Analytics, or Azure SQL.
• Experience implementing AI integrations and validating their behavior, with knowledge of data quality, access controls, and secure handling of client information.
• Understanding of data lakes, warehouses, pipelines, and analytics, including how prepared datasets support Power BI and AI applications.
• Experience with Git, testing, release practices, and technical documentation. Ability to review another team member’s work and provide useful feedback.
• Clear client communication, sound estimation, and the ability to balance personal delivery commitments with team leadership responsibilities.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred

• Experience leading mixed teams of employees and contract resources across multiple client engagements.
• Experience with Spark, event-driven data integration, AI evaluation, or operating machine learning solutions in production.
• Exposure to Elastic, Tines, infrastructure as code, or automation that improves delivery consistency.
• Relevant Microsoft certifications in data engineering, analytics, Azure, or AI.

Benefits

• Client impact: Stay hands-on with data and AI solutions while helping other delivery resources succeed.
• Leadership development: Build coaching and team leadership experience with dedicated time allocated to the work.
• Technical growth: Work with architects and consultants, contribute shared delivery practices, and develop expertise through training and client projects.