Director, Data & AI Technical Consulting & Architecture Lead

EPAM is looking for a Director, Data & AI Technical Consulting & Architecture Lead to join our team in Amsterdam, Netherlands in a hybrid working mode. You will act as a senior technology leader who thrives at the intersection of executive advisory, architecture leadership, and production-ready AI. This role combines relationship building within a strategic client account with practice-level leadership across Western Europe — shaping next-generation Data, Analytics, and (Gen)AI offerings and driving complex pre-sales from strategy through implementation. You will be a trusted advisor to C-suite and senior technology stakeholders, identify and qualify high-value opportunities, and provide hands-on technical consulting leadership where it matters — building lightweight PoVs/PoCs and challenging architecture decisions. This is not a full-time engineering role, but you must be strong enough to prototype, de-risk solutions, and guide teams toward robust target-state architectures. The role involves working in a hybrid working mode with weekly client site presence in Zaandam. Responsibilities Serve as a trusted C-suite level advisor, defining enterprise data, analytics, and AI strategies, roadmaps, and investment cases tied to measurable business outcomes Build and maintain deep relationships with data, architecture, engineering, and AI leaders within the account, creating credibility through strong technical judgment Rapidly understand the client’s technology landscape (platforms, governance, security, operating model) and translate constraints into pragmatic transformation sequencing Identify, shape, and own a portfolio of Data & AI opportunities — turning early ideas into qualified pursuits with clear value, scope, risks, and next steps Architect end-to-end solutions across cloud-scale data platforms, integration, security, governance, MLOps/LLMOps, and application ecosystems, balancing time-to-value with sustainability Lead hands-on PoVs/PoCs, demos, and technical prototypes (e.g., lakehouse patterns, RAG/agentic workflows, evaluation/observability) to validate feasibility and accelerate decisions Drive complex pre-sales: lead discovery, respond to RFPs/RFIs, produce high-impact architecture narratives, and deliver executive pitches for large-scale engagements Shape, scope, and price consulting engagements; define delivery models and team structures (onshore/nearshore/offshore) and ensure strong technical governance Mobilize specialist teams and ensure continuity from initial concept through PoC to implementation and adoption, aligning expectations and delivery outcomes Champion Responsible AI and security-by-design, advising on ethical deployment, bias mitigation, auditability, and regulatory readiness (including EU AI Act considerations), while contributing to broader go-to-market offerings and thought leadership Requirements Proven experience in a Director/Principal/CTO-level role within consulting/technology services, leading enterprise-scale Data & AI transformations and architecture decisions Exceptional stakeholder management and executive communication skills, able to influence CIO/CTO/CDO and senior engineering leadership with clarity and credibility Strong track record in business development and pre-sales — qualifying opportunities, shaping deals, and securing funding for complex, high-value programs Hands-on expertise with Databricks and lakehouse patterns, including Spark, SQL, Delta Lake, and Unity Catalog (governance, access control, lineage concepts) Practical, production-minded knowledge of AI/GenAI patterns, including RAG and agentic workflows, plus MLflow and core MLOps/LLMOps lifecycle practices Deep understanding of data architecture and engineering best practices: ingestion/integration, batch/streaming, data modeling, data products, and reliability/observability Strong grounding in cloud platforms (Azure/AWS/GCP) and enterprise security principles (IAM, network controls, encryption, secrets, auditability) Ability to independently build or lead a working prototype to de-risk architecture, performance, cost, and security assumptions (not a full-time builder, but hands-on when needed) Commercial and strategic mindset: able to translate technical options into business cases (ROI/TCO), delivery approaches, and executive-ready decision material Nice to have: retail/consumer goods/supply chain/eCommerce/loyalty domain exposure; Azure/Microsoft data platform experience; Databricks certifications; fluency in Dutch (or another European language)