Senior AI Azure Engineer

Title: Senior AI Azure EngineerLocation: Schiller Park, IL Type: Contract to hireRate: $67/hr W2Conversion Salary: $140,000We are seeking a Senior Azure AI Platform Engineer to design, build, and support AI-enabled applications within a modern cloud-native architecture. This individual will develop and integrate generative AI capabilities into enterprise systems, working heavily in C#/.NET and Azure services. This individual will collaborate with product, engineering, and business teams to translate requirements into scalable AI-driven solutions, while also contributing to microservices architecture, infrastructure as code (Terraform), and database integrations (SQL/Cosmos DB). This role will balance hands-on development with platform design, focusing on building reusable AI components and ensuring production-ready performance, scalability, and reliability.Responsibilities AI First Application Engineering• Lead the design and implementation of AI driven capabilities across applications, embedding intelligence directly into workflows, user experiences, and backend services.• Partner with product managers and business stakeholders to identify where AI and machine learning can meaningfully improve decision making, automation, personalization, and operational efficiency.• Design and build reusable AI platform components, services, and patterns that application teams can safely and consistently adopt.• Apply generative AI, machine learning, and Azure AI services to real world business problems with a focus on reliability, security, and scalability.• Balance experimentation with production readiness, ensuring AI features are observable, testable, and maintainable.Platform Enablement & Architecture• Establish standards, guardrails, and best practices for AI usage across the application development organization.• Evaluate new Azure AI services and tooling, recommending adoption when clear business value exists.• Promote responsible AI practices including security, privacy, compliance, and cost awareness.Production Support & Continuous Improvement• Support and improve production applications and AI-powered services.• Troubleshoot complex issues related to performance, reliability, and data quality.• Improve observability, monitoring, and operational maturity of AI and application services.• Identify opportunities to improve development workflows, automation, and deployment practices.Documentation, Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing• Create and maintain clear technical documentation covering architecture, AI patterns, and platform standards.• Enable application teams through documentation, shared services, and hands-on mentorship.• Contribute to a strong engineering culture focused on quality, ownership, and continuous improvement.Job Qualifications• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience• 6+ years of professional software engineering experience in enterprise, SaaS, or consulting environments• Proven experience designing, building, and supporting production-grade applications• Strong experience with C#, .NET, Web APIs, and modern backend development practices• Experience with Azure cloud services and cloud-native or serverless architectures• Familiarity with modern JavaScript frameworks; React or Next.js experience preferred• Experience working with relational and NoSQL databases such as SQL Server and Cosmos DB• Understanding of CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and modern Git workflows• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearlyThis position is eligible for Medical, Dental, Vision