Technical Architect (AI & Data)

We're hiring this role for our client, who focuses on creating practical, real-world solutions. Its core activities include optimizing vessel operations, automating business processes, enhancing customer experiences, and providing specialized AI training to help companies transition from experimental concepts to full-scale digital implementation. TECHNICAL ARCHITECT (AI & DATA) Job Location: HCMC, Vietnam Job Presence: Hybrid ABOUT THE ROLE The Technical Architect plays a strategic and hands-on leadership role within the organization, driving the design, evolution, and delivery of scalable and sustainable architectures across AI and data-driven projects. Operating with a high degree of independence and technical authority, the TA contributes to the organization’s transformation from a research-centric entity into a mature, production-grade, end-to-end delivery organization. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 1 - Architecture Leadership • Design and evolve system architectures for AI, data, and platform components with scalability, performance, and maintainability in mind. • Continuously assess and refactor architectures to align with changing business needs, technical innovations, and organizational maturity. • Ensure alignment with the company’s broader technical strategy and architectural standards. 2 - DevSecOps & FinOps Maturity Validation • Evaluate and validate maturity across DevSecOps and FinOps practices using defined checklists and KPIs. • Champion infrastructure-as-code, secure-by-design, cost-aware development, and efficient cloud resource usage. 3 - Data Architecture & System Health • Review, enhance, and guide the implementation of modern data architectures. • Oversee system monitoring, logging, tracing, and health checks to meet operational excellence standards. • Define and track SLAs ensuring client agreements are technically respected. 4 - Technical Client Interaction • Act as the technical interface with clients for architecture-related matters, aligning solutions with client expectations and constraints. • Translate complex technical concepts into clear communication for both technical and non-technical stakeholders. 5 - Engineering Excellence & Automation • Assess team engineering practices, identify gaps, and drive adoption of modern practices such as CI/CD, automated testing, and AI/ML workflow automation. • Promote automation-first principles and reduce manual overhead in delivery pipelines. 6 - Proactive Leadership & Mentorship • Lead by example, without reliance on direct supervision or micromanagement. • Continuously mentor and upskill engineering teams, fostering a culture of learning, ownership, and quality. • Provide architectural guidance and technical direction across multiple teams and initiatives. 7 - Strategic Coordination & Collaboration • Collaborate closely with fellow Technical Architects and key stakeholders to ensure cross-project consistency and technical alignment. • Contribute to the long-term technical vision and participate in strategic planning initiatives. QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS Expected Qualities • Strategic mindset with the ability to see the bigger picture and drive long-term value. • Self-driven and autonomous, able to operate without handholding. • Strong communicator, able to bridge the gap between technical teams and business needs. • Mentorship-oriented, fostering engineering growth across teams. • Always learning, keeping pace with technology shifts and applying them responsibly. Technical (must-have) • Hands-on GCP: Vertex AI pipelines, GKE, Cloud Build, Artifact Registry, VPC/networking • IaC proficiency – Terraform at production scale (modules, state management, drift detection) • CI/CD design for ML workloads – not just app pipelines • Container and orchestration maturity (Docker, Helm, Kubernetes operators) • Secret management, IAM design, workload identity federation • FinOps tooling – GCP billing export, budget alerts, committed use planning Experience signals • Has built or migrated a platform from scratch, not just maintained one • Experience in multi-tenant or multi-project GCP org structure • Has operated and supported large-scale production platforms – not just built them. Has handled incidents, written post-mortems, and carried SLA accountability under real pressure • Understands what breaks at scale because they’ve experienced it, not modeled it Soft requirements • Thinks in enablement – measures success by how fast teams can ship, not by personal output • Comfortable saying “not yet” to teams requesting platform features that create tech debt • Diplomatically firm – can push back on clients, pillar heads, or C-level without triggering conflict or damaging relationships • Adjusts communication depth and tone by audience (technical team vs. PMO vs. client vs. C-level) • Escalates disagreements through the right channel, not by winning arguments in the room WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING WITH US Flexible Hours: 5 working days/week (Mon-Fri) with a focus on output, not clock-watching. Hybrid Model: 2 days WFH per week (Monday & Friday) Generous Leave: 12 days annual leave + special seniority benefits. Allowances: Lunch and gasoline support. Competitive Income: 13th-month salary + Performance-based bonuses. Full Insurance: Social, Health, and Unemployment insurance based on Gross Salary. Premium Care: Health Insurance for you, with seniority-based extension to family members. Learning Culture: Training for specialized skills, soft skills, and English. Engagement: Monthly Happy Hours, Company Trips, and vibrant Sport Clubs (Soccer, Yoga, Badminton). Well-being: Annual health check-ups and a supportive, collaborative environment.