AI Lead - UAE National

We have partnered with a globally recognised technology organisation operating at the forefront of AI innovation to hire an AI Lead for their Centre of Excellence in the UAE. This is a senior hire that will help define the technical direction of the COE and play a leading role across a diverse portfolio of high\-impact AI projects. For the right person, this is a chance to build something lasting inside an organisation with the resources, ambition and talent to do it properly. This role suits a technically deep, people\-oriented leader who is as comfortable setting architectural direction as they are developing the engineers around them. You will have a direct hand in shaping how the COE operates, the standards it works to and the calibre of work it produces. About the role: * Lead the technical delivery of AI initiatives across the COE's project portfolio, taking ownership of architecture, quality and outcomes * Define and embed AI engineering standards, frameworks and best practices across the Centre of Excellence * Mentor and develop a team of AI engineers, creating an environment where people grow quickly and perform at a high level * Act as the senior technical voice on AI across cross\-functional project teams, partnering with engineering, data and product stakeholders * Drive the evaluation and adoption of emerging AI techniques, tools and research relevant to the organisation's areas of focus * Contribute to the strategic development of the COE, including capability planning, tooling decisions and technical roadmap * Represent the AI function in senior stakeholder conversations, translating complex technical concepts into clear business language About you: * 8 or more years of experience in AI engineering or applied machine learning, with a clear progression into technical leadership * Strong hands\-on capability across the AI stack, including model development, deployment and production. * Proven experience leading and mentoring engineering teams, with a track record of raising the technical bar around you * Deep proficiency in Python and modern AI frameworks including TensorFlow, PyTorch or Hugging Face * Broad exposure across applied AI domains such as NLP, computer vision or generative AI, with production experience in at least one * Experience designing and implementing AI systems at scale within complex, multi\-workstream environments * Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to operate credibly at a senior level * Prior experience building or contributing to a Centre of Excellence or similar innovation function is a strong advantage * UAE National status is required for this position