Chief AI Architect
Charlotte, NC - USA
Job Summary
Role Overview
The Chief AI Architect for Advice & Wealth Management shapes and evolves the AI architecture underpinning advice delivery client experiences operational efficiency and decision intelligence. This role ensures generative AI capabilities are applied in a practical business-focused waybalancing innovation with responsible AI practices scalability and operational excellence. Partnering closely with business product and engineering teams the Chief AI Architect provides architectural leadership to define how AI is used across the portfolio establishing patterns guardrails and platforms that enable sustainable adoption and measurable outcomes.
Key Accountabilities:
- Define and execute the AI architecture roadmap for Advice & Wealth Managementin partnership and collaboration with other organizations.
- Align lead and collaborate across organizational lines to move AI forward.
- Establish architecture patterns for generative AI powered applications including deployment and monitoring.
- Help business and product leaders understand how they can leverage AI to solve their business problems.
- Influence enterprise guardrails and standards for responsible AI usage (evaluation observability model performance and risk management).
- Establish repeatable patterns for integrating AI into applications workflows and platforms.
- Partner with data architecture to ensure AI-ready data foundations (quality governance lineage).
- Guide teams on build vs. buy vs. partner decisions for AI capabilities and platforms.
- Research emerging AI technologies and patterns; translate into practical recommendations and investment proposals.
- Influence senior leadership on AI strategy investment priorities and sequencing.
- Coach and mentor architects and senior engineers in AI architecture and design practices.
Experience & Capabilities
- Deep expertise in agentic application architecturesmodel selection fine tuning prompt engineering agentic loop design context management memory MCP and tool calling a must.
- Proven ability to apply AI to real business use cases moving solutions from concept to production.
- Experience designing AI systems that are secure observable and scalable.
- Strong understanding of model lifecycle management (training deployment monitoring retraining).
- Experience establishing responsible AI governance and controls.
- Knowledge of AI/ML platforms cloud-native patterns and integration approaches (e.g. MCP A2A etc.).
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders and collaborate across business and technology.
What Success Looks Like
- AI capabilities are consistently applied to high-value business use cases across AWM.
- Clear reusable AI architecture patterns adopted across teams.
- AI systems operate with strong observability quality and governance.
- Business leaders have confidence in AI-driven decision support and automation.
- AWM is positioned to scale both traditional AI and generative AI capabilities responsibly.
Major priorities for the role will include:
- Defining GenAI and agent-based architecture patterns (e.g. RAG orchestration layers evaluation frameworks).
- Establishing AI observability and monitoring practices across all solutions.
- Driving AI adoption in advice workflows (advisor assist client engagement operations automation).
- Creating clear guidance on when and how to use AI vs. traditional approaches.
- Partnering with Data Architecture to ensure AI-ready data foundations.
- Integrating AI capabilities across multiple Vanguard systems and third-party platforms.
- Partnering withEnterprise AI & Engineering Platforms organization to shape enterprise AI reference architecture and technology that supports AWMT AI priorities
Special Factors
Sponsorship
Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.About Vanguard
At Vanguard we dont just have a missionwere on a mission.
To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.
How We Work
Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning collaboration and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.
Required Experience:
Chief
About Company
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