US|Machine Learning Engineer V

AI Engineer – Architecture & Foundry DeploymentLocation: Houston, TX (Onsite Required)Position Type: Long-term ContractOverviewThis team is driving the standardization of architecture across several large-scale, bespoke AI initiatives (“moonshots”) related to commercial optimization, workflows, and exploration. The goal is to create repeatable, scalable architectures that support enterprise-wide AI adoption.Engineers in this role will receive high-level requirements from senior technical leaders and architects and translate them into practical, production-ready designs and deployments.This position is posted under the Machine Learning Engineer title due to internal pay banding, but the work aligns more closely with an AI Engineer focused on architecture, deployment, infrastructure automation, and enterprise-scale AI platforms.This role does not involve building or training models. Instead, the emphasis is on systems design, architecture, deployment, and hands-on work within Microsoft Foundry.Key ResponsibilitiesDesign and deploy standardized, reusable architectures supporting multiple enterprise AI products.Work hands-on within Microsoft Foundry (previously AI Studio), including agent/sub-agent deployment, grounding configuration, and token management.Build and maintain Ansible roles to automate infrastructure provisioning, configuration, and deployment of Foundry and Azure resources.Use Ansible as an abstraction layer to manage complex, large-scale Azure environments across multiple regions and subscriptions.Support enterprise-wide Foundry deployments, including environment separation (prod/test/experimental) and regional/subscription architectures.Assist in building automation and integration patterns that streamline AI development and operations.Collaborate with software engineers, architects, and platform teams to accelerate standardization efforts.Work with Azure-based AI and ML tooling as needed, including Azure ML and AKS.Must-Have QualificationsStrong Software Engineering background, including:Designing production-grade systemsApplying reusable patterns, abstractions, and architectural standardsHands-on experience with Microsoft Foundry, including:Deploying and managing Foundry agents/sub-agentsConfiguring groundingManaging token limits across regions and subscriptionsMulti-region/multi-sub deployment patternsAI/ML architecture experience, particularly:Deployment patternsEnvironment separation and promotion paths (prod/test/experimental)Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) with Ansible, including:Building Ansible rolesUsing Ansible as a configuration management and abstraction layerAutomating Azure resource deployments via Ansible scriptsNice-to-Have SkillsAzure Machine Learning (pipelines, endpoints, registries)Traditional ML or data science exposureExperience with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)EEO Employer Apex Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, registered domestic partner status, marital status, disability, status as a crime victim, protected veteran status, political affiliation, union membership, or any other characteristic protected by law. Apex will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law. If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation in using our website for a search or application, please contact our Employee Services Department at employeeservices@apexsystems.com or 844-463-6178.