Cloud & AI Solution Engineer – AI Applications - Job Opportunity at Microsoft

Canberra, Australia
Full-time
Senior
Posted: July 10, 2025
Hybrid
AUD 140,000 - 180,000 per year based on the senior technical pre-sales role in Australia's competitive tech market, with potential for significant performance bonuses and equity compensation given Microsoft's compensation structure and the specialized nature of AI solution engineering roles

Benefits

Comprehensive parental leave program supporting work-life balance and family planning
Flexible hybrid work arrangements with up to 50% remote work capability
Industry-leading healthcare coverage providing comprehensive medical support
Educational resources and professional development opportunities for continuous learning
Employee discounts on Microsoft products and services
Savings and investment programs for long-term financial security
Generous time-off policies promoting work-life balance
Corporate giving programs enabling community impact
Networking opportunities within Microsoft's global ecosystem

Key Responsibilities

Drive strategic technical sales engagements with C-level decision makers through compelling demonstrations and proof-of-concepts that directly influence enterprise-level solution architecture decisions and enable production-scale AI deployments
Lead high-impact technical engagements including hackathons, collaborative coding sessions, and architecture workshops that accelerate enterprise adoption of Microsoft's cutting-edge developer tools and cloud platforms
Establish and maintain trusted advisory relationships with senior developers and platform engineering leaders, co-designing secure, scalable AI architectures that transform business operations
Resolve complex technical challenges and objections while collaborating with Microsoft's engineering teams to provide critical market insights that drive product innovation and improvement
Maintain deep technical expertise in Microsoft's AI Foundry ecosystem including Agentic AI frameworks, Semantic Kernel, Foundry SDK, and Responsible AI practices, while mastering cloud-native development patterns
Develop and grow specialized expertise in AI Management and Security domains including Gen AI Operations, Sentinel integration, orchestration platforms, and comprehensive monitoring solutions
Represent Microsoft as a thought leader in developer communities and customer forums, establishing the company's technical authority in the AI applications space

Requirements

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field

Experience

3-5+ years technical pre-sales or technical consulting experience

Required Skills

Expert on full stack App architecture design / modernization and cloud native dev (e.g., APIs, containerization, microservices, event-driven, Python, Java, .NET) Expert for AI & ML models (e.g., Agentic AI framework, AI Foundry, Semantic Kernel, Foundry SDK, Responsible AI, fine-tuning/inferencing, etc.) Proven ability to lead technical engagements (e.g., hackathons, PoCs, MVPs) that drive production-scale outcomes
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Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

The enterprise AI market is experiencing unprecedented growth with organizations rapidly adopting AI-native development approaches, creating massive demand for technical experts who can bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI capabilities and practical business implementations. This shift represents a fundamental transformation in how enterprises approach application development, with AI becoming integral to core business processes rather than an add-on feature. Agentic AI and autonomous systems are emerging as the next frontier in enterprise AI adoption, with organizations seeking to implement AI agents that can operate independently across complex business workflows. This trend is driving significant investment in AI orchestration platforms and governance frameworks that can manage these sophisticated AI systems at scale. The convergence of cloud-native development practices with AI/ML operations is creating new technical disciplines and career paths, with particular emphasis on secure, scalable AI deployment patterns that can meet enterprise compliance and performance requirements. This convergence is reshaping the skills landscape for technical professionals in the AI space.

Role Significance

Typically operates within a specialized team of 5-8 solution engineers covering different technical domains, with direct collaboration with sales teams of 3-5 members and regular interaction with engineering teams of 10-15 professionals
Senior-level individual contributor role with significant strategic influence over enterprise AI adoption decisions, requiring deep technical expertise combined with business acumen to drive multi-million dollar technology investments and architectural decisions

Key Projects

Enterprise AI transformation initiatives involving the migration of traditional applications to AI-native architectures Large-scale proof-of-concept implementations that demonstrate AI capabilities across multiple business functions Strategic partnership development with major Australian enterprises to establish AI centers of excellence Development of industry-specific AI solutions for sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government

Success Factors

The ability to translate complex AI technical concepts into clear business value propositions that resonate with C-level executives and technical decision makers, while maintaining credibility with both business and technical stakeholders Deep hands-on technical expertise that enables real-time problem-solving during customer engagements, combined with the ability to architect solutions that meet enterprise-grade security, scalability, and compliance requirements Strong relationship-building skills that foster long-term partnerships with key enterprise accounts, enabling continued expansion of Microsoft's AI platform adoption within customer organizations Continuous learning mindset that keeps pace with rapid AI innovation cycles while developing expertise in emerging technologies such as agentic AI frameworks and responsible AI practices

Market Demand

Extremely high demand driven by the AI adoption surge across Australian enterprises, with limited supply of professionals possessing the specific combination of technical AI expertise and enterprise sales acumen required for this role

Important Skills

Critical Skills

Deep expertise in AI/ML model development and deployment is absolutely essential as organizations increasingly require hands-on technical credibility when making multi-million dollar AI platform investments. The ability to demonstrate practical AI implementation knowledge through live coding, architecture discussions, and troubleshooting sessions directly impacts customer confidence and deal closure rates. Full-stack application architecture and cloud-native development skills are crucial because modern AI applications require sophisticated integration with existing enterprise systems, APIs, and data platforms. Organizations need assurance that AI solutions can scale and integrate seamlessly with their current technology investments. Technical pre-sales and consulting experience is critical for success because this role requires the ability to navigate complex enterprise sales cycles, understand diverse stakeholder needs, and present technical solutions in ways that resonate with both technical teams and business decision makers.

Beneficial Skills

Cybersecurity and AI governance expertise is increasingly valuable as organizations grapple with the security implications of AI adoption, including data privacy, model security, and compliance with emerging AI regulations Industry-specific domain knowledge in sectors such as financial services, healthcare, or government can provide significant competitive advantages when engaging with enterprise customers in these verticals Experience with competitive AI platforms and frameworks enables more effective competitive positioning and helps customers understand the unique value proposition of Microsoft's AI ecosystem compared to alternatives from Google, Amazon, or other providers

Unique Aspects

This role offers direct involvement in shaping the future of AI development through hands-on work with cutting-edge technologies like AI Foundry and Agentic AI frameworks that are not yet widely available in the market
The position provides access to Microsoft's internal engineering teams and product roadmaps, offering unique insights into the direction of AI technology development and early access to emerging capabilities
The role combines technical depth with business impact, allowing professionals to influence major enterprise AI adoption decisions while developing expertise in the fastest-growing segment of the technology industry
Working in Canberra provides unique opportunities to engage with government and public sector AI initiatives, given the city's role as Australia's capital and center of government technology procurement

Career Growth

Typical progression to next career level within 2-3 years given the rapid growth in AI market and Microsoft's investment in this space, with accelerated opportunities for high performers in key accounts

Potential Next Roles

Principal Solution Engineer or Technical Specialist focusing on AI/ML across broader geographic regions Customer Success Manager or Technical Account Manager for strategic enterprise AI accounts Product Manager or Technical Product Marketing roles within Microsoft's AI platform teams Technical Director or Solution Architecture leadership positions within Microsoft's partner ecosystem

Company Overview

Microsoft

Microsoft stands as the world's leading technology company with a market capitalization exceeding $3 trillion, driving the global digital transformation through its comprehensive cloud and AI platform offerings. The company has positioned itself at the forefront of the AI revolution through strategic investments in OpenAI and the development of comprehensive AI development platforms that serve millions of developers worldwide.

Dominant market position in enterprise cloud computing and AI services, competing directly with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform, while maintaining unique advantages in AI integration through partnerships with OpenAI and comprehensive developer tooling ecosystems
Microsoft's presence in Australia represents a significant strategic investment with major data centers, government partnerships, and enterprise relationships that position the company as a critical technology partner for Australian digital transformation initiatives
Microsoft's culture emphasizes growth mindset, diversity and inclusion, and collaborative innovation, with strong support for professional development and work-life balance through flexible work arrangements and comprehensive benefits programs
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