Senior Azure AI Consultant

Overview of the role Phoenix is a leading UK IT solutions and managed service provider, with a deep specialism in the public sector. We work with organisations across government, healthcare, defence, public safety, education, housing, and the charity sector - helping them modernise with confidence across cloud, data and AI, cyber security, and managed services. Through strategic partnerships with the world's leading technology providers - and a trusted place on the major public sector frameworks - our work has a direct impact on the services that millions of people rely on every day. Due to continued growth, we are hiring a new Senior Azure AI Consultant who will be embedded within our AI practice and work directly with customers to help them adopt and scale AI capabilities. This is a fully customer‑facing role, focused on delivering structured advisory and enablement engagements that span strategy, architecture and hands‑on implementation of Microsoft AI platforms. What will you be doing? Lead structured AI advisory and enablement engagements, including AI readiness assessments, use‑case discovery workshops and Centre of Excellence (CoE) programmes. Deliver end‑to‑end enablement for Microsoft AI platforms, with a strong focus on Microsoft Foundry and Azure OpenAI Service. Design, deploy and configure Azure AI solutions hands‑on, ensuring customers have working reference environments they can build upon. Facilitate executive‑level workshops and stakeholder sessions to identify AI opportunities and develop business cases. Develop AI adoption roadmaps, governance frameworks and technical reference architectures. Act as a trusted advisor to senior customer stakeholders, translating business challenges into practical AI‑enabled solutions. Work closely with the AI Practice Lead and Technical Architects to design, refine and improve repeatable engagement frameworks and service offerings. Produce high‑quality customer deliverables including strategy documents, technical designs, deployment guides and assessment reports. Stay current with Microsoft AI platform developments, emerging capabilities and wider industry trends. Provide regular feedback on customer needs, market trends and opportunities for new AI services. Support pre‑sales activity including discovery calls, technical demonstrations, proposal input and customer presentations. What are we looking for? Strong customer‑facing consulting skills with the ability to build trust at senior stakeholder level. Excellent communication, presentation and workshop facilitation skills. Proven ability to lead and deliver complex technical engagements independently. Strong hands‑on experience deploying and configuring Azure AI services, particularly Microsoft Foundry and Azure OpenAI. Solid understanding of AI and GenAI concepts including RAG architectures, agents, prompt engineering and responsible AI principles. Experience working across Azure infrastructure fundamentals to support AI workloads end‑to‑end. Commercial awareness and ability to contribute effectively to pre‑sales and service shaping activities. Strategic thinker with a continuous improvement mindset and strong problem‑solving skills. Consultancy or professional services background preferred. Public sector experience (e.g. councils, NHS, education, charities or blue‑light services) desirable. SC clearance, or eligibility to obtain SC clearance, desirable. Why should you apply? At Phoenix, our ambition is to be the UK's leading IT solutions and managed service provider - and we know that only happens because of our people. Culture isn't an afterthought here; it's the thing we work hardest on. We're proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work®, and to be recognised on their UK Best Workplaces lists for Women, Wellbeing, and Development. These aren't badges we chase - they're the result of how we genuinely choose to treat each other, and how seriously we take our colleagues' careers, health, and lives outside of work. When you join Phoenix, you can expect: A culture built on trust and belonging: set out clearly in our Culture Blueprint, lived day-to-day, and reflected in our consistently strong colleague feedback. Real investment in your development: structured learning pathways, funded industry certifications, mentoring, and the encouragement to stretch into new areas. A workplace that takes wellbeing seriously: from mental health support and flexible working to active employee networks and a leadership team that listens. A commitment to equity and inclusion: where we actively work to make Phoenix a brilliant place to build a career, whoever you are. Work that matters: supporting the public sector organisations that keep the UK running, from government and healthcare to defence, public safety, education, housing, and the charities serving the most vulnerable in our communities. Working with the best of the industry: alongside genuine experts, and with strategic partnerships across the world's leading technology providers, you'll be at the front of the conversations shaping how UK public services modernise. We believe in encouraging, supporting, and skilling our people up so that you can be the very best you can be at work - and we'd love you to consider being part of it. Take a look at our Culture Blueprint to get a real sense of who we are. Practical stuff Where is the role based? Primary location is our HQ in Pocklington (YO42). What about hybrid/remote working? Remote & Hybrid working is supported, with flexibility depending on customer and delivery requirements. How many interviews? Following a screen with the Recruitment Team, you can expect a two‑stage interview process, one online and one in‑person. Important BPSS Check As part of our recruitment process and due to the nature of the work we do, all employees are required to undertake a BPSS check. While some employees may require further security clearance, the BPSS check is mandatory and all offers of employment are conditional upon successful completion. Have you made it this far? If you’re still reading, there’s a strong chance you might be our kind of person. Here’s the thing, research suggests many women and underrepresented groups don’t apply unless they meet every requirement. Even if you don’t tick every box above, we encourage you to introduce yourself. We believe a diversity of perspectives and experiences makes our team stronger and the stronger our team, the more successful we will be.