Data & AI Principal Consultant (a)

About the job

We are ERNI. Since 1994, we have been advising and supporting companies in innovation and technology with the aim of enhancing our clients' business performance and thus paving the way into the digital future.

Our key to success: People like you and our mindset shaped by Swiss values. We want our clients to be more effective and innovative than anyone else. Together we achieve these high goals – in partnership, as a real team, and with genuine values.

We design processes to be as simple and smart as possible – with around 800 employees at 18 locations in 8 countries and perhaps soon with you too!

As a Data & AI Principal Consultant, you develop our Data & AI service portfolio, advise demanding clients, and lead technical pre-sales as well as implementation projects. You combine strategic business development, client consulting, technical solution development, and successful project execution.

In this executive role, you report directly to senior management and actively shape the further direction of our Data & AI business. You define best practices, coordinate available delivery capacities and competencies, and ensure that market opportunities turn into concrete client solutions and successful projects.

You act as both a strategic initiator and a trusted advisor to our clients. You conduct discussions and workshops with technical decision-makers, business leaders, and C-level stakeholders, identify relevant challenges, and develop viable solutions involving data, AI, machine learning, and automation components.

As a consulting and development company for software and technologies, we support our clients in digital product and business development – either as part of the client team or with responsibility for the entire solution. You work in an international environment with colleagues from all our locations and move between strategic consulting, technical solution development, and project management. In doing so, you develop our Data & AI portfolio and ensure the necessary capacity and competencies,

What to expect:

• You continuously develop our Data & AI service portfolio – from offerings and positioning to delivery models and best practices, as well as reusable assets.

• Together with the Market Units, you coordinate available competencies and delivery capacities and assemble suitable expert teams for our client projects.

• You accompany technical pre-sales activities from discovery sessions and solution workshops through effort estimations and proposal preparations to client presentations.

• You competently advise technical decision-makers, business leaders, and C-level stakeholders on data, AI, machine learning, and automation.

• You holistically assess data availability, technical feasibility, architecture, risks, regulatory requirements, and expected business value.

• You structure complex initiatives into roadmaps, work packages, project phases, and role models.

• You lead selected client projects from initial exploration to productive implementation.

• From successful projects, you develop reusable solution patterns, reference architectures, and approaches for further business.

• You support senior management in evaluating market opportunities, investments, partnerships, competence development, and strategic priorities in the area of Data & AI.

What you bring:

• A completed degree in computer science, mathematics, natural sciences, engineering, or a comparable qualification forms your professional foundation.

• Several years of experience in consulting, designing, implementing, or leading Data & AI initiatives characterise your profile.

• Your technological understanding includes data engineering, machine learning, generative AI, AI agents, cloud technologies, and modern data platforms.

• You can assess AI approaches in terms of business value, technical feasibility, data requirements, risks, and implementability with sound judgement.

• You are well versed in technical pre-sales, solution consulting, proposal preparation, and business development.

• You conduct workshops with technical decision-makers, business leaders, and C-level stakeholders confidently and purposefully.

• Experience in leading interdisciplinary teams or complex client projects complements your profile.

• You translate business challenges into technical solution concepts, roadmaps, and actionable work packages.

• Entrepreneurial thinking helps you develop concrete solutions and business opportunities from client needs.

• You combine an innovative and open working style with a high sense of responsibility for quality, security, and client benefit.

• Very good German and English skills at least at C1 level enable you to communicate professionally with various stakeholders.

• Regular travel within Switzerland as well as occasional travel within Europe is no problem for you – especially for workshops, client appointments, and project events.
  

Therefore, we offer you:

• A strategically important executive role with direct connection to senior management

• The opportunity to actively shape our Data & AI service portfolio and future business

• Responsible tasks at the interface of strategy, client consulting, pre-sales, delivery, and technology

• Direct influence on our best practices, competencies, partnerships, and delivery capabilities

• Varied client projects in demanding and technology-intensive environments

• Collaboration with experienced data engineers, AI/ML engineers, software engineers, architects, and consultants

• An individual development programme to promote your professional and personal potential

• Up to five weeks of remote work per year outside Switzerland but within Europe

• Flexible working hours for a balanced work-life balance

• Unforgettable team and company events that strengthen our cohesion

• A generous pension scheme: we cover two-thirds of the contributions, your share is only one-third

Curious? Visit our website and experience for yourself what makes us special – or discover on Kununu what our team has to say about us.