GROUP AI SOLUTIONS & DECISION INTELLIGENCE LEAD

POSITION: GROUP AI SOLUTIONS & DECISION INTELLIGENCE LEAD

Focus: Hands-on AI solutions development and business automation
Location: Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
Travel: Regular national travel
Industry: Diversified manufacturing group
Reporting to: Group Chief Executive Officer
Remuneration: Approximately R40,000 per month, negotiable according to qualifications, relevant experience and demonstrated technical capability.
Core business system: SYSPRO ERP

Role purpose

Our client seeks a practical AI professional who can personally build, test and implement useful AI applications and automated workflows across a manufacturing group. The emphasis is on applying tools such as Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Studio and other appropriate AI platforms to real business problems and delivering working solutions with measurable results.

Working with the Group CEO, operational teams and IT, the successful candidate will turn requirements into prototypes, deploy approved solutions and support their ongoing use. Strong business understanding, resourcefulness and the ability to explain and demonstrate what has been built are central to the role.

Key responsibilities

• Identify practical AI and automation opportunities across manufacturing, finance, sales, procurement, inventory and administration.
• Personally design, build, test and implement AI assistants, agents, internal tools and automated business workflows.
• Apply Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Studio or comparable tools to develop useful solutions, selecting appropriate platforms for each business need.
• Use APIs, scripts, low-code platforms and approved connectors to integrate AI applications with business systems and information sources.
• Develop prototypes quickly, demonstrate them to stakeholders and improve them through feedback before controlled deployment.
• Work with SYSPRO administrators and IT to access approved ERP data safely and build practical applications around financial, stock, sales and operational information.
• Create automated summaries, exception alerts, information-retrieval tools and decision-support applications that reduce manual work.
• Support reporting, forecasting and commercial analysis where these form part of a defined AI solution.
• Validate outputs against source information, test reliability and maintain human review for material decisions.
• Protect confidential data, apply access controls and comply with company privacy, cybersecurity and change-control requirements.
• Document solutions, maintain version control where appropriate, troubleshoot issues and improve performance after deployment.
• Train users, encourage responsible adoption and measure time savings, accuracy, productivity and other agreed business benefits.

Essential capability

• Demonstrable personal experience building and implementing working AI applications or AI-enabled automation.
• Practical experience with Claude, Microsoft Copilot/Copilot Studio or comparable generative-AI tools, supported by examples of what was built and how it was used.
• Ability to translate business requirements into functioning solutions and take ownership from prototype through implementation.
• Understanding of prompts, context, agents, workflow design, application testing and the limitations of AI-generated outputs.
• Ability to connect applications to approved data sources through APIs, databases, scripts or suitable low-code tools.
• Sound problem-solving skills, commercial awareness and clear communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of data security, access control, privacy and responsible AI.
• Willingness to travel nationally and to be based in Durban.

Technical experience and advantages

• Microsoft Power Platform, Power Automate and Copilot Studio.
• Claude-based development, AI-assisted coding or other applied large-language-model development.
• Python, JavaScript or another suitable development language; SQL and APIs.
• AI agents, retrieval-augmented generation and document or knowledge assistants.
• ERP integration and manufacturing or operational process exposure.
• Direct SYSPRO experience is advantageous; SYSPRO certification is not essential. Candidates with other ERP experience should explain transferable integration skills.
• Power BI, Azure AI or comparable tools where relevant to delivered solutions.

Qualifications and certifications

A relevant qualification in Information Technology, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, AI, Data Science or a related technical discipline is advantageous. Relevant AI, Microsoft, cloud, development or automation certifications will strengthen an application. Candidates with strong practical experience and a convincing portfolio may also be considered.

Evidence required from applicants

• An updated CV, relevant qualifications and certifications.
• Two or three examples of AI applications or automations personally built: the business problem, tools used, personal contribution, deployment status and results.
• Specific details of Claude, Copilot/Copilot Studio and other AI-platform experience.
• Links to demonstrations, technical portfolios or code repositories where available and shareable.
• Details of SYSPRO or other ERP integrations and manufacturing exposure.
• Current remuneration, benefits, salary expectations, notice period, preferred base and national travel availability.

Shortlisted candidates should be prepared to demonstrate a working solution and explain its design, testing, data access, security and business impact. Practical AI delivery will be central to assessment; reporting or data-analysis experience alone does not demonstrate this capability.

Initial priorities and measures of success

• Agree a small, prioritised set of useful AI and automation projects with the CEO and operational teams.
• Deliver working prototypes and progress approved solutions into operational use.
• Establish appropriate access, testing, documentation and approval controls with IT.
• Demonstrate user adoption and measurable improvements in time, accuracy, productivity or decision-making.