What are the responsibilities and job description for the AI Automation Engineer - Austin, Houston position at Vinson & Elkins?
The AI Automation Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and deploying artificial intelligence and automation solutions that drive operational efficiency and innovation across the firm. This role focuses on building intelligent workflows and AI-powered applications by leveraging a broad range of AI platforms, large language model (LLM) technologies, and automation tools—including Microsoft Copilot/Azure AI services, Anthropic Claude, and the broader ecosystem of emerging AI tools.
Reporting into Enterprise Applications leadership in the Technology and Data services department, the AI Automation Engineer serves as a key technical contributor on the firm's AI strategy—collaborating with attorneys, practice groups, Technology, Data Innovation, and Financial Services teams to deliver solutions that are secure, well-governed, and aligned with firm objectives. For the full job description, please click on the More Info icon.
Duties and Responsibilities
Primary Responsibilities
Education
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications and skills required of personnel so classified. The firm reserves the right to revise or modify this job description at any time.
Reporting into Enterprise Applications leadership in the Technology and Data services department, the AI Automation Engineer serves as a key technical contributor on the firm's AI strategy—collaborating with attorneys, practice groups, Technology, Data Innovation, and Financial Services teams to deliver solutions that are secure, well-governed, and aligned with firm objectives. For the full job description, please click on the More Info icon.
Duties and Responsibilities
Primary Responsibilities
- Partner with attorneys, practice groups, and business units to identify AI-driven automation opportunities; translate those opportunities into scalable solutions that measurably reduce manual effort and improve operational efficiency.
- Design and implement intelligent workflow automations using the Microsoft Power Platform, Copilot Agents, and equivalent platforms to streamline legal and administrative processes.
- Build and manage the firm's AI infrastructure—including provisioning Azure AI environments (AI Foundry, Azure OpenAI), establishing API governance and access controls, implementing dev/test/prod environment separation, and defining AI solution architecture standards.
- Build, configure, and maintain AI-powered applications across a range of platforms and services: Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Foundry, Microsoft Copilot Studio, Anthropic Claude, and other leading AI providers as appropriate to the use case.
- Design and develop custom LLM-based solutions—including prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, and AI agent frameworks—tailored to legal workflows, selecting the most suitable model and platform for each engagement.
- Design and run structured pilot programs for new AI tools, including defining measurable success criteria, establishing feedback loops, and applying go/no-go decision frameworks to inform adoption readiness and production rollout.
- Integrate AI and automation solutions with firm systems—including document management (NetDocuments), practice management platforms, CRM and experience management systems, and Microsoft 365 applications (Teams, SharePoint, Outlook)—ensuring seamless, secure data flows.
- Evaluate, prototype, and recommend AI tools, platforms, and frameworks from across the market; assess fit against the firm's technology ecosystem, security posture, and business needs; present findings and recommendations to Technology leadership.
- Collaborate with the Enterprise Applications team, Generative AI Task Force, and Generative AI Steering Committee to ensure AI solutions are grounded in accurate, well-governed data and aligned with the firm's broader data strategy.
- Develop and maintain comprehensive technical documentation for all AI and automation solutions—including architecture diagrams, workflow maps, API references, and end-user guides.
- Provide ongoing support to attorneys and staff on adopted AI and automation tools, fostering a culture of innovation and responsible AI use.
- Monitor deployed solutions for performance, reliability, and compliance; proactively implement improvements and respond to production issues as needed.
- Promote responsible AI practices by ensuring all solutions align with firm data governance policies, data privacy standards (including attorney-client privilege considerations), bias mitigation requirements, and applicable legal industry regulations.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field preferred; equivalent practical experience considered.
- 3–5 years of experience in software engineering, automation engineering, or AI/ML solution development, preferably in a law firm, professional services, or similarly regulated environment.
- Hands-on experience building automation workflows using Microsoft Power Automate, Azure Logic Apps, or equivalent low-code/no-code and pro-code automation platforms.
- Working knowledge of AI/LLM platforms and APIs: Anthropic Claude, Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, Google Gemini, or similar providers.
- Solid understanding of LLM concepts including prompt engineering, fine-tuning strategies, and RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) architectures.
- Familiarity with AI agent frameworks and orchestration tools.
- Understanding AI infrastructure concepts: vector databases, embedding pipelines, and environment management across dev/test/prod.
- Proficiency in Python and/or JavaScript/TypeScript for scripting, automation, and AI application development.
- Demonstrated experience integrating AI/LLM APIs (Anthropic API, Azure OpenAI API, OpenAI API) into business workflows and enterprise applications.
- Strong working knowledge of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem—Power Platform, SharePoint, Teams—and their integration with AI tools and services.
- Experience with RESTful APIs and web services for data access and system integration.
- Solid understanding of data structures, data flow, and foundational data engineering concepts in support of AI solution design.
- Experience with source control systems (Azure DevOps, GitHub) and CI/CD practices for deploying and versioning AI and automation solutions.
- SQL proficiency for data querying, extraction, and support of AI solution development.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a demonstrated ability to translate complex, ambiguous business requirements into practical technical solutions.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to present and explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences including attorneys and firm leadership.
- Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
- Familiarity with data governance, privacy, and compliance requirements in the context of AI—including attorney-client privilege, data residency, and confidentiality obligations.
- Knowledge of industry frameworks and emerging standards for AI governance and responsible AI use.
- Team-oriented and collaborative, with the ability to build effective working relationships across attorneys, business professionals, and technical staff.
- May be performed in a remote environment within commuting distance to a V&E office for occasional visits.
- May be subject to time pressures, deadlines, and cross-functional dependencies.
- Occasional after-hours and weekend work may be required to support project delivery or time-sensitive production issues.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications and skills required of personnel so classified. The firm reserves the right to revise or modify this job description at any time.