Associate Director-AI/ML

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Strategy

• Lead the technical vision and roadmap for the AI CoE, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and industry best practices
• Architect and oversee the implementation of complex AI/ML solutions including Generative AI, Agentic AI systems, Computer Vision, and NLP applications
• Drive innovation by identifying and evaluating emerging AI technologies and methodologies for potential adoption
• Establish technical standards, frameworks, and best practices for AI/ML development across the organization
• Maintain hands-on involvement in critical projects, including code reviews, architecture decisions, and proof-of-concept development

Project & Delivery Management

• Lead multiple concurrent AI/ML projects from conception through deployment, ensuring on-time delivery and quality standards
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including data scientists, engineers, product managers, and business stakeholders
• Define project scope, timelines, and resource requirements for AI initiatives
• Ensure successful integration of AI solutions with existing enterprise systems and platforms
• Oversee post-production support and continuous improvement of deployed AI systems

Customer Engagement & Business Development

• Serve as the primary technical liaison for key customer engagements and executive briefings
• Lead customer workshops and discovery sessions to identify AI/ML opportunities and define solution approaches
• Present technical proposals and demonstrations to C-level executives and decision-makers
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, understanding their business challenges and translating them into AI-powered solutions
• Support business development efforts by contributing to RFP responses and technical proposals

Team Development & Mentorship

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team of AI/ML engineers and data scientists
• Provide technical guidance and career development support to team members
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation within the AI CoE
• Conduct technical interviews and participate in talent acquisition for the AI CoE
• Develop training programs and knowledge-sharing initiatives to upskill teams across the organization

Technology & Innovation Management

• Stay current with the latest advancements in AI/ML, including research papers, industry trends, and emerging technologies
• Establish partnerships with technology vendors, research institutions, and industry consortiums
• Lead the evaluation and selection of AI/ML platforms, tools, and cloud services
• Drive the adoption of MLOps practices and automated ML pipelines
• Ensure compliance with AI ethics, governance, and regulatory requirements

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's  degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, or related field
• Master's degree in AI/ML, Data Science, or related field preferred

Experience

• Minimum 5+ years of hands-on project experience in AI/ML, with demonstrated expertise in: 
  • Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs)
  • Agentic AI and autonomous systems
  • Computer Vision and image processing
  • Natural Language Processing (NLP) and text analytics
  • Deep Learning and neural network architectures
• 15+ years of overall experience in technology leadership roles
• Proven track record of delivering enterprise-scale AI solutions

Technical Skills

Core AI/ML Expertise

• Frameworks & Libraries: Advanced proficiency in TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, Hugging Face, LangChain, and other modern AI frameworks
• Generative AI: Hands-on experience with GPT models, LLaMA, Claude, Stable Diffusion, and other foundation models
• Agentic AI: Experience building autonomous agents, multi-agent systems, and orchestration frameworks
• Computer Vision: Expertise in CNNs, object detection (YOLO, R-CNN), image segmentation, and video analytics
• NLP: Advanced knowledge of transformers, BERT, sentiment analysis, named entity recognition, and text generation

Programming & Development

• Expert-level programming skills in Python, with additional proficiency in Java, Scala, or R
• Familiarity with GPU programming and optimization (CUDA, TensorRT)

Cloud & Infrastructure

• Hands-on experience with AI/ML services on AWS, Azure, and GCP
• Knowledge of containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and microservices architecture
• Experience with vector databases and embedding systems

Data & MLOps

• Strong understanding of data engineering, ETL pipelines, and big data technologies
• Experience with MLOps tools (MLflow, Kubeflow, Weights & Biases)
• Proficiency in CI/CD for ML models and A/B testing frameworks

Soft Skills

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Outstanding customer handling skills with experience in executive-level interactions
• Strong presentation and public speaking abilities
• Strategic thinking with the ability to balance technical excellence with business priorities
• Proven leadership and team management capabilities
• Self-motivated with the ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Industry certifications in AI/ML from major cloud providers (AWS ML Specialty, Azure AI Engineer, GCP ML Engineer)
• Published research papers or patents in AI/ML domains
• Experience in retail, fashion, or consumer products industries
• Knowledge of SAP integration and enterprise systems
• Active participation in AI/ML communities, conferences, or open-source projects
• Experience with regulatory compliance (GDPR, CCPA) in AI applications