Principal Data Scientist

Role Overview

Senior techno-managerial leadership role responsible for defining and driving the organisation's AI/ML and Data Science strategy, leading large-scale analytics initiatives, building high-performing data science teams, and delivering AI-powered business solutions. The role combines strategic leadership, advanced machine learning expertise, big data technologies, MLOps, and stakeholder management to support enterprise and BFSI-focused transformation initiatives.

Experience Required

• 1822 years of overall experience
• Minimum 4 years in AI/ML leadership roles
• Proven experience leading Data Science, AI/ML, Analytics, and Big Data teams
• Experience delivering enterprise-scale AI/ML applications in production

Mandatory Technical Skills

• Machine Learning, Statistical Modeling, Data Mining
• Python, R
• Big Data Technologies: Spark, Hadoop
• AI/ML Frameworks: TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn
• NLP (Natural Language Processing)
• Computer Vision
• Predictive & Prescriptive Analytics
• Recommendation Systems
• MLOps and Model Deployment
• Data Engineering & Data Pipelines
• Cloud Platforms: OpenShift, AWS, GCP
• Data Visualisation & Reporting (Power BI)

Leadership & Functional Responsibilities

• Define and execute enterprise AI/ML and Data Science strategy
• Lead, mentor, and scale Data Science, Analytics, and Engineering teams
• Drive AI adoption and advanced analytics initiatives
• Build and deploy scalable ML models and AI solutions
• Collaborate with business, technology, product, and leadership teams
• Manage project delivery, budgets, timelines, and quality
• Establish governance, ethical AI practices, and regulatory compliance
• Communicate insights and recommendations to senior leadership

Preferred Industry Background

• Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI)
• Technology Companies
• IT Services / ITES
• Product Organizations
• System Integrators / Consulting Firms

Educational Qualification

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering
• Master's Degree preferred

Preferred Certifications

• Data Science Certifications
• Machine Learning Certifications
• Big Data Certifications
• Cloud Certifications (AWS/GCP/OpenShift)