Engineering Manager (AI & Machine Learning)

European Tech Recruit; País Vasco; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

European Tech Recruit is seeking an experienced AI and Data Science Engineering Manager to lead an international team delivering advanced AI solutions for major industrial clients. You will direct architecture, planning and production deployment, translating business problems into scalable cloud-based AI systems.

You will oversee ML, computer vision and Generative AI projects, ensure high-quality deliverables, and mentor multidisciplinary teams while collaborating with customers and senior

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in AI, CS, Data Science, Physics, Engineering or closely related field.
• At least five years of relevant commercial experience in technology or engineering.
• Two years’ experience managing technical projects and leading engineering teams.
• Three years of hands-on data science, Generative AI, DL, CV, LLMs or software engineering.
• Experience designing production-grade ML/AI systems.
• Experience with Retrieval-Augmented Generation and agentic AI.
• Experience deploying AI/ML apps in cloud production environments.
• Strong knowledge of LLMs, fine-tuning/alignment or pruning/compression.
• Excellent Python, Docker and Git knowledge.
• Experience with GitHub/GitLab workflows and dev features.
• Solid understanding of Agile engineering practices.
• Strong leadership and motivation of international teams.
• Excellent stakeholder-management and client-facing abilities.
• Highly organized with attention to detail and prioritization.

Responsibilities

• Lead an international team delivering advanced AI solutions for high-profile clients.
• Define technical architecture and direction of AI/ML projects.
• Ensure engineering deliverables meet high quality standards.
• Manage projects from scoping to production deployment.
• Set objectives, timelines, resources and risk plans.
• Identify risks and create contingency plans.
• Provide leadership and technical guidance to multidisciplinary teams.
• Foster collaborative and accountable engineering culture.
• Track performance and safeguard quality and timelines.
• Maintain accurate technical/project documentation.
• Communicate progress, milestones, risks and priorities to customers and management.
• Coordinate cross-project initiatives with other managers and leaders.
• Translate customers' objectives into effective technical solutions.
• Contribute insights to broader tech strategy.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Python

Docker

Git

Agile methodologies

Communication

Education

Master’s or PhD in AI/CS/Data Science/Physics/Engineering

Tools

GitHub/GitLab workflows

Cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure)

Retrieval-Augmented Generation

Large language models

Job description

We are supporting a pioneering technology company in the search for an experienced AI and Data Science Engineering Manager. This is a hands‑on leadership position for someone who combines deep technical expertise with the ability to guide international engineering teams and deliver complex AI solutions for major industrial clients.

You will oversee the full lifecycle of advanced machine learning, computer vision and Generative AI projects—from solution design and technical planning through to production deployment. Working closely with customers, engineers and senior stakeholders, you will help translate challenging business problems into scalable, cloud-based AI systems.

Your Responsibilities

• Lead and develop an international team of engineers delivering advanced technology solutions for high-profile clients.
• Define the technical architecture and direction of complex AI and machine learning projects.
• Ensure that engineering approaches, technologies and deliverables meet high standards of quality.
• Manage projects from initial scoping through implementation and production deployment.
• Establish project objectives, deliverables, timelines, resource plans and risk assessments.
• Identify technical and delivery risks, creating contingency plans to maintain progress.
• Provide clear leadership, technical guidance and support to multidisciplinary teams.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable and results-oriented engineering environment.
• Track project performance and take proactive action to protect quality, timelines and outcomes.
• Maintain accurate technical and project documentation.
• Communicate progress, milestones, risks and priorities clearly to customers, colleagues and senior management.
• Coordinate cross-project initiatives with fellow managers and technical leaders.
• Understand customers’ strategic and operational objectives and translate them into effective technical solutions.
• Contribute practical customer, market and technology insights to the wider technical strategy.

Your Background

• Master’s degree or PhD in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Data Science, Physics, Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• At least five years of relevant commercial experience within technology or engineering.
• A minimum of two years’ experience managing technical projects and leading engineering teams in a technology-driven business.
• At least three years of hands‑on industry experience in data science, Generative AI, deep learning, computer vision, large language models or software engineering.
• Demonstrable experience designing and implementing production‑grade machine learning or AI systems.
• Practical experience with Retrieval‑Augmented Generation and agentic AI solutions.
• Experience deploying AI or machine learning applications in cloud‑based production environments.
• Strong knowledge of large language models, including fine‑tuning and alignment methods, or model‑pruning and compression techniques.
• Excellent working knowledge of Python, Docker and Git.
• Experience using GitHub or GitLab workflows and development features.
• Sound understanding of agile engineering practices.
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to motivate multidisciplinary, international teams.
• Excellent stakeholder‑management, client‑facing and interpersonal abilities.
• Highly organised, attentive to detail and capable of managing competing priorities.
• Full professional fluency in both Spanish and English.

The Opportunity

This position offers the chance to lead technically ambitious projects at the intersection of artificial intelligence, advanced computing and real‑world industrial applications. You will work with talented international colleagues, contribute to forward‑looking technology strategy and help bring sophisticated AI systems into production.