AI Engineering Manager

EPAM Systems; Chennai District; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

EPAM Systems in Chennai invites an AI Engineering Manager to lead a high-performance team of AI/ML engineers. You will design, develop and deploy innovative AI-powered products while contributing to architecture and system design.

The role blends strategic leadership with hands-on development across ML and NLP, ensuring robust, scalable AI platforms and strong collaboration with product management.

Qualifications

• 13-15 years of software engineering experience with significant AI/ML or data science work.
• 5-8 years in leadership or management of engineering teams.
• Hands-on experience with Python, Java, or C++ in production systems.
• Deep expertise in ML, DL, NLP and generative AI.
• Experience designing scalable AI infra and MLOps/LLMOps on cloud platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, design and implementation of scalable AI systems.
• Dedicate substantial time to hands-on development and code reviews.
• Drive modernization by integrating AI capabilities and multi-agent workflows.
• Oversee full AI project lifecycle from concept to production.
• Define AI strategy and roadmap with leadership and product management.
• Manage budgets, resources and vendor relationships.

Skills

Python

Java

C++

AI/ML

NLP

Generative AI

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science or Engineering

PhD is a plus

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

We are seeking a hands-on AI Engineering Manager to lead a high-performance team of AI and machine learning engineers in designing, developing and deploying innovative AI-powered products and platforms. This role blends deep technical expertise with strategic leadership, requiring the manager to guide teams in building advanced AI solutions while personally contributing to architecture and system design. The manager will play a key role in shaping the AI strategy and mentoring engineering talent.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior technical authority for the AI engineering team, guiding architecture, design and implementation of scalable, reliable and secure AI systems
• Dedicate significant time to hands‑on development, including coding, code reviews and architecting complex systems
• Drive modernization of legacy systems by integrating AI capabilities such as RAG systems, code generation and multi‑agent workflows
• Oversee the entire AI project lifecycle, from conception and experimentation to production deployment and optimization
• Establish and enforce best practices for the software development lifecycle, including agile methodologies, CI/CD and automated testing
• Collaborate with executive leadership and product management to define AI strategy and roadmap, ensuring alignment with business objectives
• Make critical build-vs‑buy decisions regarding AI tools and platforms
• Manage departmental budgets, resource allocation and vendor relationships
• Communicate technical concepts, project progress and risks to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders
• Lead, mentor and grow a team of AI engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous learning
• Oversee hiring, onboarding and career development of engineering talent

Requirements

• 13-15 years of experience in software engineering, with a significant portion dedicated to AI, machine learning or data science
• 5-8 years of experience in a leadership or management role, leading high‑performing engineering teams
• Extensive hands‑on expertise in Python, Java or C++
• Deep expertise in machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing and generative AI
• Proven experience designing and building scalable AI infrastructure and MLOps/LLMOps pipelines on cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure and GCP
• Strong background in system design, microservices architecture and API development
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field (PhD is a plus)

Nice to have

• Experience in a "player-coach" role, with a desire to stay hands‑on with technology
• Track record of delivering large-scale, complex AI projects from start to finish
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and ability to navigate ambiguity
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills