AI Engineering Manager

EPAM Systems; Maharashtra; On-site; INR 6,000,000 - 9,000,000; Full time

Job summary

EPAM Systems seeks an hands-on AI Engineering Manager to lead a high-performance team of AI/ML engineers in designing, developing and deploying AI-powered products and platforms. This role blends deep technical expertise with strategic leadership and will contribute to architecture, system design and AI strategy.

You will mentor engineers, guide best practices across the SDLC, and drive innovation while managing budgets, hiring and vendor relations.

Qualifications

• 13–15 years of software engineering experience with AI/ML focus.
• 5–8 years in a leadership/management role leading engineering teams.
• Hands-on experience with Python, Java or C++.

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.

Skills

AI leadership

Team management

Python/Java/C++

ML/DL/NLP

MLOps/LLMOps

Cloud platforms

System design

API development

Mentoring

Education

Bachelors in CS/Engineering

Masters in CS/Engineering

PhD is a plus

Tools

CI/CD

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