Job Description

Position Title: Head of Artificial Intelligence (AI Head)

Location: Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Pune (or Pan-India)

Employment Type: Full-Time | Senior Leadership

Reporting To: CTO / CEO / Managing Director

Department: Artificial Intelligence & Data Science

Role Purpose

The Head of Artificial Intelligence (AI Head) will be responsible for defining, building, and implementing AI-driven solutions across the enterprise to improve operational efficiency, decision-making, customer experience, and revenue growth.

This role will lead AI strategy, use-case identification, model development, deployment, and governance, ensuring scalable, ethical, and compliant AI adoption across business functions such as retail, supply chain, manufacturing, sales, marketing, finance, and customer service.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

1. AI Strategy & Roadmap

• Define and execute the enterprise AI strategy and roadmap aligned with business objectives and digital transformation goals.
• Identify high-impact AI/ML use cases across functions (forecasting, optimization, automation, personalization, fraud detection, predictive maintenance, etc.).
• Prioritize initiatives based on business value, feasibility, and ROI.

2. AI Solution Development & Deployment

• Lead end-to-end AI solution lifecycle: problem definition, data preparation, model development, testing, deployment, and monitoring.
• Design and implement ML, Deep Learning, NLP, Computer Vision, and Generative AI solutions as applicable.
• Ensure seamless integration of AI models with ERP, CRM, WMS, OMS, e-commerce platforms, and data warehouses.

3. Data, MLOps & Platforms

• Define AI architecture including data pipelines, model training environments, cloud platforms, and MLOps frameworks.
• Establish model versioning, monitoring, retraining, and performance management processes.
• Ensure scalability, reliability, and cost efficiency of AI platforms.

4. Business Enablement & Adoption

• Partner with business leaders to translate business problems into AI-driven solutions.
• Drive AI adoption and change management, ensuring users trust and effectively use AI outputs.
• Enable AI-powered dashboards, decision-support tools, and automation systems.

5. Governance, Ethics & Compliance

• Establish AI governance frameworks, including data privacy, explainability, bias mitigation, and ethical AI principles.
• Ensure compliance with data protection laws, healthcare/pharma regulations, and ISO standards.
• Work closely with Information Security teams to ensure secure and compliant AI implementations.

6. Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Build and lead high-performing AI, Data Science, and ML Engineering teams (onshore/offshore).
• Define skill frameworks, hiring plans, training programs, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous learning.

7. Vendor & Partner Management

• Evaluate and manage AI vendors, platforms, cloud providers, and system integrators.
• Negotiate SLAs, performance metrics, and commercial terms.
• Ensure optimal cost-to-value outcomes for AI investments.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Number of AI use cases deployed to production
• Business value and ROI delivered through AI initiatives
• Model accuracy, stability, and adoption rates
• Time-to-deploy AI solutions
• Compliance, security, and audit outcomes
• AI platform scalability and cost optimization

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related field.
• Master’s degree / PhD in AI, Data Science, Machine Learning, or Analytics – preferred.
• 10–18 years of overall experience, with 6–8+ years in AI/ML leadership roles.
• Proven experience implementing enterprise-scale AI solutions in domains such as healthcare, pharma, retail, manufacturing, BFSI, or supply chain.
• Strong hands-on experience with:
• Machine Learning & Deep Learning frameworks
• NLP, Computer Vision, and Generative AI
• Cloud AI platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Data engineering and MLOps tools

Desired Competencies

• Strong business-first mindset with ability to translate AI into measurable outcomes
• Strategic thinking with hands-on technical depth
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication
• High ethical standards and governance orientation
• Ability to operate in fast-paced, transformation-led environments