Principal, AI Research & Data Science (Navi Mumbai)

We are building an AI Research & Applied Science capability to translate frontier AI research into real‑world, high‑impact systems. This role plays a foundational part in defining that capability. As Principal, AI Research & Applied Science, you will be a senior technical authority responsible for shaping applied AI research direction, advancing new approaches, and ensuring that strong ideas move beyond theory into deployed, measurable outcomes. This is not a delivery or execution‑only role. It is a hands‑on, research‑led position for a senior individual contributor who thrives at the intersection of deep technical work and real‑world impact. You will operate with significant autonomy, influencing strategy through technical leadership, mentorship, and close partnership with engineering, product, and business teams. What You Will Do:
- Act as a senior technical authority for applied AI research across the organisation.
- Define and advance core research themes, methodologies, and technical approaches in alignment with broader AI direction.
- Lead applied research efforts to design new algorithms, models, and data‑driven systems across multiple AI domains.
- Translate complex business and operational challenges into mathematical formulations, machine learning systems, or optimisation frameworks.
- Design, build, and rigorously evaluate production‑ready AI solutions.
- Rapidly prototype and test current ideas to validate technical and business value early.
- Partner closely with engineering and product teams to guide research ideas into scalable, deployed systems.
- Stay current with advances in AI research and selectively introduce the most relevant breakthroughs into the organisation.
- Drive exploration of frontier approaches such as causal AI and neuro‑symbolic AI to deliver more interpretable, robust, and generalisable systems.
- Mentor senior researchers and engineers, raising the overall technical bar through example, critique, and guidance.
- Contribute to external visibility through publications, academic or industry collaborations, and participation in leading AI and ML forums. Ideal Background:
- Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related quantitative discipline.
- Deep, hands‑on experience in AI, machine learning, or applied research.
- Demonstrated ability to lead technically complex initiatives without relying on formal line management.
- Proven track record of designing and deploying AI systems that delivered meaningful, real‑world outcomes.
- Broad technical depth across modern AI domains such as large language models, optimisation and decision science, causal methods, speech or audio AI, or neuro‑symbolic approaches.
- Strong analytical judgement and a principled approach to system design, evaluation, and trade‑off analysis.
- Comfort working in regulated or high‑governance environments while maintaining research velocity.
- Research output such as conference papers, workshops, or recognised pre‑prints is a strong advantage. Why This Role
- Operate as a Principal‑level technical leader with real influence over AI direction.
- Work on frontier, applied AI problems with a direct line to deployment and impact.
- Shape systems and methods that matter at scale—not just prototypes or papers.
- Collaborate with senior engineers, researchers, and leaders in a technically ambitious environment. Apply on Kit Job: kitjob.in/job/4mb31i