Staff AI

**Your Title: Staff AI / ML Operations - Senior Engineer

Job Location: Chennai

Our Department: [CMS]
Are you a seasoned technical leader ready to define the strategic direction of enterprise AI/ML infrastructure and shape the future of MLOps across our organization?
What You Will Do
This role offers the opportunity to drive transformational AI/ML initiatives at the highest technical level within our organization. As a Principal Engineer, you will be responsible for setting technical vision, architecting next-generation ML platforms, and establishing industry-leading practices that scale across multiple business units. This position requires exceptional technical depth, proven leadership experience, and the ability to influence strategic decisions while solving the most complex challenges in production AI/ML systems.
Strategic Leadership & Architecture**

• Define and execute the long-term technical strategy for enterprise AI/ML infrastructure, establishing architectural principles and technology roadmaps that align with business objectives
• Lead the design and implementation of next-generation ML platforms capable of supporting thousands of models across diverse use cases and business units
• Drive cross-organizational initiatives to standardize MLOps practices, establishing centers of excellence and governance frameworks
• Architect solutions for emerging AI technologies including large language models, multi-modal AI systems, and federated learning environments

Advanced Technical Implementation

• Design and implement cutting-edge MLOps solutions including automated hyperparameter optimization, neural architecture search, and advanced model optimization techniques
• Lead the development of sophisticated ML infrastructure supporting real-time inference at scale, including edge computing deployments and distributed serving architectures
• Establish advanced observability and reliability frameworks including custom ML metrics, automated anomaly detection, and intelligent auto-remediation systems
• Drive innovation in ML security, implementing zero-trust architectures, model privacy preservation, and advanced threat detection for AI systems

Leadership & Influence

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to senior engineers and cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning
• Collaborate with executive leadership, product management, and business stakeholders to translate strategic business goals into technical initiatives
• Represent the organization at industry conferences, contribute to open-source projects, and establish external partnerships with technology vendors and research institutions
• Lead technical decision-making processes, conduct architecture reviews, and establish engineering standards across multiple teams

Required
What Skills & Experience You Should Bring

• Advanced degree (Master's/PhD) in Computer Science, Engineering, Machine Learning, or related technical field, or equivalent professional experience with exceptional technical depth
• 8+ years of experience in ML Operations, Site Reliability Engineering, or related fields with 3+ years in senior technical leadership roles
• Proven track record of architecting and implementing large-scale ML infrastructure serving millions of predictions with high availability and performance requirements
• Expert-level programming skills in multiple languages (Python, Go, Rust, Java, C++) with deep understanding of distributed systems and performance optimization
• Extensive experience leading enterprise cloud transformations across multiple platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) including advanced AI/ML services and cost optimization strategies
• Deep expertise in ML model lifecycle management at scale, including sophisticated A/B testing frameworks, multi-armed bandit algorithms, and automated experimentation platforms
• Proven experience with advanced infrastructure technologies including service mesh architectures, event-driven systems, and serverless ML computing

Preferred

• Experience with cutting-edge ML technologies including transformer architectures, foundation model deployment, and prompt engineering infrastructure
• Expertise in advanced data engineering including real-time streaming architectures, data mesh implementations, and privacy-preserving analytics
• Knowledge of ML compliance and governance frameworks including model interpretability, bias detection, and regulatory compliance (GDPR, CCPA, industry-specific regulations)
• Experience with quantum computing applications, neuromorphic computing, or other emerging AI hardware architectures
• Track record of successful technology vendor relationships, including build vs. buy decisions and enterprise software negotiations
• Published research, patents, or significant open-source contributions in ML infrastructure or related fields
• Experience leading geographically distributed teams and managing complex multi-year technical initiatives

Leadership Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to influence technical strategy at the executive level and drive organizational change
• Proven experience mentoring and developing senior technical talent, including Principal and Staff-level engineers
• Track record of successful cross-functional collaboration with product, business, and executive stakeholders
• Experience establishing technical communities of practice and knowledge sharing programs

About Your Location
[Location detail - hybrid/remote options, office locations, travel requirements]
About Our Division
[Summary of CMS division focused on the scale and impact of AI/ML initiatives]
Growth & Impact Opportunities
As a Principal Engineer, you will have the opportunity to:

• Shape the technical direction of AI/ML capabilities across the entire organization
• Lead strategic technology initiatives with multimillion-dollar impact
• Build and mentor high-performing engineering teams
• Establish industry partnerships and represent the company at major conferences
• Contribute to open-source projects and publish cutting-edge research