About MBRDI:

Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI), headquartered in Bengaluru with a satellite office in Pune, is the largest R&D center for Mercedes-Benz Group AG outside of Germany. Our mission is to drive innovation and excellence in automotive engineering, digitalization, and sustainable mobility solutions, shaping the future of mobility.

We are seeking a visionary Data and AI Chief Architect to lead the design, development, and governance of department wide data and AI solutions. This role requires a balance of deep technical expertise, architectural vision, and the ability to inspire cross-functional teams toward a unified data and AI strategy.

As a key member of the architecture and innovation team, you will shape how data is collected, transformed, and leveraged across the organization — enabling scalable data engineering pipelines, responsible AI adoption, and the delivery of intelligent business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

1. Data Architecture & Engineering

• Design and implement modern, scalable data architectures (data lakehouse, streaming, APIs, etc.) to support analytics and AI workloads.
• Oversee data ingestion, integration, and transformation processes across structured and unstructured sources.
• Partner with DevOps and Cloud teams to ensure data platforms meet enterprise performance, security, and compliance standards.
• Define best practices for metadata management, data lineage, and data quality frameworks.

2. Data Transformation & Analytics Enablement

• Lead the development of robust data models, pipelines, and transformations using modern tools (e.g., Spark, dbt, Kafka, Databricks, Synapse, Snowflake, etc.).
• Collaborate with BI and analytics teams to ensure data is clean, contextual, and analytics-ready.
• Enable business units to self-serve and innovate through governed data products and APIs.

3. AI Use Case Discovery & Delivery

• Partner with business stakeholders to identify and evaluate high-impact AI/ML use cases.
• Provide technical leadership in designing AI solutions — from proof of concept to production deployment.
• Collaborate with Data Scientists and MLOps engineers to build scalable AI and machine learning pipelines.
• Promote responsible AI practices ensuring transparency, fairness, and explainability in all AI initiatives.

4. AI Governance & Strategy

• Define and implement frameworks for AI governance, including ethical AI guidelines, model lifecycle management, and compliance.
• Establish policies for model versioning, monitoring, and risk assessment.
• Act as a thought leader on AI maturity and innovation across the organization.

5. Cross-Functional Leadership & Inspiration

• Inspire and mentor cross-functional teams — including engineers, analysts, and product owners — toward data-driven and AI-powered ways of working.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and promote a culture of technical excellence and curiosity.

Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders effectively.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, AI, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in data architecture, data engineering, or AI/ML solution design.
• Proven experience with cloud data platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP) and modern data stack tools.
• Strong knowledge of AI/ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Azure ML, SageMaker, etc.).
• Experience with governance frameworks, data privacy, and MLOps.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire technical teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in AI / GenAI usecase delivery , model interpretability, and regulatory compliance.
• Prior experience leading enterprise data modernization or AI transformation programs.
• Certifications in cloud data architecture or AI (e.g., Azure Data Engineer/Architect, AWS Certified Machine Learning).

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a purpose-driven organization that’s shaping the future of mobility.
• Work on cutting-edge technologies and global projects.
• Thrive in a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive environment.
• Access world-class infrastructure and learning opportunities.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

At MBRDI, we are committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of gender, background, or ability.