Associate Director - Data & AI Operations

Location: Bengaluru

Key Deliverables in this role

Financial Outcomes

- Ensure operational reliability and cost efficiency of enterprise-grade data, ML, and AI platforms by managing demand pipelines and optimizing resource allocation.
- Deliver projects within agreed timelines and budgets, driving measurable ROI through automation, process standardization, and vendor performance governance.

Customer Service

- Partner with business functions (Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, HR) to ensure timely delivery of data and AI services that meet evolving business needs.
- Collaborate with analytics and AI teams to maintain seamless access to data and ensure production models are monitored, retrained, and deployed effectively.

Internal Processes

- Establish and enforce operational frameworks for Data Ops and AIOps, including monitoring, incident management, and SLA adherence.
- Lead and manage vendor relationships to ensure accountability, quality delivery, and cost optimization across all operational engagements.

Innovation and Learning

- Embed automation and predictive monitoring into operational workflows to enhance efficiency and resilience.
- Continuously evaluate emerging technologies (e.g., AI observability tools, cloud-native orchestration) and integrate best practices to future-proof operations.

Critical success factors for the Role

- Educational Foundation:
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, or related discipline from a Tier 1/2 institute.
- Operational Expertise:
Deep understanding of Data Ops and AIOps practices, including orchestration, monitoring, and lifecycle management of data pipelines and AI models in production.
- Cloud & Platform Knowledge:
Strong experience with cloud-native operations across AWS, Azure, and GCP, including automation frameworks and observability tools.
- Demand &Budget Management:
Proven ability to manage demand pipelines, prioritize workloads, and deliver projects within agreed timelines and budgets while maintaining quality and compliance.
- Vendor Leadership:
Demonstrated success in managing large-scale vendor engagements—contracting, performance governance, and cost optimization—ensuring accountability and value delivery.
- Execution Excellence:
Track record of driving operational reliability, SLA adherence, and incident resolution for enterprise data and AI platforms.
- Stakeholder Engagement:
Exceptional communication and influencing skills to align operations with business priorities and manage expectations across senior leadership.
- Innovation Mindset:
Ability to embed automation, predictive monitoring, and continuous improvement practices to enhance operational efficiency and resilience.
- Governance & Compliance:
Familiarity with global data privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA) and ability to enforce compliance in operational workflows.
- Cultural Fit:
Embody organization's growth behaviors—Consumer First, Ownership, Agility, Integrity, and Continuous Innovation while fostering a high-performance operations culture.

Desirable success factors for the Role

- Experience in FMCG or consumer products industry is big plus.
- Familiarity with data architecture and compliance frameworks.