Data Science Manager

Egon Zehnder ( is trusted advisor to many of the world’s most respected organizations and a leading Executive Search firm, with more than 600+ consultants and 69 offices in 41 countries spanning Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Our clients range from the largest corporations to emerging growth companies, government and regulatory bodies, and major educational and cultural institutions. The firm is a private partnership which allows us to operate independent of any outside interests. As a result of this unique culture, Egon Zehnder has the highest professional staff retention rate for a global firm in our profession. We have a blue-chip client base across all industries and operate at the Board and senior management level.

Knowledge Center India (KCI) is the central engine that drives the operational value for the firm. Established in 2004, KCI has evolved over the years from purely operational efficiencies into more value-added service offerings, becoming a true business partner. There are various teams based at KCI that work with Global Offices, Practice Groups, and the Management across all aspects of the firm's business life cycle. With a headcount of more than 500, the center has 5 core teams working including Experts, Research Operations, Visual Solutions, Projects/CV Capture and Digital IT, working round the clock on many mission critical elements.

We are part of Digital-IT team established 17 years ago in Gurgaon, India to provide technology support and rollout digital initiatives to 60 plus global offices. Digital IT has six key pillars – Collaboration Technology; Functional Technology; Digital Technology; Security & Architecture; Infrastructure & Services, Digital Success to support business and to take lead on digital transformation initiatives with the total strength of 150+ team members across the globe.

We are seeking a seasoned and visionary Data Science Manager with deep expertise in AI/ML, including Classical ML, Deep Learning, NLP, and Generative AI. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical foundation, proven leadership experience, and a passion for solving complex business problems using data-driven approaches. This role requires a balance of strategic thinking, hands-on technical execution, and team leadership. 

• 15+ years of experience in Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI. 
• Strong academic background in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or related field (PhD or Master’s preferred).

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists, ML engineers, and research scientists. 
• Define and drive the AI/ML roadmap aligned with business goals. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Business) to identify opportunities for AI-driven innovation. 
• Advocate for ethical AI practices and model governance. 

• Architect and implement scalable ML solutions using classical algorithms and deep learning frameworks. 
• Design and deploy NLP models for various tasks.
• Build and fine-tune Generative AI models for diverse use cases. 
• Conduct rigorous experimentation, model validation, and performance tuning. 

• Manage multiple AI/ML projects from ideation to production. 
• Translate business requirements into technical specifications and actionable insights.
• Present findings and recommendations to senior leadership and stakeholders. 

• Classical ML: XGBoost, Random Forest, SVM, etc. 

• Deep Learning: CNNs, RNNs, LSTMs, Transformers 

• NLP: BERT, GPT, LLaMA, T5, etc. 
• GenAI: Diffusion models, LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering 
• Proficiency in Python, SQL, and ML libraries (scikit-learn, Hugging Face, LangChain, etc.). 
• Experience with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP) and MLOps tools (AML, MLflow, Kubeflow, Airflow). 
• Strong understanding of data architecture, feature engineering, and model deployment pipelines. 

• Experience with vector databases, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and semantic search. 
• Familiarity with LLMOps and GenAI safety frameworks. 

• Experience with Aure, Azure Copilot Studio, Azure Cognitive Services 

• Experience with Azure AI Foundry would be a strong added advantage 
• Publications or patents in AI/ML domains. 
• Good to know other cloud platforms like AWS, GCP and their respective data and AI services. 

• Excellent communication and storytelling skills. 
• Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking. 
• Ability to inspire and lead high-performing teams. 
• Adaptability in a fast-paced, evolving tech landscape. 

We will nurture your talent in an inclusive culture that values diversity. You will be doing regular catchups with your Manager who will act as your career coach and guide you in your career goals and aspirations.

The position is based at Egon Zehnder’s KCI office in Gurgaon, Plot no. 29, Institutional Area Sector 32.

Egon Zehnder Information Research & Services (EZIRS) aims for a diverse workplace and strive to continuously lead with our firm values. We respect personal values of every individual irrespective of race, national or social origin, gender, religion, political or other opinion, disability, age and sexual orientation as warranted by basic rights enshrined in the UN Declaration of Human Rights. We believe diversity of our firm is central to the success and enables us to deliver better solutions for our clients. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment and supportive work environment, where everyone feels comfortable to be themselves and treated with dignity and respect and there is no unlawful discrimination related to employment, recruitment, training, promotion or remuneration.

Egon Zehnder provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship status, age, national origin, disability, or any other legally protected status and to affirmatively seek to advance the principles of equal employment opportunity.