[Skip to main content](#main-content) [OpenNash Jobs](https://jobs.opennash.com/) [Hiring report](/reports/hiring/) · [All Principal Financial Group jobs](https://jobs.opennash.com/companies/principal-financial-group/) · [Search jobs](/search/) Principal Financial Group · Pune, India # Associate Director - Data Science Pune, India Full-time Director Data & Analytics Listed on Principal Financial Group’s official careers site. Posted October 22, 2026. Check that it is still open and apply there. [Apply on Principal Financial Group’s careers site →](https://careersindia-principal.icims.com/jobs/53392/login) [OpenNash Jobs](https://jobs.opennash.com/) / [Principal Financial Group](https://jobs.opennash.com/companies/principal-financial-group/) / Associate Director - Data Science ## Job description ### What You'll Do - The leader of AI and Data Science at the enterprise level defines the organization’s overarching AI vision, manages investments, and leads cross-departmental initiatives to expand responsible AI. This role partners with executive, business, and technology leaders to transform strategic priorities into a practical AI portfolio, enterprise capabilities, and quantifiable results across revenue growth, cost savings, efficiency, customer satisfaction, and risk management. ### Enterprise AI strategy and investment governance - Set the enterprise AI vision, multi-year agenda, and operating system. Formulate arguments, order high-value use cases, and supervise funding, sequencing, dependencies, delivery risk, and benefits realization. ### Business value realization and executive advisory - Establish measurable outcomes and track adoption, efficiency, reliability, risk, return on investment, and business impact. Translate AI opportunities, constraints, and choices into executive-ready recommendations and implementation roadmaps. ### Enterprise AI platforms and solutions - Support scalable features such as retrieval-augmented generation, AI agents, intelligent automation, document intelligence, MLOps/LLMOps, and model and agent observability. ### Responsible AI and lifecycle governance - Establish policies, standards, and controls covering data privacy, security, model risk, bias minimization, regulatory alignment, monitoring, and ethical AI implementation. ### Cross-functional delivery, adoption, and change - Lead multidisciplinary implementation efforts across Data Science, Analytics Engineering, AI Engineering, MLOps/LLMOps, and Agent Enablement. Encourage uptake by supporting organizational transformation and integrating solutions into business workflows. - Assemble, guide, and sustain high-performing teams. Advance enterprise AI capabilities. Handle strategic technology partnerships to drive outcomes faster while controlling costs and vendor risk. ### Who You Are - Degree in engineering, computer science, data science, mathematics, or a related field, or equivalent experience. - 20+ years of progressive leadership experience across Data, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Transformation, with significant accountability for enterprise-scale portfolios, strategic investments, and groundbreaking business outcomes. - Proven history in designing and progressing enterprise AI, Data, and Analytics strategies, transforming vision into multi-year plans, scalable operating frameworks, technological capacities, and measurable business results. - Proven ability to lead large, cross-functional teams spanning Data Science, AI Engineering, Analytics Engineering, Data Platform Engineering, MLOps/LLMOps, Product Management, and Program Delivery functions. - Extensive experience partnering with C-suite executives, senior business leaders, and technology collaborators to build strategy, prioritize investments, manage organizational change, and accelerate business outcomes. - Strong expertise in establishing and operationalizing AI governance, model lifecycle management, responsible AI frameworks, risk controls, compliance standards, security guardrails, and enterprise monitoring practices. - Experience leading and providing production-scale solutions demonstrating Machine Learning, Generative AI, Agentic AI, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Intelligent Automation, Knowledge Systems, and Document Intelligence. - Demonstrated success leading large-scale enterprise transformation initiatives, including operating model modernization, capability development, process optimization, and technology-based business innovation. - Experience assembling and advancing high-performing teams while supporting a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning. ### Global Leadership & Collaborator Management - Extensive experience operating within complex Global Capability Center (GCC) environments, with a deep understanding of how GCCs enable enterprise growth, innovation, talent development, and operational excellence. - Established track record of guiding strategy, promoting alignment, and producing results within globally distributed, complex organizations covering various business units, functions, geographies, and cultures. - Proven history of building positive connections with executive leadership, business sponsors, technology leaders, external partners, and strategic collaborators, acting as a trusted advisor on enterprise AI, data, and transformation projects. - Demonstrated success navigating organizational complexity, prioritizing various tasks, and aligning diverse collaborator interests to achieve enterprise objectives. - Ability to exercise enterprise influence beyond direct span of control, establish accountability, and lead through collaboration, negotiation, and strategic relationship management. - Demonstrated success in guiding organizational transformation and acceptance, fostering agreement among senior leadership groups, and managing company-wide projects that produce balanced business outcomes. - Strong executive presence, communication, and collaborator engagement talents, coupled with the skill to transform complex technology strategies into engaging business narratives for senior executives and board-level audiences. ### Differentiating Capabilities - Deep understanding of modern AI and data technologies, including Generative AI, Agentic AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), RAG, Vector Search, Embeddings, Prompt Engineering, Machine Learning, NLP, Document Intelligence, MLOps/LLMOps, and Cloud AI Platforms. - Strategic and goal-focused leader capable of balancing innovation, value realization, scalability, security, governance, adherence to regulations, and risk management. - Demonstrated ability to build enterprise priorities, influence executive decision-making, and drive outcomes across organizational boundaries. - Strong leadership presence with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts, risks, trade-offs, and investment decisions in a clear and engaging way. - Demonstrated capability in attracting, developing, mentoring, and retaining top talent while fostering leadership depth and long-term organizational strength. - Skilled at leading through ambiguity, managing competing priorities, and delivering results in fast-paced, evolving business environments. - Acknowledged for promoting a culture of innovation, operational excellence, customer focus, and continuous improvement while maintaining a strong dedication to responsible and ethical AI adoption. ## At a glance - Posted by the employer: Oct 22, 2026 - First seen by OpenNash: Oct 24, 2026 - Last checked: Oct 31, 2026 - Listed for: 9 days - Location: Pune, India - Employment type: Full-time[Apply on Principal Financial Group’s careers site →](https://careersindia-principal.icims.com/jobs/53392/login) ## Hiring at Principal Financial Group - Open jobs: 168 - New in the last 7 days: After two weekly collections - Tracked since: Jul 10, 2026 [All Principal Financial Group jobs](https://jobs.opennash.com/companies/principal-financial-group/) · [Weekly hiring report](/reports/hiring/) ## More jobs at Principal Financial Group ### [Assistant Manager Operations](https://jobs.opennash.com/companies/principal-financial-group/jobs/e7f94eeb40e8f94b0754/) Pune, India ### [Client Service Specialist](https://jobs.opennash.com/companies/principal-financial-group/jobs/fa27e73def526e8da4eb/) Pune, India ### [Head Of Automation & Orchestration](https://jobs.opennash.com/companies/principal-financial-group/jobs/59b102f7ea4521369367/) Pune, India ## Similar jobs at other companies ### [Manager, Data Science](https://jobs.opennash.com/companies/mastercard/jobs/e1dd5dc60b765f5fc3af/) Mastercard · Pune, India ### [BIU:Data Science-Alternate Data](https://jobs.opennash.com/companies/axis-bank/jobs/318ebdc31d9b45182350/) Axis Bank · Mumbai ### [S&C GN - 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