Engineering Manager / Senior Engineering Manager, AI/ML (Computer Vision & LLMs)

About Nielsen Sports:Nielsen Sports is the premier provider of analytics and insights within the growing sports industry, offering the most reliable source of independent and holistic market data. We help businesses around the world effectively measure and commercialize their assets in sports. Our technology, data, and insights empower clients to make smarter decisions regarding media valuation, sponsorship, fan engagement, and more, by understanding and connecting with audiences through sports. We leverage cutting-edge image detection, machine learning, and AI to provide a comprehensive view of the sports media landscape.
Location : Any Nielsen office in India (Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gurgaon) - Bengaluru Preferred. 

Role Overview:

• Are you passionate about leading and nurturing high-performing engineering teams to build groundbreaking AI solutions? Do you thrive on translating cutting-edge research in Computer Vision and Large Language Models into impactful, scalable products? Nielsen Sports is seeking an experienced and dynamic Engineering Manager / Senior Engineering Manager to lead our talented AI/ML engineers in Bengaluru. This role is critical to our mission of delivering innovative solutions that redefine how value is measured and understood in the global sports ecosystem. You will be responsible for guiding your team's technical direction, fostering their growth, and ensuring the successful delivery of projects that leverage sophisticated AI to analyze complex multimedia sports data.  

Key Responsibilities:

• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, manage, and mentor a team of AI/ML software engineers (MTS 1-5 levels), fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, ownership, and continuous learning. Drive recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and career development for team members.  Champion engineering best practices and a positive, inclusive team environment
• Technical Delivery & Execution: Oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of complex AI/ML projects, particularly in computer vision (e.g., object detection, logo recognition) and multi-modal LLM applications. Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and to a high standard of quality. Work closely with product managers, researchers, and other stakeholders to define roadmaps, prioritize features, and translate business requirements into technical solutions.
• Technical Guidance & Strategy: Provide technical guidance and direction to the team on AI/ML model development, system architecture, MLOps, and software engineering best practices. Stay abreast of the latest advancements in AI, Computer Vision, LLMs, and relevant cloud technologies. Contribute to the broader technical strategy for AI/ML applications within Nielsen Sports.
• Stakeholder Management & Communication: Effectively communicate project status, risks, and technical details to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Collaborate with cross-functional teams globally (including product, operations, and other engineering groups) to ensure alignment and successful product integration. 
•  Operational Excellence & Process Improvement: Drive improvements in team processes, development methodologies (e.g., Agile/Scrum), and operational efficiency. Ensure the scalability, reliability, and maintainability of the AI/ML systems and services developed by your team.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or a related technical field.5-12 years of progressive experience in software development, with a significant portion focused on AI/ML, Data Science, or Computer Vision.
•  For Engineering Manager: At least 2-4 years of direct people management experience, leading and mentoring software engineering teams.
•  For Senior Engineering Manager: At least 5+ years of direct people management experience, potentially including experience managing other leads or managers, and a proven track record of leading multiple or complex projects.
• Strong understanding of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), Agile methodologies, and CI/CD practices.  Technical proficiency and familiarity with AI/ML concepts, machine learning algorithms, deep learning, and statistical modeling.
• Deep Expertise with computer vision techniques (e.g., object detection, image classification) and an understanding of or keen interest in Large Language Models (LLMs). 
• Experience in finetuning LLMs like Llama 2/3, Mistral, or open-source models available on Hugging Face using libraries such as Hugging Face Transformers, PEFT, or specialized frameworks like Axolotl/Unsloth.
• Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in AI/ML, such as Python.
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
• Proven ability to motivate and grow technical talent.
• Full Stack Development expertise in any one stack.

Preferred Qualifications / Bonus Skills:

• Prior hands-on experience as an AI/ML engineer or data scientist before transitioning into management.
• Experience managing teams working specifically on computer vision and/or LLM-based projects.
• Experience with MLOps tools and practices (e.g., MLflow, Kubeflow, SageMaker, Vertex AI).
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and their AI/ML services.Experience in the sports analytics, media technology, or ad-tech industries.
• Proven track record of successfully delivering scalable, high-impact AI/ML products or features.
• Experience working in a global, distributed team environment.

What We Offer:

• An opportunity to lead and shape the future of AI in the exciting world of sports analytics.
• A leadership role with significant impact on Nielsen Sports' products and technology.
• A dynamic, innovative, and collaborative work environment.
• Competitive salary, performance-based bonus, and comprehensive benefits package.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development in a global organization.
• The chance to work with a passionate team on cutting-edge technologies.