Head of AI Research & Development

SK AI Pvt Ltd · Bangalore, India

Senior Leadership Role

S K AI Pvt Ltd is seeking an exceptional Head of AI Research & Development  to lead the development of advanced Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Generative AI, Data Science, and AI-enabled software products and services.

This is a high-impact leadership position for an accomplished technology executive who can combine scientific depth, engineering excellence, product vision, business acumen, and executive-level communication . The successful candidate will build and lead a world-class AI R&D organization while representing S K AI before investors, research institutions, universities, strategic partners, customers, and other stakeholders.

• Define and execute the company's long-term AI R&D, technology, and innovation strategy  aligned with commercial and investment objectives.
• Build, mentor, and lead multidisciplinary teams of AI scientists, ML engineers, data scientists, software engineers, data engineers, and research professionals.
• Lead development of scalable AI/ML solutions including Generative AI, LLMs, agentic AI, deep learning, predictive analytics, multimodal AI, NLP, computer vision, and decision-intelligence platforms .
• Establish rigorous processes for AI experimentation, model validation, reproducibility, MLOps, responsible AI, data governance, cybersecurity, and production deployment.
• Convert research concepts and prototypes into commercially viable, scalable, defensible products and intellectual property .
• Develop technology roadmaps, product-development milestones, R&D budgets, KPIs, resource plans, and commercialization strategies.
• Represent the company's technology vision in meetings and presentations with venture capital firms, private investors, institutional investors, strategic partners, customers, universities, and research organizations .
• Provide compelling technical narratives, product demonstrations, technology due diligence, competitive differentiation, and R&D strategy to support fundraising and strategic investment discussions .
• Develop partnerships with leading universities, laboratories, technology companies, healthcare/life-sciences organizations, and other research institutions.
• Identify emerging technologies, research opportunities, patents, datasets, platforms, and strategic capabilities that can strengthen the company's competitive position.
• Work closely with founders and executive leadership on corporate strategy, business development, investor relations, product positioning, and international growth.
• Recruit and retain exceptional technical talent while creating a culture of scientific rigor, innovation, accountability, speed, and continuous learning.

• PhD strongly preferred  in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Computer Science, Data Science, Computational Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Statistics, or a closely related discipline. Exceptional candidates with a Master's degree and substantial AI leadership experience will also be considered.
• Typically 12+ years of progressive technology/R&D experience , including significant leadership of AI, ML, data science, engineering, or advanced research organizations.
• Demonstrated experience taking AI technologies from research or prototype stage through production and commercialization .
• Strong knowledge of modern AI architectures, LLMs, foundation models, RAG, AI agents, deep learning, model optimization, cloud AI platforms, distributed computing, data engineering, and MLOps.
• Experience building enterprise-grade AI products using platforms such as Databricks, Azure, AWS, GCP, Nvidia, Claude, PyTorch, TensorFlow, MLflow , or comparable technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technologies to both highly technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience supporting investor presentations, fundraising, technology due diligence, strategic partnerships, or enterprise business development  is highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of intellectual property creation, patents, research collaboration, product strategy, and competitive technology positioning.
• Experience working in startup, scale-up, product R&D, deep-tech, SaaS, defense, healthcare, life sciences, financial services, or another data-intensive industry is preferred.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Visionary AI leadership  with the ability to anticipate major technology shifts.
• Investment attraction capability  and credibility with sophisticated investors.
• Exceptional technical depth and scientific judgment .
• Proven ability to build and lead high-performance R&D organizations .
• Strong product commercialization mindset .
• Executive presence and outstanding presentation and communication skills .
• Ability to translate complex AI technology into a compelling business and investment proposition .
• Strong strategic thinking combined with disciplined execution.
• Demonstrated ability to attract, develop, and retain elite technical talent .
• Strong understanding of AI architecture, engineering, data platforms, and production systems .
• Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort operating in a fast-growing startup environment.
• Experience establishing university, research, and industry collaborations .
• Strong commercial judgment and understanding of customer and market requirements.
• Commitment to Responsible AI, security, privacy, governance, and ethical technology development .
• Ability to establish defensible intellectual property and long-term technological differentiation.

This position offers the opportunity to shape the AI technology strategy of an ambitious innovation-focused company, build a high-caliber R&D organization, develop cutting-edge AI products, establish global research and commercial partnerships, and participate directly in strategic discussions that influence the company's growth and investment trajectory.

Location:  India

Employment Type:  Full-Time | Executive Leadership

Title:  Head of AI Research & Development

• Qualified senior AI leaders with a demonstrated record of building transformative technologies, organizations, and commercial opportunities are invited to apply.