Principal ML Engineer
At a glance
Senior Machine Learning Engineering role at NielsenIQ. Pune · full-time.
Pay not stated ML Engineer salary
aimlroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Shape software designs that balance scale, speed, quality and long-term maintainability
- Set architecture direction for key projects, keeping technical choices aligned with business needs and standards
- Work with research leads and product owners to define needs, plan MLOps pipelines and coordinate delivery
- Document team initiatives, review code and coach developers while supporting both junior and experienced colleagues
- Track technical debt in supported systems and investigate new approaches that address project needs
What you bring
- More than eight years building software professionally
- A record of leading systems built around machine learning
- Strong software design and architecture skills, including data pipeline design
- Working knowledge of cloud platforms and Agile or Scrum delivery
- Clear spoken and written English, plus Python testing and test automation knowledge
Who this fits
This senior individual-contributor role suits an experienced software engineer who can set technical direction and guide developers working on machine learning, AI and agentic pipelines. The position is onsite in Pune.
From the employer
About NIQ: NIQ is a leading global consumer intelligence company, helping clients understand what is happening, why it is happening, and what they should do next. Our data, technology, AI, and analytics capabilities power decision-making for some of the world’s most important consumer, retail, and technology businesses.
AI is central to NIQ’s next stage of growth. We are building trusted, scalable, and high-impact AI capabilities that transform how insights are created, delivered, and adopted across the business. This role will help shape the platforms, operating model, and leadership system needed to make that ambition real.
Position Type: Full-Time
About the Role: We are seeking a Principal ML Engineer with over 8 years of professional experience in software development to work with us. The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in software engineering principles, software architecture design, and best practices, with solid knowledge of OOP fundamentals. As a Principal ML Engineer you will play a key role in designing, developing, and maintaining high-quality software solutions, establishing the technical direction for critical projects that run globally.
This position is to work on AI / Machine Learning related projects and some Agentic Pipelines. We are looking for someone with experience in Data Pipelines (ideally focused on ML workloads) and/or complex microservices architectures.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, scalable software solutions with a focus on quality, performance, and maintainability.
- Lead software architecture decisions, ensuring the design aligns with business requirements and technical standards.
- Collaborate with Research Leads and Product Owners to gather requirements, design MLOps pipelines and coordinate the software delivery that adds value to the business.
- Create and maintain documentation for the initiatives the team is participating in.
- Collaborate with a team of experienced and junior developers to deliver the solutions assigned.
- Perform code reviews, mentor other developers, and promote best practices in software development.
- Be accountable for the tech debt of the systems supported.
- Lead the discovery work for new tech trends or techniques that fill our company/projects needs.
Requirements
- 8+ years of professional experience in software development.
- Proven experience leading ML based systems.
- Strong foundation in software engineering principles and architecture.
- Proficiency in design software architecture and data pipelines.
- Familiarity with cloud services (e.g., *Azure, AWS, GCP).
- Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments. (SAFE is a plus)
- Excellent communication skills in English, both written and verbal.
- Knowledge of testing frameworks and test automation (Python)
Nice to Have
- Experience with Python and/or Machine Learning projects (CV, NLP)
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines (Github Actions) and DevOps practices.
- Knowledge of testing frameworks and test automation.
- Experience working in with data transformations (pandas, spark, arrow, databricks).
- Experience serving models using GPUs (CUDA, Triton, Dynamic/continuous batching) (LLMs and/other Deep Learning models).
What We Offer
- Competitive salary based on experience and skills.
- Flexible working hours and the possibility of remote work.
- Opportunities for career growth and professional development.
- Collaborative and inclusive work environment.
Our Benefits
- Flexible working environment
- Volunteer time off
- LinkedIn Learning
- Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP)
NIQ may utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools at various stages of the recruitment process, including résumé screening, candidate assessments, interview scheduling, job matching, communication support, and certain administrative tasks that help streamline workflows. These tools are intended to improve efficiency and support fair and consistent evaluation based on job-related criteria. All use of AI is governed by NIQ’s principles of fairness, transparency, human oversight, and inclusion. Final hiring decisions are made exclusively by humans. NIQ regularly reviews its AI tools to help mitigate bias and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. If you have questions, require accommodations, or wish to request human review were permitted by law, please contact your local HR representative. For more information, please visit NIQ’s AI Safety Policies and Guiding Principles: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/info/niqs-ai-safety-policies/
About NIQ
NIQ is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. In 2023, NIQ combined with GfK, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™. NIQ is an Advent International portfolio company with operations in 100+ markets, covering more than 90% of the world’s population.
For more information, visit NIQ.com
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Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
At NIQ, we are steadfast in our commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace that mirrors the rich diversity of the communities and markets we serve. We believe that embracing a wide range of perspectives drives innovation and excellence. All employment decisions at NIQ are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. We invite individuals who share our dedication to inclusivity and equity to join us in making a meaningful impact. To learn more about our ongoing efforts in diversity and inclusion, please visit the https://nielseniq.com/global/en/news-center/diversity-inclusion