Senior Data Scientist - Strategic Lead

Job Title: Expert Data Scientist

Location & Work Mode: Hyderabad (On-Site) · Open to Relocation

Employment Type: Full-time

Experience Level: 5-7 years

About the Role: You will serve as a strategic lead within the Statistical Experiments and Machine Learning Lab at the Department of Data Science and AI, IIT Madras, while working for the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR). This role involves translating complex scientific hypotheses into data-driven experimental frameworks, driving cross-functional ownership of high-impact research projects, and ensuring that advanced analytics directly informs large-scale academic inquiry and lab innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Initiative Ownership: Lead end-to-end data programs, managing stakeholders and resources to maximize the business value of rural policy interventions.
• ROI-Driven Modeling: Prioritize and develop predictive frameworks based on their potential for quantifiable social and economic impact.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Collaborate across departments to unify data strategy with operational goals, ensuring analytics are actionable and integrated.
• Decision Frameworks: Establish rigorous evaluation standards to justify significant investments in policy pilots and technical infrastructure.
• Governance Excellence: Set the standard for data ethics and quality, ensuring every insight contributes to reliable and transparent governance.
• Data and AI Solution Architect: Design and oversee the implementation of integrated data and AI architectures to support complex organizational goals.

Must-Have Requirements

• Strong fundamentals in Stats & Math (probability distributions, hypothesis testing), ML, DL and RL
• Excellent Python skills (pandas, scikit-learn, TensorFlow, etc.) and advanced SQL (Window functions, CTEs, optimization).
• Proven track record of strategic leadership in data-driven decision-making, business transformation, and mentorship of high-performing teams.
• Strong problem-solving mindset with the ability to translate complex technical constraints into clear, non-technical business outcomes for stakeholders.
• Proficiency with AI coding assistants (e.g., Cursor, Cloud Code, GitHub Copilot) for rapid development and demo creation.

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• Proven experience in Solution Architecture.

Preferred / Nice-to-Have

• Proficiency in AWS cloud architecture and modern data orchestration tools (e.g., Airflow, dbt).

Education Degree in DS, AI, ML, Stats, Math, CS, Economics, or similar quantitative fields.