Rakuten - Associate Engineer Director (15-18 yrs)

Job Summary :

We are seeking an experienced Associate Engineering Director to lead the design, development, and delivery of Web and AI/ML-based applications. This role requires a strong technical foundation in modern web technologies as well as a strategic understanding of AI/ML integration to drive business value and product innovation.

The ideal candidate will have 15-18 years of experience in building and scaling software applications, including a proven track record of delivering complex web products. Experience in leading cross-functional engineering teams, aligning technology with product goals, and ensuring the performance, reliability, and scalability of applications is essential.

While the core focus is on web-based product development, this role also includes oversight of initiatives where AI/ML capabilities are integrated to enhance functionality and user experience. The candidate will collaborate with product stakeholders and data science teams to ensure seamless implementation and operationalization of AI/ML solutions.

Responsibilities :

- Lead and manage multiple engineering teams responsible for the design, development, and delivery of both web-based and AI/ML-enabled applications across a diverse product portfolio

- Define and maintain the technical architecture and roadmap for scalable web and AI/ML product solutions, ensuring alignment with business goals and technology strategy

- Drive the entire software development lifecycle, including planning, design, development, testing, deployment, and ongoing support.

- Ensure the scalability, performance, reliability, and security of production systems, across both traditional web products and AI/ML-powered services.

- Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and overseas stakeholders to define requirements and translate business needs into robust technical solutions.

- Lead the integration of AI/ML models into web products to improve user experience, enable intelligent automation and drive business impact

- Champion engineering best practices across both domains, including code quality, automated testing, CI/CD, and secure coding standards.

- Ensure high performance and availability of platforms using modern backend technologies such as Python, Java, Flask, and orchestration tools like Airflow.

- Maintain an agile delivery approach, ensuring regular releases, fast feedback loops, and adaptability to change.

- Collaborate with infrastructure and DevOps teams to optimize deployment pipelines for web applications and AI/ML components.

- Mentor and develop engineering talent, fostering a high-performance culture that supports career growth and innovation.

- Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends in web development and AI/ML, evaluating and introducing new tools and frameworks where appropriate.

- Manage resource planning and budget management to ensure effective allocation across web and AI/ML initiatives.

Qualifications :

- 15-18 years of experience in software engineering, with at least 5+ years in engineering leadership roles.

- Proven experience in delivering complex web-based applications at scale using modern frameworks and cloud infrastructure.

- Demonstrated understanding of AI/ML model integration into production systems

- Strong technical background with hands-on experience in technologies such as Python, Java, Flask, and data orchestration tools like Airflow

- Solid knowledge of software architecture, design patterns, security, scalability, and performance optimization for both web and AI/ML systems.

- Experience working in Agile environments with cross-functional teams and a track record of delivering products on time and within scope.

- Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

- Experience managing engineering budgets, team capacity planning, and vendor relationships (as needed).

Preferred Attributes :

- Passion for delivering high-quality products that solve real-world problems.

- Deep interest in emerging trends in web technologies and applied AI/ML.

- Demonstrated ability to bridge the gap between engineering and business, aligning teams around strategic goals.

- Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure), containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and CI/CD pipelines.

- Familiarity with MLOps principles and tools for model versioning, monitoring, and deployment is a strong plus.

- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a proactive, growth-oriented mindset.

- Track record of building, mentoring, and retaining high-performing technical teams.

Mandatory Skills :

- Full Stack, Web Technologies, AL/ML, MLOps, Python, Java, Flask, Orchestration Tools, Airflow, Software Architecture, Design Patterns, Team Handling Experience. Web-based Product Development, Software Development Lifecycle