Principal Engineering Lead, AI Enabled Solutions

Principal Engineering Lead, AI Enabled Solutions

Join to apply for the Principal Engineering Lead, AI Enabled Solutions role at Kantar.

We are the world’s leading data, insights, and consulting company, shaping brands of tomorrow by better understanding people everywhere.

About the Role

We are looking for a talented Principal Engineering Lead, AI Enabled Solutions to join our engineering community. You will be building, enhancing, and supporting the next generation of our platform. This role is ideal for a highly experienced software engineer or software architect who loves to work as a team while building elegant and simple solutions that scale.

Job Goals

You will drive Kantar’s technology transformation by architecting and delivering scalable AI solutions. Your expertise in machine learning, generative AI, and
- native engineering will impact how we unlock insights for clients, enhancing our platform’s capability and maintaining market leadership. You will lead the technical direction of AI projects, mentor engineers, and foster innovation within the team, collaborating with Data Science, Product Management, and wider technology groups to translate AI concepts into actionable business strategies.

Core AI and Technical Skills

• Proven experience in AI engineering, including building, deploying, and maintaining machine learning and generative AI solutions (e. g. , LLMs, embeddings, RAG, vector search, model
  - tuning).
• Strong knowledge of MLOps practices for continuous integration, deployment, and monitoring of ML/AI models.
• Experience with AI-specific infrastructure, such as model orchestration pipelines, GPU-based compute, and AI model hosting services.
• Understanding of vector databases, semantic search, and scalable data structures for AI applications.
• Familiarity with AI governance, responsible AI principles, and model evaluation techniques.

Software Engineering Skills

• Deep expertise in Microsoft. NET Core, C#, and modern
  - end technologies, with proficiency in multiple languages such as Python, Go, or Type
  Script.
• Strong understanding of microservices architecture, distributed systems, and
  - native design patterns.
• Experience with SQL databases (e. g. , Microsoft SQL Server, Postgre
  SQL, My
  SQL) and No
  SQL databases (e. g. , Mongo
  DB, Cosmos
  DB).
• Proficiency in synchronous and asynchronous APIs, messaging frameworks, and
  - driven systems.
• Secure coding practices with a strong grasp of cybersecurity threats, especially in the context of AI and data privacy.

Cloud & Infrastructure

• Experience deploying
  - scale AI and software solutions on Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud.
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Knowledge of
  - native data pipelines and serverless computing environments.

Leadership & Collaboration

• 2–4 years in a principal engineer, technical lead, or software architect role, demonstrating strong technical leadership in both AI and software engineering.
• Experience mentoring teams and fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical excellence.
• Ability to translate complex AI concepts into actionable strategies for technical and business stakeholders.
• Strong communication skills with proven success collaborating across diverse teams, including Data Science and Product Management.

Front-End and User Experience (Optional)

• Experience with UI development technologies such as Angular, Type
  Script, Java
  Script, HTML5, and modern frameworks to build AI-driven user interfaces.

Benefits

• Five days of life leave per year.
• Birthday leave – one extra day of holiday taken on the nearest workday to your birthday.
• Two days a year to volunteer with an organisation of your choice.
• Enhanced primary and secondary carer leave.
• Chance to hit the beach on your lunch break.

Inclusion and Diversity

Equality of opportunity for everyone is our highest priority. We support employees working in a way that works for them and encourage applications from all backgrounds. We do not discriminate based on age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristics.

Location

Porto, R. Dom João I, Portugal

Seniority Level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment Type

Full‑time

Job Function and Industry

• Education and Training (Job Function)
• Market Research (Industry)

Privacy and Legal Statement

By applying to this opportunity you consent to the personal data you provide to be processed and retained by The Kantar Group Limited (“Kantar”). Your details will be kept on our Internal ATS for as long as necessary for recruitment purposes. We do not offer visa sponsorship or relocation support for this role.