Who You’ll Work With
We are seeking a visionary and accomplished Principal Software Engineer – Generative AI to join our Tech Center in India. You are not only an expert in software architecture, engineering, and AI/ML frameworks but also a strategic thinker who understands the long-term impact of technology decisions. Your experience enables you to guide teams through ambiguity, establish clear technical standards, and shape the future of Nike’s data-driven platforms. You thrive in a fast-paced environment where cross-functional collaboration, creativity, and agility are essential. You have a demonstrated track record of successfully leading engineering teams, delivering innovative solutions, and driving organizational change at scale.
Who We Are Looking For
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, Machine Learning, AI systems, or a related field. A Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or Generative AI is highly desirable.
- 12+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, including at least five years in a senior leadership or principal engineer capacity.
- Extensive expertise in building, deploying, and scaling sophisticated AI platforms, distributed systems, and cloud-native AI architectures using one or more of AWS SageMaker, Databricks, Azure Machine Learning, or Google Vertex AI.
- Advanced proficiency in one or more programming languages, including Python, Java, Scala, or Go.
- A proven track record of deploying large-scale machine learning models in production environments.
- Experience with modern machine learning stacks, including LLMs, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Spark, and cloud-native MLOps tools.
- Strong experience with modern DevOps methodologies, automation, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code. Expertise in Kubernetes, Docker, and container technologies is essential.
- Strong familiarity with agentic workflows and experience developing AI/LLM-powered enterprise applications.
- Exceptional communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and inspire at all levels of the organization.
- Experience driving and managing complex, high-impact technology projects in a fast-paced, agile environment.
- Deep understanding of security and compliance best practices in large-scale enterprise environments.
- Demonstrated commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within engineering teams.
What You Will Work On
- Lead the architectural vision, technical design, and implementation of complex, large-scale data and AI platforms, ensuring that they are robust, secure, and highly performant.
- Champion best practices in software development, agentic AI systems, and cloud-based machine learning infrastructure while setting high standards for code quality, reliability, and maintainability across multiple engineering teams.
- Mentor and coach senior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, intellectual curiosity, and continuous growth. Provide thought leadership that enables teams to solve challenging engineering problems.
- Collaborate extensively with global product and business stakeholders to translate strategic goals into actionable technology roadmaps, align engineering efforts with business priorities, and deliver exceptional value to Nike’s customers and partners.
- Drive the adoption of modern engineering methodologies, including automation, continuous integration and delivery, MLOps and DevOps practices, test-driven development, and agile frameworks, to accelerate innovation and delivery.
- Evaluate, recommend, and integrate emerging technologies, frameworks, and tools to strengthen Nike’s technology ecosystem and maintain its position as an industry leader.
- Oversee the end-to-end lifecycle of critical projects, from requirements gathering and solution design through implementation, monitoring, and optimization.
- Ensure all platforms and services meet stringent security, privacy, and compliance standards by proactively identifying and mitigating risks.
- Represent the Tech Center in India as a senior technical ambassador, collaborating with global teams, sharing expertise, and contributing to Nike’s worldwide engineering community.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, Machine Learning, AI systems, or a related field
- 12+ years of progressive software engineering experience
- At least five years in a senior leadership or principal engineer capacity
- Experience building, deploying, and scaling AI platforms, distributed systems, and cloud-native AI architectures
- Experience with AWS SageMaker, Databricks, Azure Machine Learning, or Google Vertex AI
- Advanced proficiency in Python, Java, Scala, or Go
- Experience deploying large-scale machine learning models in production
- Experience with LLMs, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Spark, and cloud-native MLOps tools
- Experience with DevOps, automation, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code
- Expertise in Kubernetes, Docker, and container technologies
- Experience developing AI or LLM-powered enterprise applications and agentic workflows
- Strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills
- Experience managing complex, high-impact technology projects in an agile environment
- Understanding of security and compliance best practices in enterprise environments
- Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or Generative AI
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion within engineering teams
Nike Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Nike and has not been reviewed or approved by Nike.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with a company match is complemented by options such as a Mega Backdoor Roth and deferred compensation for eligible earners. Financial coaching and structured savings programs support long-term financial security.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — An Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a stock discount sits alongside broad-based equity vehicles like RSUs and non-qualified stock options. These avenues expand wealth-building opportunities beyond base pay.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave includes maternity and paternity time, recently expanded in the U.S. to 16 weeks and extended to part-time retail teammates. Additional supports include childcare assistance at select locations and family-building benefits such as fertility, surrogacy, and adoption.
Nike Insights
What We Do
At NIKE, Inc., we innovate to serve athletes*. Every teammate - from coder to creator - plays a role in making these athletes’ dreams real. Our tech, data, and digital teams push limits every day, building the future of sport and the tools that drive it. Here, curiosity is fuel. Innovation is the game plan. Different perspectives keep us on the offense. You’ll solve challenges worth tackling, grow fast and belong to a team that backs you to do the right thing. Bring your drive. Bring your bold. Let’s move the world, together. Take your first step at nike.com/careers * If you have a body, you’re an athlete.
Why Work With Us
At NIKE, Inc., your dedication fuels the future of sport. There is a sense of pride that comes from representing an iconic brand and shaping its future. Here, we treat every day as a new opportunity to push boundaries, ask tough questions and share whole-hearted convictions. We are a team – united by the belief that anything is possible.
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