Job Description
This role owns the two biggest levers for how the R&D; organisation evolves: who it works with externally and how it builds capability internally — including the adoption of AI-driven ways of working. The Vendor, Org & AI Transformation Specialist ensures subcontractor quality does not become a delivery liability, that the organisation is structured and skilled for what is ahead, and that AI tools are embedded into engineering workflows in a disciplined, measurable way.

How You Will Contribute And What You Will Learn
- Manage weekly and monthly R&D; operating cadence, including program reviews, S OW standards, Deliverable Acceptance Checklists (DAC — SW and HW categories), and Payment Gate Schedules .
- Conduct technical audits and deliverable reviews for subcontractor engagements across SW, HW, and systems categories. Track vendor performance KPIs; manage underperformance with structured Corrective Action Plans (CAPs)
- Oversee the R&D; governance calendar, ensuring timely and data-driven discussions occur.
- Identify, pilot, and scale AI tools (Copilot,



generative AI assistants, automated test generation, AI-assisted code review) within R&D; teams
- Triage escalations by identifying blockers early and coordinating resolution efforts with engineering teams.
- Facilitate day-to-day Agile execution, including Sprint Planning, SCRUM, and retrospectives. Define and monitor delivery KPIs, identifying bottlenecks and implementing process improvements.
- Drive quality metrics monitoring and ensure adherence to engineering quality gates throughout the product lifecycle.
- Conduct root cause analysis on quality issues and foster communities of practice around engineering excellence.

Key Skills And Experience
Must-Have:
- Engineering or Masters in engineering with 10–14 years in R&D;, engineering program management, or technical operations
- Direct experience in managing hardware/embedded subcontractor engagements DAC, BOM/AVL, DER, ECR/ECO in a hardware-softwar

📌 R&D Transformation Lead (Chennai)
🏢 NOKIA
📍 Chennai