National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Specialist (ETL Designer, Senior Data Scientist, Data Scientist, Document Designer, AI Engineer, Data Engineer) Recruitment 2026

Overview

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has announced a recruitment drive for 8 Specialist positions on a contractual basis within its Department for Data Management, Analytics and Business Intelligence (DDMABI) at its Head Office in Mumbai. This initiative underscores NABARD's commitment to building robust in-house capabilities in artificial intelligence, data engineering, and advanced analytics. The available roles span six distinct technical profiles — ETL Designer, Senior Data Scientist, Data Scientist, Document Designer, AI Engineer, and Data Engineer — with consolidated annual compensation reaching up to ₹45 Lakh per annum. Contracts are initially offered for two years, with the possibility of extension up to five years based on performance and organisational requirements.

Important Dates

Vacancy Details

All 8 vacancies are under the Unreserved (UR) category and are based at NABARD's Head Office, Mumbai. The post-wise distribution is as follows:

The AI Engineer role carries the highest number of openings (3 posts), reflecting NABARD's priority in developing Generative AI and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) capabilities internally.

Eligibility Criteria

Age Limit (Post-wise)

These are lateral-entry specialist hires; each post carries a specific age band rather than a uniform government-style age limit:

Educational Qualification & Experience (Post-wise)

Application Fee

Job Profile Highlights

Given that this recruitment is closely aligned with NABARD's GenAI and RAG-based strategic programmes, candidates — particularly those applying for AI Engineer and Data Scientist roles — should be prepared to work on the following areas:

• Designing and deploying Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines, embedding models, and vector databases such as Qdrant, Milvus, and pgvector
• Prompt engineering, chain-of-thought reasoning frameworks, and LLM evaluation methodologies
• Building and managing Model Context Protocol (MCP) and API integrations
• Ensuring compliance with Responsible AI standards and the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023
• Collaborating with NABARD's internal platforms including ENSURE, ENGAGE, and the Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW)

Selection Process

This recruitment follows a streamlined, interview-centric process — there is no written or online examination:

1. Shortlisting: Applications will be screened on the basis of academic qualifications and relevant experience. Candidates will be shortlisted in a 1:3 ratio against available vacancies.
2. Interview: Shortlisted candidates will be called for a personal interview to assess technical competence and role suitability.
3. No Objection Certificate (NOC): Candidates currently serving in government departments, public sector undertakings, or banks must submit an NOC from their employer.
4. Pre-Recruitment Medical Examination: Selected candidates will be required to undergo a medical fitness test prior to joining.

How to Apply

1. Visit NABARD's official website at www.nabard.org and navigate to the recruitment/careers section.
2. Locate the DDMABI Specialist Recruitment 2026 notification and read the official advertisement PDF thoroughly before proceeding.
3. Complete the online application form with accurate personal, academic, and professional details.
4. Upload all required documents, including photographs, signatures, and relevant certificates.
5. Pay the applicable application fee online before the deadline.
6. Submit the application and retain a printed copy for future reference.

Application Window: 25 June 2026 to 13 July 2026. Candidates are advised to apply well before the closing date to avoid last-minute technical difficulties.