Senior AI/Data Engineer

We’re looking for a customer-centric Senior AI/Data Engineer to build and scale data systems that drive our “decision intelligence” products. You’ll work at the intersection of data engineering, product development, and AI/ML enablement—designing systems that empower customer-facing data products. This role requires not only deep technical expertise but also a strategic mindset, strong communication skills, and a high sense of ownership over how data supports the business. You will collaborate across teams to ensure data is a true product enabler. WHAT YOU'LL DO:

Engineering & AI Enablement

• AI/ML ownership: Build trusted AI/ML predictions and forecasts via feature pipelines, model input/output data flows, and robust data validation frameworks.
• Pipeline Design: Design and implement reliable, scalable, and secure data pipelines that serve analytical and product use cases.
• Leadership: Provide technical leadership and mentorship to other data engineers and cross-functional collaborators, fostering a culture of engineering excellence.

Ecosystem Ownership & Strategy

• Architecture & Evolution: Own the architecture and evolution of our data platform, ensuring it meets the performance, scalability, and agility needs of our growing business.
• Governance & Observability: Implement data governance, quality, and observability best practices to ensure trustworthy insights, proactively managing data health before it impacts the business.
• Infrastructure Optimization: Optimize cloud data infrastructure for cost, performance, and maintainability, treating the platform as a product rather than just a utility.

Collaboration & Translation

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and customer stakeholders to understand context and needs, and help translate them into engineering solutions.
• Customer-Centricity: Ensure engineering efforts are aligned with delivering clear business value and enhancing the customer experience.

WHO YOU ARE:

• The ML Enabler: You are a Data Engineer who loves the complexity of AI. You understand that a model is only as good as the pipeline feeding it, and you take pride in building the infrastructure that brings AI to life.
• The Product-Minded Architect: You don’t just move data from A to B; you build systems with the end-user in mind. You prioritize "Time to Insight" and usability as much as you prioritize code efficiency.
• The Strategic Owner: You are comfortable working in an environment where you are expected to identify problems and fix them without waiting for a ticket. You view the data ecosystem as your product.
• We know that great talent comes from many backgrounds. If you are a builder who cares about the "why" behind the code, we want to hear from you!

WHAT YOU’LL BRING:

• Experience: 5+ years of experience in data engineering, with 1–2+ years in a senior or lead capacity.
• Deep Technical Expertise: You possess a profound understanding of ML models and can articulate the trade-offs between different architectures (e.g., complexity vs. inference speed, accuracy vs. interpretability) to ensure the right tool is selected for the job.
• Coding: "Ninja-level" proficiency in Python for complex data structures and automation, alongside strong SQL expertise.
• ML Frameworks: Strong familiarity with Scikit-Learn and similar libraries, with specific experience building and maintaining associated feature engineering pipelines.
• Ops & Orchestration: High proficiency in MLOps practices and orchestration tools (e.g., Airflow, dbt, Dagster) to manage model lifecycles and data dependencies.
• Modern Data Stack: Solid experience with modern data platforms (e.g., Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, or Databricks).
• Cloud & Modeling: Strong understanding of data modeling, performance optimization, and cloud computing (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Communication: Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with a proven ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT US: • We are laid back but buttoned up. We offer a casual work environment and remote work flexibility and have a passion for developing creative, innovative best in class solutions that directly contribute to the success of our customers • We care deeply and deliver service and solutions that make a real difference in the lives of our clients and their businesses • We openly accept others as they are and build strong partnerships based on trust • Teamwork and collaboration is key to help our colleagues and customers solve their challenges • Our team is energetic, fun, naturally inquisitive and eager to make an impact, we invite you to join us! LOVE WHAT YOU DO, NO MATTER WHERE YOU DO IT: • Join our Remote-First Global Work Community: WorkWave provides an innovative and dynamic remote-first Global Work Community that encourages growth, creativity, and collaboration. No matter what stage of your career or where you live, WorkWave is your place to be part of a global company with a startup feel, where your ideas matter and your growth is a priority. A GLOBAL COMPANY WITH A LOCAL PRESENCE: • We know that there are benefits of being in the office and working from home. WorkWave promotes a healthy work/life balance and provides employees with the flexibility of collaborating in the office or the option to work virtually if desired. Our teams are well versed at working collaboratively in a fully virtual environment. • Our HQ is based at our state of the art home office in the historic Bell Works complex located in Holmdel Township, New Jersey. We keep our offices available to all to use when working remotely isn’t feasible, or to help with cross training, team building and/or brainstorming. • We have employees in over 30 states, 7 countries and many regional offices - each with their own set of perks and opportunities to give back to the local community. • Whether you work remotely or take advantage of one of our offices, you’ll find a community of WorkWavers that value diversity, and care deeply about our products, clients, our communities and each other. RELAX, WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED: • Employees can expect a robust benefits package, including health and dental and 401k with company match AND BEYOND... • Find your perfect work/life balance with our Flexible Time Off policy or generous PTO plan (role dependent) and paid holidays • Up to 4 weeks paid bonding leave • Tuition reimbursement • Robust Employee Assistance Program through TotalCare offering free counseling 24/7/365, plus financial counseling, legal guidance, adoption assistance services and much more! • 24/7 access to virtual medical care with Teladoc • Quarterly awards based on peer nominations • Regional discounts and perks • Opportunities to participate in charitable events and give back to the community GROW WITH US: • We understand the impact of attracting and keeping top talent and reward intellectual curiosity and a thirst for personal and professional growth • Encouraging our employees that already have an intimate knowledge of and passion for our products to apply for other roles within our walls just makes sense! • Our employees have access to extensive video libraries for soft skill and role specific training available 24/7 and live trainings are provided throughout the year JOIN OUR WINNING TEAM! • 10 Time winner of Best Place to Work in New Jersey by NJBiz! • WorkWave has been recognized with multiple awards for its outstanding products, growth and culture, including the Inc. 5000, SaaS Award, IT World Awards, Globe Awards, Silver Stevie Award for Employer of the Year, and Best Place to Work Inc. Magazine • Recently named one of The Software Report's 3rd annual list of the Top 100 Software Companies of 2022 (worldwide!) We’re an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status: Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At WorkWave, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you feel like you could make a great impact in this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles!