Data & AI Product Engineer

At Salas O’Brien we tell our clients that we’re engineered for impact. This passion for making a difference applies just as much to our team as it does to our projects. That’s why we’re committed to living our values every day: inspiring, achieving, and connecting as shared owners of our success with a focus on a sustainable future.

Building for the long-term means that all of our team members can expect to work on amazing projects with a people-first approach to problem solving. It also means that each member of our team has truly limitless potential to build a unique, meaningful, and high-impact career—and they’ll receive great total rewards along the way.

About Us

Founded in 1975, Salas O’Brien is an employee-owned engineering and professional services firm focused on achieving impact for our clients, our team, and the world. We know that tomorrow’s requirements are today’s opportunities, and we are here to design lasting solutions for pressing challenges.

We work across a variety of industries providing integrated engineering and consulting services. Our specialized experience includes design for data centers, healthcare, science and technology, high-rise buildings, clean energy, education, and other building types as well as structural and building sciences, infrastructure asset management, advanced robotics, and more.

Our technical expertise is paired with an exceptional team of business development, human resources, finance and accounting, information technology, and marketing professionals, all of whom play a key role in bringing our commitments to life every day.

Job Summary

As a Data & AI Product Engineer, you will help build and support the pipelines, models, and applications that power practical Data & AI products. You will contribute to meaningful product features while working within established platform patterns, engineering practices, and quality standards.

This is a hands-on engineering role with room to grow. You will work on real business problems, collaborate with experienced teammates, and help bring solutions from idea through production.

You will be part of a small product pod, working closely with a Product Manager and other engineers to deliver useful, reliable products and improve them over time.

Reporting and Scope

This role reports to the Data & AI Product Manager for the assigned product, with technical guidance from the Senior Data & AI Product Engineer on the pod.

As your experience grows, there is a path toward a Senior Data & AI Product Engineer role based on demonstrated technical depth, reliable independent delivery, and the ability to lead design for meaningful work.

Responsibilities

• Build and operate data pipelines on the Lakehouse, including ingestion, transformation, quality checks, and the monitoring that catches failures early.
• Develop product features from requirements through production, including testing and documentation as part of the delivery process.
• Build machine learning or generative AI components when they support the product roadmap, including evaluation practices to confirm performance and usefulness.
• Follow platform patterns and engineering standards for the pod, and share feedback when standards can be improved.
• Participate in code reviews to improve quality, share knowledge, and support consistent engineering practices.
• Support what you build by investigating defects, addressing root causes, and communicating updates clearly to the Product Manager.
• Add instrumentation so product usage, reliability, and performance can be measured and improved.
• Work directly with business users to clarify requirements, understand intent, and shape practical solutions.
• Contribute to design discussions and technical decisions with the product pod.
• Maintain clear documentation for the components and workflows you support.

How the Work Arrives

Work is driven by a prioritized product backlog and often begins with a business problem to solve. You will help clarify needs, recommend an approach, and partner with the team to build solutions that are practical, scalable, and useful.

You will have support and technical guidance as you learn the platform and products. Over time, demonstrated judgment and delivery will lead to broader ownership and more complex technical work.

Qualifications and Experience

Who You Are

• You enjoy building reliable solutions and seeing your work make it into production.
• You ask thoughtful questions, seek context, and help the team stay focused on the right solution.
• You are curious about the business, not only the technology.
• You see code review as a collaborative way to improve quality, learn from others, and strengthen the product.
• You are motivated to keep growing and welcome feedback from teammates with deeper experience.

Required

• Three or more years of professional experience in data engineering, machine learning engineering, analytics engineering, or software development.
• Working Python and SQL skills, including the ability to write, test, and debug production code without close supervision.
• Experience with a cloud data platform and distributed data processing concepts.
• Experience with version control and collaborative development practices, including branching, pull requests, and code review.
• Understanding of data modeling and data quality fundamentals.
• Ability to work from a backlog, communicate progress clearly, and raise risks or timing considerations early.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, mathematics, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.

Preferred

Hands-on Databricks experience, including workflows, Delta Lake, and Unity Catalog, is highly valued. Experience with continuous integration and deployment practices for data workloads is also helpful.

Experience delivering solutions for internal business users is beneficial, especially when requirements begin as process needs or business questions rather than detailed technical specifications.

Nice to Have

• Databricks certification at the associate or professional level.
• Experience with MLflow, model serving, or generative AI application patterns.
• Front-end development experience, including React or a comparable framework.
• Familiarity with architecture, engineering, or professional services operations.

Location

This position is remote within the United States.

Compensation & Benefits

The expected base salary range for this role is $95,000 - $115,000 USD per year. Actual compensation will be determined based on a number of factors including skills, experience, qualifications, and location.

This role is also eligible for performance-based bonuses, equity participation, and a comprehensive U.S.-based benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and company holidays
• Wellness programs and employee assistance resources
• Professional development support

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement

Salas O’Brien provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, or local laws. Salas O’Brien will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants as required by law.

Third-Party Agency Notice

Salas O’Brien does not accept unsolicited resumes from external recruiters or agencies. We only work with approved partners engaged directly by our Talent Acquisition team for specific searches. Unsolicited submissions will not be eligible for placement fees.