Senior Data Engineer: Real-Time Retail Media & Forecasting

Advertima is building the missing infrastructure that brings the power of digital advertising to the physical world.

Today, most advertising inside physical retail stores still operates like the internet did twenty years ago: static screens, no audience intelligence, and almost no measurable performance. Meanwhile, online advertising evolved into a trillion-dollar ecosystem powered by real-time data, automation, and programmatic infrastructure.

We are changing that.

Advertima has built the technology that transforms physical retail environments into real-time, data-driven media channels. Using computer vision, edge computing, and distributed AI systems, we translate physical shoppers into anonymized digital audiences that can be measured, targeted, and activated in real time.

This is not a theoretical vision or an incremental improvement. It is the creation of a completely new global technology standard.

Global retail leaders such as Walmart, Carrefour, FairPrice, SPAR, and EDEKA are deploying our technology across thousands of stores. Together, we are defining the global standard for In-store Retail Media.

But building the infrastructure is only one part of the problem. The next major challenge is turning real-world, imperfect, high-volume sensor data into reliable measurement and forecasting systems. In online advertising, this layer defines how performance is measured, how budgets are allocated, and how value is created.

In physical retail, this layer does not exist yet. We are building it.

At the same time, everything we build follows a strict privacy-by-design philosophy. Our systems operate without processing and storing personal data or images, while still enabling the audience intelligence required for real-time performance media. This approach, rooted in Switzerland’s strong privacy culture, has become one of the key reasons global retailers trust Advertima to power their next-generation Retail Media infrastructure.

Solving this combination of distributed systems, edge computing, AI inference, privacy-preserving data processing, and global-scale reliability is a hard engineering problem. That is exactly why we are building our core engineering team in Zurich.

If you enjoy working on complex real-world systems, pushing the boundaries of edge and cloud infrastructure, and helping define a new global technology category, Advertima offers a rare opportunity.

Job Overview

We are looking for a Data Engineer to help build the data backbone of a completely new media channel.

Our platform captures real-world shopper behavior through distributed edge systems and turns it into high-volume, real-time data streams. Your job is to transform this raw, imperfect data into reliable, scalable data products that power measurement, forecasting, and decision-making across the Retail Media ecosystem.

This is not a typical data platform. You will work on systems that:

• process continuous data streams from thousands of physical touchpoints
• turn noisy, real-world signals into structured, trustworthy datasets
• power measurement, attribution, and forecasting models
• enable real-time and batch decision-making across the adtech ecosystem

Technically, this means building and operating a modern data stack combining real-time streaming, large-scale batch processing, and lakehouse architectures — bridging edge-generated data with cloud-based analytics and applications.

You will join a team that values pragmatic engineering, clean abstractions, and systems that actually work in production under real-world conditions.

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable data pipelines using Spark and Python to process diverse, high-volume datasets.
• Implement and optimize storage layers (Apache Iceberg, Avro, Hadoop) and cloud-native object stores (S3/GCS) for high-performance querying via Trino.
• Build, manage, and scale real-time data ingestion pipelines using Kafka and MQTT.
• Create REST APIs, build intuitive visualizations with Apache Superset, and maintain data contracts for external and internal sharing.
• Collaborate closely with Data Scientists and Backend Engineers to turn raw data into features and integrate data products into core applications.
• BSc/MSc Degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in data engineering or software development.
• Programming languages: Python (proficient, with deep understanding of Spark internals and REST APIs).
• Strong SQL skills with hands-on experience in distributed querying (Trino) and event-driven architectures (Kafka, MQTT).
• Experience with big data infrastructure (Hadoop, Iceberg) and containerized development workflows (Docker).
• A good communicator who is fluent in English, both spoken and written.
  

Ideally, you also have some experience in any of the following...

• Rust: You have an interest in—or professional experience with—using Rust for high-performance data tooling or systems programming.
• Cloud Infrastructure and managed data services (AWS, GCP, Azure).
• Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible).
• Observability, monitoring, and tracing (Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, ELK/Loki).
  

About Advertima Vision

Advertima is building the missing infrastructure that brings the power of digital advertising to the physical world.

Today, most advertising inside physical retail stores still operates like the internet did twenty years ago: static screens, no audience intelligence, and almost no measurable performance. Meanwhile, online advertising evolved into a trillion-dollar ecosystem powered by real-time data, automation, and programmatic infrastructure.

We are changing that.

Advertima has built the technology that transforms physical retail environments into real-time, data-driven media channels. Using computer vision, edge computing, and distributed AI systems, we translate physical shoppers into anonymized digital audiences that can be measured, targeted, and activated in real time.

This is not a theoretical vision or an incremental improvement. It is the creation of a completely new global technology standard.

Global retail leaders such as Walmart, Carrefour, FairPrice, SPAR, and EDEKA are deploying our technology across thousands of stores. Together, we are defining the global standard for In-store Retail Media.

But building the infrastructure is only one part of the problem. The next major challenge is turning real-world, imperfect, high-volume sensor data into reliable measurement and forecasting systems. In online advertising, this layer defines how performance is measured, how budgets are allocated, and how value is created.

In physical retail, this layer does not exist yet. We are building it.

At the same time, everything we build follows a strict privacy-by-design philosophy. Our systems operate without processing and storing personal data or images, while still enabling the audience intelligence required for real-time performance media. This approach, rooted in Switzerland’s strong privacy culture, has become one of the key reasons global retailers trust Advertima to power their next-generation Retail Media infrastructure.

Solving this combination of distributed systems, edge computing, AI inference, privacy-preserving data processing, and global-scale reliability is a hard engineering problem. That is exactly why we are building our core engineering team in Zurich.

If you enjoy working on complex real-world systems, pushing the boundaries of edge and cloud infrastructure, and helping define a new global technology category, Advertima offers a rare opportunity.

Job Overview

We are looking for a Data Engineer to help build the data backbone of a completely new media channel.

Our platform captures real-world shopper behavior through distributed edge systems and turns it into high-volume, real-time data streams. Your job is to transform this raw, imperfect data into reliable, scalable data products that power measurement, forecasting, and decision-making across the Retail Media ecosystem.

This is not a typical data platform. You will work on systems that:

• process continuous data streams from thousands of physical touchpoints
• turn noisy, real-world signals into structured, trustworthy datasets
• power measurement, attribution, and forecasting models
• enable real-time and batch decision-making across the adtech ecosystem

Technically, this means building and operating a modern data stack combining real-time streaming, large-scale batch processing, and lakehouse architectures — bridging edge-generated data with cloud-based analytics and applications.

You will join a team that values pragmatic engineering, clean abstractions, and systems that actually work in production under real-world conditions.

Your role…

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable data pipelines using Spark and Python to process diverse, high-volume datasets.
• Implement and optimize storage layers (Apache Iceberg, Avro, Hadoop) and cloud-native object stores (S3/GCS) for high-performance querying via Trino.
• Build, manage, and scale real-time data ingestion pipelines using Kafka and MQTT.
• Create REST APIs, build intuitive visualizations with Apache Superset, and maintain data contracts for external and internal sharing.
• Collaborate closely with Data Scientists and Backend Engineers to turn raw data into features and integrate data products into core applications.

Your profile…

• BSc/MSc Degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in data engineering or software development.
• Programming languages: Python (proficient, with deep understanding of Spark internals and REST APIs).
• Strong SQL skills with hands-on experience in distributed querying (Trino) and event-driven architectures (Kafka, MQTT).
• Experience with big data infrastructure (Hadoop, Iceberg) and containerized development workflows (Docker).
• A good communicator who is fluent in English, both spoken and written.
  

Ideally, you also have some experience in any of the following...

• Rust: You have an interest in—or professional experience with—using Rust for high-performance data tooling or systems programming.
• Cloud Infrastructure and managed data services (AWS, GCP, Azure).
• Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible).
• Observability, monitoring, and tracing (Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, ELK/Loki).
  

Why Advertima Vision?

• Innovative Environment : Join a team combining computer vision, IoT, edge computing, and real-time data pipelines to build enterprise-grade tech that transforms retail and advertising. We model complex enterprise processes and stakeholder networks, applying AI to drive real-world business impact.
• Global Impact: Collaborate with some of the world’s largest retailers and lead the charge in shaping the future of unified omnichannel Retail Media.
• Professional Growth: Your role won’t be static. As Advertima grows, we’ll create new leadership and specialist roles, giving you a chance to lead those new opportunities. Your work will have a direct impact on our growth trajectory.
• Supportive Culture: Be part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and operational excellence, without the corporate fluff.
• Fast-Paced and International Startup Environment: Work in a high-growth scale-up environment where we combine flexibility with scalable processes to meet the complex demands of global Retail and AdTech industries.
• Flexible Work Policies: Hybrid work environment with the flexibility to balance your personal and professional life.
• Employee Participation Plan: Benefit from our employee participation plan, so your success is directly tied to our company’s success.
• Self-Development Budget: Get your own budget for professional development, learning, and growth.
  

What You Need for a Cultural Fit

• Self-Management: You take ownership and responsibility without waiting for direction.
• Adaptability and Motivation: You are adaptable, self-motivated, and enjoy working independently as well as collaboratively.
• Hands-On Approach: You roll up your sleeves to solve problems and remove obstacles for yourself and your team.
• Curiosity and Learning: You have a curious mind and continuously deepen your understanding of tech, the industry, and where our company is heading. You are willing to ask questions and learn from diverse sources to stay ahead of your industry and specialization.
• Tech-Savvy: ClickUp, shared calendars, AI collaboration tools—this is your normal work environment and essential for success in our hybrid work environment.
• In-Person Collaboration: You value face-to-face exchanges at the office and at team events, which are important to build strong interpersonal relationships and improve creative work outcomes.
• Cross-Functional Teamwork: You’re comfortable collaborating across teams and engaging in open, direct conversations.
• Feedback Culture: You give and receive direct feedback naturally; it’s how we get better, together.
• You are a Game Changer: You want to shape things, not just manage them. You seek opportunities to break the status quo and build something better.
  

If you are an experienced, resilient Data Engineer who wants to scale the future of global retail media infrastructure, we encourage you to apply.

Please submit your application via this page or send your resume and a cover letter outlining your qualifications and vision for the role to [email protected]