Senior Data & AI Platform Engineer

Times World; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Times World is seeking a Data Engineer in Dubai to design scalable backend systems and implement data architecture strategies. The ideal candidate will have 5-7 years of experience and a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.

The role involves collaboration with cross-functional teams to ensure efficient data handling and working with AI/ML teams on data requirements. Candidates should be passionate about modern AI-powered products and residing in the UAE.

Qualifications

• 5 - 7 years of experience in data engineering, scalable systems, or related domains.
• Master's degree is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop scalable backend systems.
• Define and implement data architecture and database design strategies.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure efficient data handling.

Skills

Backend & system design

Expertise in system scalability and performance optimization

Strong knowledge of data lake architecture and data warehousing concepts

Strong knowledge of REST APIs and API design

Solid understanding of distributed systems and backend architecture

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

PostgreSQL

MS SQL Server

MongoDB

Apache AGE

Python

Job description

Department: Product Development
Job Type: Permanent
Location: Dubai

Key responsibilities

• Design and develop scalable backend systems
• Define and implement data architecture and database design strategies
• Build and optimize data ingestion and transformation pipelines
• Develop and maintain unified data models across multiple systems
• Design end‑to‑end data flows and integration strategies
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to ensure efficient data handling and processing
• Ensure system scalability, performance, and reliability
• Work closely with the AI/ML team to understand data requirements for model training, feature engineering, and pipeline development
• Prepare, validate, and deliver clean, structured data to support AI/ML systems and intelligent workflows
• Consume and integrate outputs from ML models into data pipelines and backend systems
• Maintain awareness of ML concepts to effectively collaborate with AI/analytics teams

Core Technical Skills

• Backend & system design
• Expertise in system scalability and performance optimization
• Solid understanding of distributed systems and backend architecture
• Strong knowledge of data modelling (OLTP vs OLAP)
• Strong knowledge of data lake architecture and data warehousing concepts
• Strong knowledge of REST APIs and API design (FastAPI / Flask / Django)

Core Platforms & Technologies (Required)

• Relational databases: PostgreSQL, MS SQL Server, MySQL
• Non‑relational / NoSQL databases: MongoDB, SQLite, TimescaleDB, Redis
• Graph databases: knowledge of graph data models (Apache AGE, Neo4j concepts)
• Comfortable working across multi‑database environments—relational, time‑series, graph, and cache layers in a single architecture

Good to have

• Experience with modern data tools such as Kafka, Airbyte, S3/ADLS, Snowflake, or similar platforms
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Exposure to real‑time data processing systems
• Knowledge of ML data pipelines or analytics workflows
• Experience using Python for data ingestion pipelines, transformation scripts, and automation workflows

What We’re Looking For

• Passion for experimenting with new tools, frameworks, and ideas
• Ability to quickly prototype and iterate on features
• Interest in blending creativity with engineering
• Comfortable working in less rigid, exploratory development environments
• Strong curiosity and self‑learning mindset

Bonus Points If You

• Use AI‑assisted coding tools (like GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Antigravity, Claude)
• Build side projects, prototypes, or experimental apps
• Stay updated with latest trends in AI and developer tools

Requirements (Qualifications/Experience/Competencies)

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Data Science, or a related field; a Master's degree is an advantage
• 5 - 7 years of experience in data engineering, scalable systems, or related domains

Ready to Join Us? If you are passionate about building modern AI‑powered products and enjoy working on innovative digital solutions, we would love to hear from you. Immediate joiners are preferred.

Please note: This position is open to candidates currently residing in the UAE only.