Senior Data Engineer I - QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey

McKinsey; Dubai; On-site; AED 661,000 - 1,102,000; Full time

Job summary

McKinsey & Company seeks a senior data engineering lead in the Middle East to design scalable data architectures for AI and agentic systems in a cross-functional team. You will own and deliver data engineering workstreams across cloud environments, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate with clients to implement robust data pipelines and governance.

You will drive end-to-end AI features, including Generative AI, prompt design, RAG, embeddings, and model retraining, while ensuring security and

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science/Engineering or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years in data engineering, with leadership of technical workstreams and mentoring.
• Expert-level Python and SQL; polyglot with Scala/Java when needed.
• Experience building Agentic/Generative AI, ML, BI solutions; prompt design and RAG.
• Strong data security/governance, RBAC, and PII/PHI handling.

Responsibilities

• Design scalable data architectures for AI and agentic systems.
• Lead data engineering workstreams and mentor junior engineers.
• Develop robust data pipelines and governed data environments.
• Integrate ML/LLMOps features, observability, and retraining workflows.
• Collaborate with clients and cross-functional teams to deliver AI solutions.

Skills

Python

SQL

Data engineering

Leadership

Mentoring

Polyglot environments

Education

B.S. in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

Spark

LangChain

Databricks

Dask

Airflow

Dagster

Kedro

Job description

Do you want to do work that matters, alongside supportive leaders who will help you grow faster than you ever thought possible? Are you a creative problem-solver who is energized by challenges? You’ve come to the right place.

YOUR IMPACT

You will be a technical owner, designing and leading the implementation of scalable data architectures for cutting-edge AI and agentic systems. You will lead the development of robust data pipelines, manage secure and governed data environments, and mentor junior colleagues while collaborating with clients and cross-functional teams. You’ll tackle impactful challenges and grow as a leader by architecting innovative AI solutions across diverse industries. You will own and deliver technical workstreams, designing machine learning, agentic, and autonomous AI systems. You’ll lead the integration of machine learning, Generative AI capabilities and agentic frameworks into client solutions, designing MLOps/LLMOps-focused architectures for model management, observability, and automated retraining. You will also spearhead the design of complex feature engineering workstreams, ensuring our data assets are not only robust but also optimized for the next generation of AI models. Your work will help solve some of the most complex and high-impact challenges facing clients across industries. You’ll be based in one of our Middle East offices as part of our global Data Engineering community. You’ll work in cross-functional Agile teams alongside Data Scientists, Machine Learning Engineers, and industry experts, leading the data engineering workstream to deliver AI solutions. Collaborating with clients from data owners to C-level executives, you’ll help design impactful solutions that address complex business challenges and build client capabilities. You will grow as a technologist and a leader. You’ll develop deep expertise at the intersection of technology strategy and business value by addressing diverse architectural challenges. Working with inspiring, multidisciplinary teams, you’ll gain a holistic understanding of enterprise AI while collaborating with leading AI and data experts in the industry.

YOUR GROWTH

Driving lasting impact and building long-term capabilities with our clients is not easy work. You are the kind of person who thrives in a high performance/high reward culture - doing hard things, picking yourself up when you stumble, and having the resilience to try another way forward. In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we’ll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities you need to become a stronger leader faster than you ever thought possible. Your colleagues—at all levels—will invest deeply in your development, just as much as they invest in delivering exceptional results for clients. Every day, you’ll receive apprenticeship, coaching, and exposure that will accelerate your growth in ways you won’t find anywhere else. When you join us, you will have:

• Continuous learning:Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast-paced learning experience, owning your journey.
• A voice that matters:From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You’ll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes.
• Global community:With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm’s diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions for our clients. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• World-class benefits:On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well-being for you and your family.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Degree in Computer Science/Engineering, or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of relevant professional experience in a data engineering role, with experience leading technical workstreams, mentoring junior engineers, and driving the adoption of software engineering best practices within a team
• Expert-level proficiency in Python and SQL and the ability to work in polyglot environments (Scala, Java) when required by client enterprise systems
• Strong experience building Agentic AI, Generative AI, Machine Learning, and Business Intelligence systems, including prompt design, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), embeddings, vector databases, context construction, and output handling in production workflows using modern frameworks (Spark, LangChain, Databricks, Dask, Airflow, Dagster, Kedro, etc.)
• Ability to lead the implementation of AI features end to end, with sound judgment around model behavior, evaluation, reliability, guardrails, and the trade-offs between quality, latency, and cost
• Experience implementing robust data security and governance controls, including managing PII/PHI, authentication, and role-based access control (RBAC)
• Deep knowledge of MLOps/LLMOps including CI/CD for data workflows, automated agent evaluation (LangSmith, Opik, Langfuse), and infrastructure as code (Terraform) across cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Exceptional time management and ability to own technical workstreams autonomously
• Experience using coding agents (Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, etc.) is a plus

FOR U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

FOR NON-U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. For additional details regarding our global EEO policy and diversity initiatives, please visit our McKinsey Careers and Diversity & Inclusion sites.