Principal Data and Applied Scientist

SAP SE; Montreal (administrative region); On-site; CAD 145,000 - 323,000; Full time

Job summary

SAP SE seeks a Data and Applied Scientist to build the semantic and contextual foundation of SAP's AI agents. You will design enterprise ontologies, implement semantic models, and develop GenAI capabilities using enterprise data across multiple cloud platforms.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams in a strategic CTO-led Data Labs organization to deliver scalable AI solutions and contribute to ongoing knowledge grounding and production readiness.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in knowledge engineering, semantic data systems, AI, or data science.
• Master's or PhD in a quantitative field.
• Designing enterprise ontologies and semantic models; graph query languages.
• Experience with GenAI systems, embeddings, vector databases, semantic retrieval.
• Strong Python and SQL; experience with ML libraries (PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn).
• Proven production deployment and lifecycle support of AI/ML solutions.
• Big data infra and cloud environments (Databricks, AWS/Azure/GCP).
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration in agile settings.

Responsibilities

• Build the semantic and contextual foundation of SAP's AI.
• Design and maintain enterprise ontologies and semantic models.
• Develop AI capabilities including RAG pipelines, embeddings, and knowledge grounding.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and customers to deploy AI solutions from concept to production.
• Apply ML methods to real-world enterprise data and evaluate results.

Skills

Knowledge engineering

Ontology design

Graph query languages

GenAI & embeddings

Python

SQL

ML libraries (PyTorch, TensorFlow, scI

Production ML deployment

Databricks

Cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP)

Stakeholder management

Education

Master's or PhD in CS / Applied Math / Stats / Engineering

Tools

Databricks

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

We help the world run better
At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging – but it matters. You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong. What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed.

Data and Applied Scientist

The context engine that makes AI enterprise ready.

As a Data and Applied Scientist at SAP,you'llbuild the context enginegrounded in SAP’s Business ontology: the semantic infrastructure that transforms raw business data into the knowledge layer powering SAP's AI agents and assistants.

Where you belong

You will be part of Data Labs within the CX Office of theCTO,a strategic organization embedded in SAP Customer Experience. We define the AI strategy and architecture vision for next-generation CX solutions and ensure seamless integration across the SAP ecosystem. Our team works collaboratively across SAP product units, engages deeply in technology strategy, and partners closely with customers and external communities. We strive to create meaningful impact through world-class architecture, innovation, and industry-driven expertise.

What you'll build

The semantic and contextual foundation of SAP's AI. While generic AI agents operate on surface-level patterns, SAP agents are accurate because they understand the real semantics of enterprise business master data, process flows, and domain relationships. You'll build and scale the layer that makes that possible.

Design and maintain enterprise ontologies and semantic models that give AI agents accurate, grounded understanding of SAP and connected business landscapes harmonizing data from SAP, Salesforce, Workday, ServiceNow, MES/IoT systems, and external providers into unified semantic layers.

Build AI capabilities including RAG pipelines, embeddings, vector databases, and enterprise knowledge grounding that make SAP's agents accurate and reliable in production.

Develop AI capabilities including generative AI and LLM-based solutions using enterprise business data, knowledge graphs, business process intelligence, and other structured and unstructured data assets.

Leverage SAP's deep data and process context including SAP data models, metadata structures, and business process semantics across Order-to-Cash, Procure-to-Pay, Record-to-Report, and Plan-to-Produce to ground AI solutions in real enterprise reality.

Work with cloud and data platforms including Databricks, SAP Datasphere, SAP HANA Cloud, AWS, Azure, and GCP to support reliable, scalable AI workflows.

Partner across product, engineering, business, and customer-facing teams to translate ambiguous business challenges into concrete AI solutions from concept through deployment and continuous improvement.

Apply machine learning, deep learning, and statistical modeling to develop and evaluate AI solutions using real-world enterprise datasets.

What you'll bring

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in knowledge engineering, semantic data systems, applied AI, or data science in industry, research labs, or advanced academic environments.
• Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field
• Hands-on experience designing enterprise ontologies and semantic models; proficiency in at least one graph query language (SPARQL, Cypher, or GQL); understanding of trade-offs between RDF triple stores and property graph databases.
• Hands-on experience with modern GenAI systems RAG, embeddings, vector databases, semantic retrieval, and enterprise knowledge grounding.
• Strong Python and SQL skills with production-grade development practices; experience with ML libraries such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or scikit-learn.
• Proventrack record deploying and operating AI/ML solutions in production including handoff, lifecycle support, and continuous improvement.
• Experience with big data infrastructure and cloud environments Databricks or equivalent, plus at least one major cloud (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally in agile environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep working knowledge of SAP data models, metadata structures, and core business processes end-to-end.(SAP knowledge is a strong accelerator)
• Hands-on experience with the SAP data and AI platform stack SAP Datasphere, SAP HANA Cloud Knowledge Graph Engine, SAP Business Data Cloud, SAP One Domain Model, SAP Graph API, and SAP Business Accelerator Hub.
• Deep expertise across the W3C stack (OWL, RDF/RDFS, SKOS, SHACL) and/or property graph query languages (Cypher, GQL).
• Deep expertise in machine learning and deep learning, with experience developing, evaluating, and improving models on real-world datasets.
• Experience with agentic AI, reasoning frameworks, planning, orchestration, tool use, or multi-agent architectures.
• Experience contributing to reusable AI platforms, foundation model initiatives, or shared AI services adopted across multiple product areas.
• Ability to design upper-level and mid-level ontologies aligned with industry standards and apply semantic interoperability frameworks across complex application landscapes.
• Experience applying AI and semantic modeling to CX or Retail use cases such as personalization, pricing, product discovery, demand forecasting, or customer data unification across B2B and B2C contexts.

Bring out your best SAP innovations help more than four hundred thousand customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end-to-end business application software and related services for database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. As a cloud company with two hundred million users and more than one hundred thousand employees worldwide, we are purpose-driven and future-focused, with a highly collaborative team ethic and commitment to personal development. Whether connecting global industries, people, or platforms, we help ensure every challenge gets the solution it deserves. At SAP, you can bring out your best.

We win with inclusion SAP’s culture of inclusion, focus on health and well-being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone – regardless of background – feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better world.

SAP is committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provides accessibility accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with SAP and are in need of accommodation or special assistance to navigate our website or to complete your application, please send an e-mail with your request to Recruiting Operations Team: [e-mail].

For SAP employees: Only permanent roles are eligible for the SAP Employee Referral Program , according to the eligibility rules set in the SAP Referral Policy. Specific conditions may apply for roles in Vocational Training.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, et al), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability, in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local legal requirements.

SAP believes the value of pay transparency contributes towards an honest and supportive culture and is a significant step towards demonstrating SAP’s commitment to pay equity. SAP provides the annualized compensation range inclusive of base salary and variable incentive target for the career level applicable to the posted role. The targeted combined range for this position is 144600-322500CAD . The actual amount to be offered to the successful candidate will be within that range, dependent upon the key aspects of each case which may include education, skills, experience, scope of the role, location, etc. as determined through the selection process. Any SAP variable incentive includes a targeted dollar amount, and any actual payout amount is dependent on company and personal performance. A summary of benefits and eligibility requirements can be found by clicking this link: www.SAPNorthAmericaBenefits.com.

Due to the nature of the role, which involves global interactions with SAP entities, as well as with employees and stakeholders in Canada, functional proficiency in English is required for positions based in the Quebec.

Please note that any violation of these guidelines may result in disqualification from the hiring process.

Location: Montreal, Quebec, CA, H3B 0B3

Job Segment: Cloud, Embedded, ERP, Computer Science, SAP, Technology