AI Engineer - NHL

National Hockey League (NHL); New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Medical, dental and vision coverage

401(k) Savings Plan

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

The National Hockey League (NHL) is seeking an AI Engineer to lead the development of AI-powered capabilities across its data platform. This role involves configuring and scaling production-grade AI systems, collaborating with teams to automate business processes and enhance operational efficiency.

Candidates should have experience in software engineering and deploying AI solutions, with a degree in Computer Science or a related field preferred. The position offers a competitive salary range of $200,000 to $225,000 based on experience and market demands.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in software or data engineering.
• Experience with LLM-based or agentic systems in production.
• Hands-on experience with AI agent configuration.

Responsibilities

• Configure and deploy AI agents using platforms like Snowflake and Claude.
• Partner with stakeholders for business automation processes.
• Monitor agent behavior and manage costs.

Skills

Python

REST APIs

Event-driven architectures

GDPR Compliance

Data governance

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or related field

Tools

Snowflake

Databricks

Figma

Job description

ABOUT THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

Founded in 1917, the National Hockey League (NHL®) is the premier professional ice hockey league in the world and one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. With more than 1500 employees across the US and Canada, the NHL is a global sports and entertainment organization committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using the sport of hockey. At the NHL, we are looking for dynamic, energetic and impactful individuals who are committed to doing the same by sharing in our philosophy that Hockey is for Everyone.

WHAT WE EXPECT OF YOU

Summary: We are building the next generation of AI‑powered capabilities across our data platform. As an AI Engineer, you will be a hands‑on technical contributor who configures, orchestrates, and scales production‑grade AI systems using platforms like Snowflake Cortex Agents and Claude. The role spans generative AI features, autonomous agentic workflows, and intelligent business process automation. You will work at the intersection of rapidly evolving AI platforms and real‑world enterprise data, partnering closely with data engineers, analysts, product managers, and business stakeholders to deliver solutions that make a real difference.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Agent orchestration and configuration

• Configure and deploy AI agents using managed platforms such as Snowflake Cortex Agents, Claude API, and extend them with custom tools and integrations where the platform falls short.
• Design multi‑agent workflows including task handoffs, tool use, and human‑in‑the‑loop escalation paths.

Business process automation

• Partner with stakeholders to identify where agents can replace or augment manual processes, then build integrations with internal systems including CRMs, ERPs, and data warehouses.
• Design fallback behaviors and human checkpoints for processes where fully autonomous action carries risk.

Data platform integration

• Connect AI agents to modern data platforms such as Snowflake or Databricks with appropriate access controls, and work within existing pipeline infrastructure rather than building parallel systems.

Evaluation, observability, and cost

• Define success criteria, build evaluation frameworks, and run structured tests before any system goes to production.
• Monitor agent behavior in production and manage inference cost versus output quality trade‑offs across managed platforms.
• Monitor token utilization across agent workflows and advise teams on cost control and efficient platform usage.

Privacy, security, and responsible AI

• Apply GDPR, CCPA, and internal governance requirements across the full agent lifecycle, covering data access, logging, and outputs. Treat privacy‑by‑design as an architectural constraint from the start, not a review step at the end.
• Work with legal and compliance as a technical partner, and build fairness, explainability, and human oversight into agent workflows.

Communication and collaboration

• Translate AI capabilities and limitations clearly to non‑technical stakeholders and contribute to internal guidelines so other teams can work with AI systems confidently and safely.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge Areas / Experience – Required

• 5 or more years in software or data engineering, with at least 1 year working with LLM‑based or agentic systems in production.
• Hands‑on experience configuring and deploying agents on at least one managed platform such as Cortex Agents, Claude API, Bedrock, or Azure AI Foundry, with a track record of connecting AI to real business processes rather than demos.
• Python, REST APIs, event‑driven architectures. Experience with prompt design, agent behavior configuration, and tool and function calling within managed platform frameworks.
• Proficiency with at least one cloud data platform such as Snowflake or Databricks, and a solid understanding of data access patterns and governance sufficient to design agents that respect data boundaries.
• Ability to build lightweight CI/CD pipelines for deploying and updating agent configurations and working knowledge of what major AI platform providers offer, where their limits are, and when it makes sense to combine them.
• Experience with front‑end development and design tools like Figma; enough to shape how AI‑powered interfaces look and feel, even if design is not your primary craft.
• Working knowledge of GDPR, CCPA, and internal data governance requirements, with demonstrated ability to apply privacy‑by‑design principles in system architecture and to engage legal and compliance teams as a technical partner.

Preferred

• Background in robotic process automation or business process management.
• Multimodal agent workflows.
• Open‑source contributions in the AI and ML space.

Education / Certifications

• A degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field is preferred.
• Relevant cloud or AI certifications such as AWS ML Specialty, Azure AI Engineer, or Snowflake SnowPro are a plus, though demonstrated hands‑on experience carries more weight than credentials alone.

Skills

• Demonstrates strong judgment in determining when to leverage managed AI platforms and when custom engineering solutions are more appropriate.
• Works independently, defines practical approaches to ambiguous problems, and advances initiatives with a high degree of ownership.
• Approaches privacy, security, and governance as core engineering responsibilities throughout the solution lifecycle.
• Consistently considers fallback design, monitoring, and human oversight before production deployment, and communicates system behavior clearly to technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Brings a strong user‑centered mindset, with careful attention to the usability, clarity, and overall experience of the solutions built.
• Maintains current knowledge of the evolving AI platform landscape and applies emerging capabilities thoughtfully to improve solution design and delivery.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence at leadership levels.
• Demonstrable proficiency in data analysis and assessment abilities.
• Highly organized, attention to details and strong follow‑through.
• A positive energetic attitude.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Accountability
• Adaptability
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Inclusion
• Professionalism
• Teamwork & Collaboration

BENEFITS

Our employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package including generous paid time off, competitive salaries, medical, dental and vision coverage paid for a large portion by the NHL, Employee Assistance Program, digital wellness resources, childcare leave, 401(k) Savings Plan, hybrid work schedule, and access to exclusive partner rates. The NHL’s new headquarters at One Manhattan West in Hudson Yards offers state‑of‑the‑art facilities, high‑tech conference rooms, game rooms, and proximity to local shops and cultural experiences.

SALARY RANGE

$200‑225K – actual base pay determined based on experience, market demands, and geographic location.

We thank all applicants for their interest in this opportunity; only qualified candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. NO EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.