Data Engineer

Real; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Real in Irvine, CA is seeking a Data & AI Engineer to architect, build, and optimize data solutions supporting business growth in the U.S. as AI maturity evolves.

You will deliver hands-on data engineering while exploring practical AI use cases and establishing scalable systems. You will collaborate across departments to implement data collection pipelines, governance, and AI-enabled analytics within Snowflake and Tableau ecosystems, ensuring secure, scalable data environments and clear

Qualifications

• 5+ years of Data Engineer experience with data infra, workflows, and governance.
• Bachelor's degree in CS, IS, Engineering or related field; equivalent certs/experience considered.
• Experience with Snowflake, Talend Cloud, SQL and data viz tools (Tableau/Power BI).
• Strong communication and ability to present complex concepts clearly.
• Interest in AI/ML or GenAI tools with a willingness to learn.

Responsibilities

• Data collection and processing: gather requirements, design scalable US-focused data architectures, implement ETL and storage.
• Data quality and governance: define policies, automate cleansing, monitor security and data lineage.
• AI exploration & enablement: identify practical AI use cases, pilot tools (Snowflake Cortex) and structure AI-ready data.
• Daily operations: support data environment, manage external providers, document specs, report to IT leadership.

Skills

Snowflake

Talend Cloud

Tableau/Power BI

SQL

Python

AI/ML exposure

Communication

Presentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / related field

Tools

Snowflake Cortex

Snowflake

Talend Cloud

Tableau

Power BI

SQL

Python

Job description

The Data & AI Engineer is part of the Group Data division within the IT team and will provide data management solutions while helping evolve the organization's AI capabilities to support business growth, particularly in the U.S. This role will help architect, build, and optimize data solutions for various business departments while exploring and introducing practical AI use cases as data and AI maturity grows. This role is equally focused on laying the groundwork for AI adoption and delivering hands-on data engineering solutions.

Job Responsibilities

The Data & AI Engineer is part of the Group Data division within the IT team and will provide data management solutions while helping evolve the organization's AI capabilities to support business growth, particularly in the U.S. This role will help architect, build, and optimize data solutions for various business departments while exploring and introducing practical AI use cases as data and AI maturity grows. This role is equally focused on laying the groundwork for AI adoption and delivering hands-on data engineering solutions.

Job Responsibilities

Data Collection and Processing

• Gather requirements from various departments and identify necessary data sources.
• Plan a scalable architecture to support rapid growth in the U.S., accommodating new business needs and future AI use cases.
• Implement technical solutions for data collection, transformation, storage, and reporting in accordance with the defined Group Data architecture.
• Establish automated processes and ensure proper monitoring and operational support.

Data Quality and Governance

• Participate in defining and implementing the Group's data management strategy.
• Promote this strategy to internal stakeholders in the U.S.
• Define development platforms and tools to support the strategy.
• Manage the data lifecycle in accordance with established policies.
• Industrialize and automate data cleansing processes.
• Support key users in leveraging available data effectively.
• Implement and monitor security controls related to data access and exposure.

AI Exploration & Enablement

• Identify practical, low-risk opportunities to apply AI technologies, including automation, forecasting, natural-language reporting, and GenAI-assisted analytics.
• Evaluate and pilot AI/ML tools and platforms that integrate with the existing Snowflake and Tableau ecosystem (e.g., Snowflake Cortex) before recommending broader adoption.
• Prepare and structure data so it is AI-ready as organizational capabilities mature.
• Partner with business departments to test proof-of-concept initiatives and establish realistic expectations for AI capabilities.
• Help define early governance, compliance, and security guardrails for emerging AI use cases.

Daily Operations

• Support and manage external service providers.
• Maintain the organization's data environment, including ETL processes, Data Lake, MDM, and related platforms.
• Stay informed on industry trends and advancements in data engineering, analytics, and AI.
• Write technical specifications and documentation as needed.
• Present project updates and ongoing initiatives to IT leadership, business users, and data governance stakeholders.

Qualifications

Technical Skills

• 5+ years of development experience with Snowflake and Talend Cloud.
• 5+ years of experience with data visualization tools such as Tableau or Power BI.
• 5+ years of expert-level SQL experience.
• Experience with Openflow and Python.
• Curiosity about and exposure to AI/ML or GenAI tools (e.g., LLMs, Copilot-style tools, or Snowflake Cortex). Direct production AI experience is not required, but a strong interest and aptitude for learning is essential.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong presentation skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Experience & Education

• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a Data Engineer, including workflow development, repository management, and data infrastructure administration.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field; equivalent certifications and experience will also be considered.
• Experience in the medical device and/or manufacturing industry is a plus.

EOE Statement: Specialist Staffing Group is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.