Data Engineering Manager – AI & Data Modernization

Accenture PLC; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 87,000 - 254,000; Full time

Job summary

Accenture is seeking a data engineer for our Illinois-based modernization engagement. You will lead batch and streaming data pipelines, build production-grade data platforms, and ensure governance for AI workloads, including data quality and observability.

Travel may be required (0–100%) depending on client needs. You should have 5+ years in data engineering, 1–2 years in AI/LLM data work, strong Python and SQL, and hands-on experience with Kafka and Airflow in cloud environments.

Qualifications

• 5+ years hands-on data engineering experience.
• 1–2 years specifically on AI/LLM‑related data work.
• 5+ years with Python and SQL at production scale.
• 5+ years with streaming technologies and orchestration tools (Kafka, Airflow).

Responsibilities

• Lead data-engineering on a modernization engagement, building batch and streaming pipelines.
• Prepare productized data for AI consumption and data-plane governance.
• Implement governance: catalog, quality, lineage, observability for downstream trust.
• Travel may be required; travel levels vary by client needs.

Skills

Python

SQL

Data engineering

AI/LLM experience

Agile engineering

Cloud data platforms

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent (12 years)

Tools

Kafka

Airflow

Cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure)

Job description

About Accenture:

Accenture helps the world's leading enterprises reinvent by building their digital core and unleashing the power of AI to create value at speed for organizations across industries. Our strategy is to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and lead in the safe, widespread adoption of AI, and to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work in the world. We bring together the talent of our approximately 814,000 people with proprietary assets and platforms, deep process and industry expertise, and leading ecosystem relationships to deliver end-to-end solutions and measurable outcomes at scale. Through our Reinvention Services, we offer broad expertise across Cybersecurity, Digital Core, Finance, Industry and Enterprise, Song, Supply Chain and Engineering, and Talent, with advanced capabilities in AI and Data, Industry and Process, and Technology. We serve approximately 9,000 clients and generated approximately $74 billion in FY26 revenue. Visit us at accenture.com.

We Are:

Accenture is recognized as a global leader in AI and cloud transformation, helping businesses across industries reimagine the digital core for an AI‑native operating model. Through partnerships with frontier AI labs such as Anthropic and OpenAI, and the leading cloud providers, Accenture delivers end‑to‑end services that drive innovation and business agility. The Digital Core Reinvention practice builds resilient, trusted data foundations to power AI at scale — the pipelines, lakehouse substrate, and data‑plane governance that let an enterprise trust what flows into its models and agents.

You Are:

A data engineer who thinks 'governed' and 'fast' are the same requirement stated twice. You belong here even if you haven't spent years in AI. Much of what makes a great practitioner in this work was learned somewhere adjacent — strong credentials in the neighboring discipline plus a year or two of serious hands‑on work with LLM‑based systems is exactly the profile we grow.

The Work:

You lead the data‑engineering work on a modernization engagement: batch and streaming pipelines, productized data ready for AI consumption, and the data‑plane governance — catalog, quality, lineage, observability — that downstream trust stands on. Travel may be required for this role. The amount of travel will vary from 0 to 100% depending on business need and client requirements.

Here's what you need:

Minimum of 5 years of hands‑on data engineering or data platform engineering, with at least 1–2 years specifically on AI/LLM‑related data work. Minimum of 5 years of experience working in agile engineering or consulting teams. Minimum of 5 years with Python and SQL at production scale, plus at least one cloud data platform. Minimum of 5 years with streaming technologies and orchestration tooling (Kafka, Airflow, or equivalent). Minimum of 1 year designing for both AI workloads and classical analytics on the same foundation. AI‑adjacent experience counts toward the bars above: strong credentials in the neighboring discipline combined with 1–2 years of hands‑on LLM work is exactly the profile we grow. Bachelor's degree or equivalent (minimum 12 years) work experience. (If Associate's Degree, must have minimum 6 years work experience).

Bonus Points if You Have:

Lakehouse/open‑table‑format depth (Delta, Iceberg). Data‑mesh experience in decentralized organizations. Vector and graph stores alongside the relational stack.

Compensation at Accenture varies depending on a wide array of factors, which may include but are not limited to the specific office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. As required by local law, Accenture provides a reasonable range of compensation for roles that may be hired as set forth below. We anticipate this job posting will be posted until 12/04/2026. Accenture offers a market competitive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, and long‑term disability coverage, a 401(k) plan, bonus opportunities, paid holidays, and paid time off. See more information on our benefits here: U.S. Employee Benefits | Accenture Role Location Annual Salary Range California $94,400 to $293,800 Colorado $94,400 to $253,800 Connecticut $94,400 to $253,800 District of Columbia $100,500 to $270,300 Illinois $87,400 to $253,800 Maine $80,400 to $216,200 Maryland $94,400 to $253,800 Massachusetts $94,400 to $270,300 Minnesota $94,400 to $253,800 New York $87,400 to $293,800 New Jersey $100,500 to $293,800 Ohio $87,400 to $235,000 Virginia $87,400 to $270,300 Washington $100,500 to $270,300

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world's leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation‑led company with approximately 791,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world's leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. Our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com

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