AI/ML Data Engineer

Placements24; Upington; Hybrid; ZAR 480,000 - 720,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an AI/ML Data Engineer for a fully remote role to design, build, and maintain data pipelines and infrastructure supporting model development.

You will collaborate with data scientists, ensure data quality, security, and governance, and build data lakes, warehouses, and feature stores across cloud platforms while working from Upington, Northern Cape, ZA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related quantitative field.
• Proven experience as a Data Engineer supporting AI/ML projects.
• Strong Python and SQL programming; experience with Spark or Pandas.
• Experience building data pipelines with Airflow, Luigi, or similar orchestrators.
• Experience with cloud data services (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Familiarity with relational and NoSQL databases.
• Understanding ML data requirements and data warehousing/lake concepts.
• Knowledge of data governance and security principles.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills; good remote collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain scalable data pipelines for AI/ML workloads.
• Develop ETL/ELT processes to prepare data for ML models.
• Collaborate with data scientists to understand data needs.
• Ensure data quality, integrity, and accessibility.
• Build data infrastructure including data lakes and warehouses.
• Implement data security and governance best practices.
• Automate data tasks to improve efficiency.
• Monitor pipelines and troubleshoot issues.
• Stay updated on emerging data engineering technologies.
• Document data architectures and processes.

Skills

Python

SQL

ETL/ELT

Distributed data processing

Remote collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

Airflow

Luigi

Spark

Pandas

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

About the Role

Our client is actively seeking a skilled AI/ML Data Engineer to join their dynamic AI & Emerging Technologies team. This role is designed to be fully remote, offering the flexibility to work from any location while contributing to impactful AI projects. The AI/ML Data Engineer will be responsible for designing, building, and maintaining robust data pipelines and infrastructure that support machine learning model development and deployment. You will work closely with data scientists and ML engineers to ensure the availability, quality, and efficiency of data required for AI initiatives. This position requires a strong background in data engineering, software development, and a solid understanding of machine learning workflows. The ideal candidate is passionate about building scalable data solutions and optimizing data processes for AI applications. Working remotely, you will leverage effective communication and collaboration tools to integrate seamlessly with distributed teams. This is a crucial role in enabling our client's success in leveraging AI and machine learning to drive innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, construct, install, test, and maintain highly scalable data management systems and pipelines for AI/ML workloads.
• Develop and optimize ETL/ELT processes to ingest, transform, and prepare data for machine learning models.
• Collaborate with data scientists and ML engineers to understand data requirements and deliver appropriate solutions.
• Ensure data quality, integrity, and accessibility for AI projects.
• Build and manage data infrastructure, including data lakes, data warehouses, and feature stores.
• Implement data security and governance best practices.
• Automate data-related tasks and processes to improve efficiency and reliability.
• Monitor data pipelines and systems, troubleshoot issues, and implement solutions.
• Stay current with emerging data engineering technologies and best practices relevant to AI/ML.
• Contribute to the documentation of data architectures, pipelines, and processes.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• Proven experience as a Data Engineer with a focus on supporting AI/ML projects.
• Strong programming skills in Python, SQL, and experience with data processing frameworks (e.g., Spark, Pandas).
• Experience designing and building robust data pipelines using tools like Airflow, Luigi, or similar orchestrators.
• Proficiency with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their data services (e.g., S3, Redshift, BigQuery, Data Factory).
• Familiarity with database technologies (e.g., relational, NoSQL).
• Understanding of machine learning concepts and the data requirements for ML models.
• Experience with data warehousing and data lake concepts.
• Knowledge of data governance and security principles.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills for effective remote teamwork.
• Experience with containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes) is a plus.

Benefits

• This fully remote role offers a highly competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package.
• Enjoy the flexibility of working from anywhere, promoting an excellent work-life balance.
• Opportunities for continuous learning and professional development, including access to advanced training and conferences, are provided.
• You will work with a collaborative team passionate about data and AI, leveraging state-of-the‑art technologies.
• Our client fosters an innovative environment where your contributions directly impact the success of AI initiatives.
• Join us to build the foundation for cutting-edge AI solutions from your location in Upington, Northern Cape, ZA.