Senior RAG Engineer

MCI; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

MCI is seeking a Senior RAG Engineer to lead the design and optimization of Retrieval-Augmented Generation platforms powering enterprise AI solutions. The role focuses on semantic search, vector databases, information retrieval and generative AI technologies.

You will guide the development of enterprise-grade retrieval systems, design scalable RAG architectures, and optimize knowledge ingestion and indexing frameworks while mentoring engineering teams and aligning with product goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum 5 years of software engineering experience.
• Experience designing enterprise-scale Retrieval-Augmented Generation solutions.
• Strong Python backend development skills.
• Experience integrating RAG architectures with LLMs.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of retrieval and knowledge systems.
• Design scalable RAG architectures and indexing frameworks.
• Improve retrieval quality and performance.
• Collaborate with AI engineers and product teams.
• Mentor engineers and drive AI growth.

Skills

Python

Backend development

Embeddings

Semantic search

Vector databases

Information retrieval

Mentoring

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Pinecone

Weaviate

Milvus

LangChain

Job description

Senior RAG Engineer

MCI is seeking a Senior RAG Engineer to lead the design and optimization of Retrieval-Augmented Generation platforms that power enterprise AI solutions. This role requires expertise in semantic search, vector databases, information retrieval, and Generative AI technologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development of enterprise-grade retrieval and knowledge systems.
• Design scalable Retrieval-Augmented Generation architectures.
• Develop enterprise knowledge ingestion and indexing frameworks.
• Establish retrieval standards and best practices.
• Architect solutions that support AI-powered knowledge access.
• Drive improvements in retrieval quality and performance.
• Optimize vector search and semantic retrieval capabilities.
• Improve relevance, accuracy, and response quality.
• Design evaluation methodologies and testing frameworks.
• Support knowledge lifecycle management processes.
• Enable seamless integration of retrieval systems with AI applications.
• Collaborate with AI engineers and product teams.
• Integrate retrieval systems with LLMs and AI workflows.
• Support enterprise-wide AI initiatives and deployments.
• Develop scalable APIs and retrieval services.
• Maintain operational excellence and regulatory compliance.
• Implement security controls and data governance standards.
• Monitor platform performance and availability.
• Conduct root cause analysis and issue resolution activities.
• Maintain technical documentation and operational procedures.
• Provide technical leadership and support organizational AI growth.
• Mentor engineers and technical teams.
• Evaluate emerging retrieval technologies and frameworks.
• Recommend enhancements to platform architecture.
• Contribute to AI strategy and innovation initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of software engineering experience.
• Experience designing and implementing enterprise-scale Retrieval-Augmented Generation solutions.
• Strong proficiency in Python and backend development.
• Extensive knowledge of embeddings, semantic search, vector databases, and information retrieval techniques.
• Experience building scalable retrieval, indexing, and knowledge management systems.
• Experience integrating RAG architectures with Large Language Models.
• Knowledge of cloud infrastructure and distributed computing environments.
• Experience leading technical projects and mentoring engineering teams.
• Strong troubleshooting and performance optimization skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Experience working within complex enterprise technology environments.

Nice to Have

• Experience with Pinecone, Weaviate, Chroma, Milvus, or equivalent platforms.
• Experience with LangChain, LlamaIndex, Haystack, or related frameworks.
• Knowledge of enterprise search and knowledge management solutions.
• Experience with MLOps and AI deployment pipelines.
• Cloud certifications in AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Knowledge of AI governance, security, and compliance frameworks.
• Master's Degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or related discipline.
• Experience supporting enterprise AI transformation programs.

Work Conditions

This job operates in a professional office environment. The employee will be largely sedentary, required to sit/stand for long periods while using a computer and telephone headset. The employee will be regularly required to use a computer, phone, copier, and printer. Occasional movement within the office may be required – reach in any direction, lift objects up to forty (40) pounds.

Security & Background Check Requirements

• Must be authorized to work in the country where the job is based.
• Must submit up to a Level II background and/or security investigation with a fingerprint. Job offers are contingent on background/security investigation results.
• Must submit to drug screening. Job offers are contingent on drug screening results. (Does not apply in Canada)

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it is the policy of MCI and its affiliates to provide reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless such accommodations would cause undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment. If reasonable accommodations are needed, please contact Human Resources.

At MCI and its subsidiaries, we embrace differences and believe diversity is a benefit to our employees, our company, our customers, and our community. All aspects of employment at MCI are based solely on a person's merit and qualifications. MCI maintains a work environment free from discrimination, one where employees are treated with dignity and respect. All employees share in the responsibility for fulfilling MCI's commitment to a diverse and equal opportunity work environment.

MCI does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. MCI will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with local and federal requirements.

MCI will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. We adhere to these principles in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, benefits, social and recreational programs, and discipline. In addition, it is the policy of MCI to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees who have protected disabilities to the extent required by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances where an employee works.