Principal / Senior AI Data Engineer - Business Software

Company Description

IFS is a billion-dollar revenue company with 6000+ employees on all continents. Our leading AI technology is the backbone of our award-winning enterprise software solutions, enabling our customers to be their best when it really matters–at the Moment of Service™. Our commitment to internal AI adoption has allowed us to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring our colleagues can unlock their creativity and productivity, and our solutions are always cutting-edge.

At IFS, we’re flexible, we’re innovative, and we’re focused not only on how we can engage with our customers but on how we can make a real change and have a worldwide impact. We help solve some of society’s greatest challenges, fostering a better future through our agility, collaboration, and trust.

We celebrate diversity and understand our responsibility to reflect the diverse world we work in. We are committed to promoting an inclusive workforce that fully represents the many different cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints of our customers, our partners, and our communities. As a truly international company serving people from around the globe, we realize that our success is tantamount to the respect we have for those different points of view.

By joining our team, you will have the opportunity to be part of a global, diverse environment; you will be joining a winning team with a commitment to sustainability; and a company where we get things done so that you can make a positive impact on the world.

We’re looking for innovative and original thinkers to work in an environment where you can #MakeYourMoment so that we can help others make theirs. With the power of our AI-driven solutions, we empower our team to change the status quo and make a real difference.

If you want to change the status quo, we’ll help you make your moment. Join Team Purple. Join IFS.

Job Description

As a Principal / Senior Data Engineer, you will spearhead our data initiatives, transforming raw data into strategic assets that propel our business forward. This role is designed for those who excel in a dynamic environment, offering the freedom to innovate and the responsibility to deliver.

Core Responsibilities:

• Identify and harness high-value data opportunities within our product suite, converting raw data into impactful features and reusable assets.
• Act as the authoritative voice on data technology, steering our organization towards cutting-edge platforms and methodologies.
• Architect and execute comprehensive data projects, ensuring robust scalability and performance from conception to deployment.
• Collaborate with a team of ML Engineers, Data Scientists, and other key stakeholders to design, implement, and maintain data pipelines that fuel advanced analytics and AI-driven solutions.
• Embrace the role of a data evangelist, presenting at industry conferences, leading webinars, and authoring thought-leadership content to share knowledge and influence the broader tech community.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 5 years in data engineering, with expertise in scalable architectures such as Data Lakes, Graph, and Vector Databases (e.g., ADLS, neo4j, Elasticsearch).
• Proficiency in developing data pipelines across diverse environments, leveraging Azure and other modern technologies.
• Proven ability to orchestrate complex data workflows and manage Kubernetes clusters on AKS, utilizing tools like Airflow, Kubeflow, Argo, and Dagster.
• Familiarity with data ingestion tools such as Airbyte and Fivetran, accommodating a wide array of data sources.
• Mastery of large-scale data processing techniques using Spark or Dask.
• Strong programming skills in Python, Scala, C#, or Java, and adeptness with cloud SDKs and APIs.
• Deep understanding of AI/ML to enhance pipeline efficiency, with experience in TensorFlow, PyTorch, AutoML, Python/R, and MLOps platforms like MLflow and Kubeflow.
• Solid background in DevOps, including CI/CD automation with Bitbucket Pipelines, Azure DevOps, and GitHub.
• Capability to automate the deployment of data pipelines and applications using scripting languages and infrastructure as code tools such as Bash, PowerShell, Azure CLI, Terraform, and Helm Charts.
• Experience in utilizing Azure AI Search or Elasticsearch for sophisticated content analysis and indexing, particularly in developing RAG services with Langchain.
• Proficiency in crafting IoT data pipelines, ensuring real-time processing, security, and integration with IoT ecosystems.
• Skill in designing, developing, and monitoring streaming data applications with Kafka and related technologies.
• Commitment to implementing and upholding data governance policies and standards throughout the data platform.

Personal Competencies:

• A results-oriented professional with a fervent passion for innovation and a self-motivated, proactive approach.
• Exceptional organizational skills, fluent in spoken and written English, and driving creative solutions.
• A strategic thinker, constantly exploring the next significant advancement in data technology.

We invite you to join our team and lead the way in data engineering, where your expertise will be pivotal in shaping the future of our data-driven endeavors.

Additional Information

Location: This is a global role so we are open to AI talent from outside the UK. We have other legal organisations in the Scandinavian countries, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Poland. We look forward to receiving your application. 

IFS prides itself on its culture and values: trustworthy, agile and collaborative. IFS has been in the industry for more than 30 years and with 6 consecutive years of rapid growth, its imperative that IFS doesn’t just maintain but continues to invest in its positive culture. This is achieved through smart recruitment, training programs, company policies, expectations of managers and employees and a focus on diversity, sustainability and a balanced work/life integration.  

We offer you an attractive salary with above-average additional benefits:

• Hybrid working to allow proper life balance
• 25 vacation days, as well as additional paid vacation days for your own birthday and voluntary work (CSR)
• Further training opportunities and intensive support during your onboarding phase
• Opportunity to make a real impact on organizational success
• Collaborative and supportive work environment
• Career development and growth opportunities
• PMI
• Pension scheme
• Every day breakfast and lunch in our Staines office
• You work with a great product with good recognition in the market and amongst customers and analysts
• You will be part of a fun group where everyone is helpful
• For more information, visit: IFS.com or follow us on LinkedIn