Lead Database Developer - AI​/ML Focus

Michael Baker International is seeking a skilled Lead Database Developer with AI/ML expertise to architect, build and scale intelligent, data-driven applications across our enterprise ecosystem. As the Lead Database Developer, you will architect, build and optimise enterprise-grade data platforms that power AI/ML products, analytics and automation initiatives. You will lead database developers, partner with data scientists, and own the roadmap for scalable data systems that enable real‑time insights and model-driven decision-making.

This position reports to VP of Data and AI in the CTO Organization at Michael Baker International.

• Lead design of scalable data pipelines, ingestion frameworks and distributed processing systems.
• Architect enterprise data lake/lakehouse/warehouse solutions (Databricks, Snowflake, Big Query, Redshift).
• Guide data engineers on best practices, code quality and scalable data engineering patterns.
• Own end‑to‑end execution of data engineering initiatives, including estimation, delivery and performance optimisation.
• Build ML‑ready data environments, feature stores and training pipelines.
• Partner with data scientists to product ionise ML models with CI/CD/CT.
• Implement model monitoring, data quality, feature versioning and automated retraining.
• Support real‑time and batch feature engineering and inference pipelines.
• Develop scalable ELT/ETL pipelines using Spark, PySpark, SQL, Airflow, DBT, Kafka, Kinesis.
• Build high‑quality data models (dimensional, data vault, lakehouse).
• Implement observability, lineage and data quality frameworks across all pipelines.
• Architect MLOps pipelines using Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, MLflow, Sage Maker or Vertex AI.
• Optimise cloud cost, performance and reliability for large‑scale AI/ML workloads.
• Drive standards for cloud data infrastructure and reusable data engineering components.

• Ensure compliance with SOC2, GDPR, PII standards based on company needs.
• Implement secure data‑sharing, encryption, IAM, tokenisation and access patterns.
• Maintain metadata, cataloguing and governance processes (Collibra, Alation, Unity Catalog).
• Champion emerging technologies including GenAI, vector databases and LLM‑based pipelines.
• Drive innovation in AI/ML data engineering and real‑time analytics.

• Lead and mentor data engineering teams.
• Collaborate with data scientists, ML engineers and business stakeholders to deliver impactful solutions.
• Translate business requirements into scalable data strategies.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field, or similar, or equivalent experience.
• Any Data or AI/ML related certifications.
• 6–12+ years of data engineering experience with 2–5+ years in a lead role.
• Strong programming in Python, SQL; deep expertise in Spark/Databricks.
• Experience building ML‑ready architectures, feature stores and MLOps pipelines.
• Expertise with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure or GCP).
• Proven ability to lead engineering teams, mentor junior engineers and drive architectural decisions.

• Experience implementing vector databases (Pinecone, FAISS, Milvus) and LLM‑based pipelines including RAG.
• Background in real‑time analytics and low‑latency ML inference.
• Experience in highly regulated industries (healthcare, fintech, retail, AEC, manufacturing).
• Ensure quality, compliance and security across all data platforms while implementing observability, lineage and governance frameworks.
• Define and execute enterprise data strategies aligned with AI/ML initiatives while championing best practices in data engineering, MLOps and cloud optimisation.

The approximate compensation range for this position is $130,000 to $170,000. This compensation range is a good‑faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation is dependent upon factors such as education, qualifications, experience, skillset and physical work location.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Life, AD&D, short‑term and long‑term disability
• Professional and personal development
• Generous paid time off
• Commuter and wellness benefits

• Job Identification 308820
• Posting Date 11/25/2025, 02:16 PM
• Job Schedule Full time