SAP NS2 Principal AI Data Engineer- Hybrid: Herndon, VA

SAP NS2 Principal AI Data Engineer
- Hybrid:
Herndon, VA

We help the world run better

At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We’re builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what’s next. The work is challenging – but it matters. You’ll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong.

What’s in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed.

SAP is the global market leader for business software and related services, and SAP National Security Services Inc.® (SAP NS2®) is an independent U.S. subsidiary, offering SAP solutions with specialized levels of security and support to meet the requirements of U.S. national security and critical infrastructure customers.

Must be a US Citizen; this position requires access to customer data. All internals must have Manager’s approval to transfer.

This is a hybrid position reporting to our Herndon, VA office a few days per week.

You will be a founding member of the AI & Enterprise Data Observability (AIDO) unit at SAP NS2. Our mission is to pioneer secure, independent AI adoption. We are building the "Central Nervous System" that allows us to securely orchestrate, fine‑tune, and enhance existing state‑of‑the‑art models using proprietary NS2 data. Our goal is to create "Force Multipliers" for our workforce, transforming our cloud ecosystem into a smarter, self‑healing, and predictive environment while strictly adhering to data security and independence.

You are the "Lead Data Builder" for the AIDO unit. You will architect and personally build the "Central Nervous System" of our secure AI platform. This is a heavy coding role responsible for the pipelines, vector stores, and data independence controls that power our "Force Multipliers".

• Build the Independent Data Foundation: Personally design and deploy localized data stores (Milvus, Open Search) to serve as the "brain" for private AI.
• Code Resilient Pipelines: Write Python‑based ETL/ELT pipelines to ingest, clean, and format data from "Internal" and "Restricted" sources (Splunk, Service Now, Dynatrace).
• Engineer Data Independence: Implement strict RBAC and Data Classification controls at the ingestion layer to ensure "Restricted" data never leaks to public models.
• API Development: Wrap data services as APIs (FastAPI) to be consumed programmatically by the AI development team.
• Data Curation for Fine‑Tuning: Build pipelines specifically designed to clean and anonymize proprietary data for fine‑tuning off‑the‑shelf models.

• Advanced Python: Mastery of Python for backend development and data manipulation.
• Vector & Search Tech: Deep implementation experience with Vector Stores (Milvus, Weaviate) and Open Search.
• Containerization & IaC: Hands‑on experience with Kubernetes (K8s) and provisioning resources via Terraform/Ansible.
• Pipeline Orchestration: Proficiency in building pipelines using Airflow, Cribl, or custom Python orchestrators.

• SAP Technologies: Familiarity with SAP AI Core, SAP HANA, or Datasphere.
• Observability Stack: Experience with Open Search, Prometheus, or Dynatrace.
• Graph Databases: Familiarity with Neo4j or similar to model complex relationships between infrastructure assets.

• Mission‑Oriented: You understand "Leader's Intent"—you focus on what needs to be achieved (Purpose & End State) and figure out the how with disciplined initiative.
• Builder Mindset: We are a startup unit within a mature enterprise. You must be willing to build from the ground up, moving from "Phase 0" foundation to "Phase 2" scaling.
• Trust & Safety: You value psychological safety and open communication (Back Briefs), ensuring we learn from failure rather than hide it.

SAP innovations help more than four hundred thousand customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software,…