Junior Data Engineer

Proxy Foods is an advanced AI-powered product development and recipe formulation platform trusted by leading R&D teams to create, reformulate, andoptimizefood & beverage products at scale and in record time.

We help food and beverage companies move from idea toviableformulation faster by unifying fragmented R&D data: ingredients, specs, cost, nutrition, processing constraints, and compliance. As a result, teams launch new products with fewer failed trials, reformulate faster based on consumer feedback and margin pressure, and stay ahead on trends and regulatory requirements.

We are looking for a curious, motivated, and detail-oriented Junior Data Engineer to join our team.

This role is ideal for someone with strong foundational SQL and Python skills who wants to grow quickly by working on real-world data challenges in a startup environment. You will support the development of data pipelines, integrations, and data models that power both internal analytics and product features, while learning from a cross-functional team of engineers, product builders, and domain experts.

We are especially interested in someone who is eager to keep learning and stay current with modern data tooling and AI/LLM-enabled workflows, while building strong data engineering fundamentals.

In this role, you will:

• Support the development and maintenance of ETL/ELT pipelines across APIs, databases, files, and external data sources
• Clean, normalize,validate, and structure datasets related to ingredients, specifications, nutrition, costs, and compliance
• Write SQL and Python code to transform data and improve data quality
• Helpmaintaindata models and storage layers used for analytics, reporting, and product features
• Work closely with product, engineering, and food science teams to understand data needs and business context
• Monitor pipeline performance, investigate issues, and help improve reliability and observability
• Learn and apply AI/LLM-assisted workflows where appropriate fordata extraction, normalization, enrichment, and structuring tasks under clear guidance and validation practices
• Document data flows, transformations, and operational processes clearly and consistently

• 1-3 years of experience in data engineering, analytics engineering, software engineering, or a related data-focused role
• Good foundation in SQL and Python
• Familiarity with data transformation, ETL/ELT concepts, and structured datasets
• Exposure to relational databases, APIs, JSON/CSV files, and basic data modeling concepts
• Strong attention to detail and a mindset for data quality and correctness
• Eagerness to learn new tools, technologies, and ways of working in a fast-moving startup environment
• Curiosity about where the data industry is heading, including modern cloud platforms and AI/LLM-enabled workflows
• Strong communication skills and willingness to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams

Nice to have:

• Exposure to cloud data platforms such as Azure
• Familiarity with Git and basic software development workflows
• Experience with pandas,SQL Alchemy, or similar Python tools for data work
• Basic understanding of BI/reporting tools or dashboarding
• Interest in AI, LLMs, or data products beyond traditional reporting

• Work on real product and data problems at the intersection of AI and the food industry
• Learn fast in a startup environment with meaningful ownership from day one
• Build strong data engineering fundamentals while gaining exposure to modern AI-enabled workflows
• Collaborate with a small, ambitious, cross-functional team
• Grow your role as the company and platform scale