Senior AI Data Engineer

Velvetech is an American global software development company headquartered in Miami, FL, and with an office in Chicago, IL. Velvetech has its developers strategically distributed in 10+ global technical job markets to deliver the best in class software engineering and exceptional client services.

We have 20+ years of experience in software and hardware development for clients all around the world, especially for US clients. As an official Microsoft Gold Partner, our company is listed in the top 5 software development companies in Illinois, USA.

US clients are leading trading and financial organizations, insurance companies, large healthcare associations, pharmaceutical and energy companies, equipment manufacturers, hi-tech startups, etc.

Areas of expertise are consulting, development, implementation, and support of software solutions. We implement modern backend solutions that support microservices architecture with the following technologies: NET Core, Node.js, Java, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, RabbitMQ. For the web UI front-end development, we opt for React, or Angular, and for mobile development — Swift, Kotlin, Java. Most of the systems are designed for cloud infrastructures like AWS, Azure, GCP, and heavily rely on Docker, Kubernetes while modern CI/CD is made using GitLab CI or TeamCity. In September 2021, Velvetech LLC received the status of the official Training Provider of the International Institute of Business Analysis. This status gives us the right to conduct regular quality trainings for Business Analysts and anyone performing BA activities regardless their job title.

Principles are based on Agile Methodology, Scrum and Kanban. Various projects coded in GitLab or GitHub are built with multiple coordinated teams, collaborating via Jira, Confluence, MS Teams, and Slack. Velvetech constantly follows the Tech trends and actively cooperates with startups in such breakthrough areas as Machine Learning, the Internet of Things, Blockchain, FPGA, and AI.

Position overview

We are looking for a Senior AI Data Engineer to join a high-impact AI product initiative focused on building advanced predictive and inference-driven systems. In this role, you will take ownership of core AI data pipelines, model lifecycle processes, and vector-based memory systems, working with modern ML infrastructure including Vertex AI, vector databases, and deep learning frameworks.

You will design and productionize scalable ML solutions, combining feature engineering, model evaluation, and real-time inference services. This is a key role with end-to-end responsibility for model reliability, performance optimization, and governance.

This is a fully remote position with flexible working conditions.

• Own and develop the biometric extraction model lifecycle (training, validation, deployment)
• Design and maintain a vector memory layer using tools such as Milvus or Pinecone
• Build and optimize predictive inference services for real-time and batch use cases
• Develop and maintain data pipelines for PFM (Personal Financial Management) data preparation
• Implement advanced feature engineering frameworks and model evaluation pipelines
• Work with Vertex AI for model training, deployment, and orchestration
• Manage and integrate heterogeneous data storage systems:
  • InfluxDB (time-series data)
  • PostgreSQL (relational data)
  • Neo4j (graph data)
• Develop vector embeddings pipelines and similarity search logic
• Implement model governance processes:
  • Drift detection and monitoring
  • Shadow-mode validation
  • Performance tracking and reporting
• Design and apply optimization policies for inference latency, cost, and accuracy
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (ML, backend, product, infra)

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in Data Engineering / ML Engineering / AI Engineering
• Strong programming skills in Python
• Hands-on experience with PyTorch (training and deploying deep learning models)
• Experience working with Vertex AI or similar ML platforms (GCP preferred)
• Proven experience with vector databases (Milvus, Pinecone, or similar)
• Strong knowledge of:
  • Feature engineering techniques
  • Model evaluation and validation frameworks
  • Predictive inference systems
• Experience with multiple database paradigms:
  • Relational (PostgreSQL)
  • Time-series (InfluxDB)
  • Graph (Neo4j)
• Solid understanding of embeddings and semantic/vector search systems
• Experience implementing model lifecycle management, including:
  • Drift detection
  • Monitoring
  • Governance
• Strong understanding of scalable system design and performance optimization
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of complex systems

Benefits

• Velvetech is in the TOP 5 development companies in Illinois, USA
• You have FLEXIBLE working conditions and a COOPERATIVE environment
• Competitive salary
• Many CHALLENGING and exciting projects with new opportunities and learning
• GROWTH opportunities, skills and competencies improvement, and professional certification
• In-company TRAINING (English, Software / DevOps / Project management / Design / Business)