Data & AI Technical Lead

Job Overview

We are partnering with a client based in Germany to find a Data & AI Technical Lead who will spearhead the design and development of sophisticated data and AI platforms supporting essential solutions. This role blends hands-on engineering skills with leadership to architect systems that transform intricate data into practical insights.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate in the design and ongoing enhancement of technical architectures covering data pipelines, AI workflows, intelligent agent systems, and integration services.
• Lead the creation and deployment of data and AI processes that ensure dependable data ingestion, processing, storage, access, and application.
• Make autonomous technical decisions, thoroughly document architecture, and analyze trade-offs clearly.
• Develop AI-driven applications such as retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines, Model Context Protocol (MCP) tools, and APIs connecting smart systems to enterprise data.
• Create backend services using Python and FastAPI within scalable, event-driven environments.
• Set and advocate engineering standards focused on code quality, design approaches, documentation, testing, and team collaboration.
• Mentor and help cultivate technical skills within the engineering team.
• Utilize AI-assisted development tools efficiently and establish best practices for AI-based engineering workflows.
• Manage projects from initial discovery through production deployment, guaranteeing delivery success, system reliability, and ongoing enhancements.
• Work closely with product management, QA, engineering, and leadership to align technical solutions with business goals.
• Enhance system readiness for production with monitoring, observability, testing strategies, and operational excellence.
• Participate in recruitment and contribute to the growth and strategic direction of the engineering organization.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Proficient in Python for building maintainable, production-ready applications, services, and data workflows.
• Experience designing scalable data architectures including schema design, efficient storage, pipeline construction, and data modeling.
• Deep understanding of AI technologies including large language models, retrieval-augmented generation, agent systems, and tool-based AI workflows.
• Experienced in creating backend services and APIs using FastAPI or similar frameworks.
• Hands-on with event-driven systems and messaging platforms like Kafka, RabbitMQ, or equivalents.
• Strong familiarity with Docker and containerized application deployment.
• Solid background in operating production systems with emphasis on reliability, monitoring, and continuous improvement.
• Capable of leading technically through influence, excellent communication, and sound engineering judgment.
• Regular use of AI coding tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT, or similar in development workflows.
• Strong ownership and ability to shepherd projects from requirements gathering to production support.
• Effective collaborator across cross-functional and distributed teams in fast-evolving environments.

Preferred Additional Skills

• Familiarity with AI agent frameworks including LangChain, LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen, or similar.
• Knowledge of MCP, vector databases, and embedding-based retrieval techniques.
• Experience in prompt engineering, evaluation workflows, and optimizing large language models.
• Understanding advanced AI topics like neural networks, fine-tuning, and model optimization.
• Experience with analytical databases such as ClickHouse.
• Exposure to orchestration tools like Airflow, Prefect, or Dagster.
• Skill in integrating and managing diverse data sources.

Benefits

• Fully remote working arrangement allowing you to work from home.
• Flexible working hours promoting a healthy work-life balance.
• Annual performance-based bonus scheme.
• Paid medical insurance coverage for employee wellbeing.
• Daily lunch allowance to help with day-to-day expenses.
• Sport and wellness allowances to support healthy living.
• Unlimited access to Udemy courses for continuous learning and professional growth.
• Comprehensive onboarding and training programs for smooth integration.
• Provision of necessary equipment to facilitate effective work performance.
• Relaxed dress code with a comfortable and flexible workplace culture.
• Gifts and rewards recognising personal milestones and achievements.
• Regular virtual and in-person team events and activities to encourage camaraderie.

Additional Information

This role is managed by our partner company who handles the full application and recruitment process. They rely on an AI-driven matching system to ensure fair and efficient candidate selection. Final hiring decisions are made by the partner's internal team.

Applicants should be aware that personal data provided during application will be processed in compliance with data protection laws including GDPR, using legitimate interest and contractual bases. AI tools may be employed during candidate evaluation but do not replace human decision-making.