Data Engineer at Robots and Pencils
United States
<p> </p> <p><span class="TextRun BCX0 SCXW168757422" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW168757422">Robots & Pencils is an applied AI engineering firm building the next frontier of business architecture. We design and ship AI co-workers that integrate into enterprise operations and deliver measurable results for our clients. </span><span class="NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW168757422">We're</span><span class="NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW168757422"> all in on AWS, combining deep UX capability with senior engineering talent to get AI into production fast and keep it there.</span></span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop BCX0 SCXW168757422"><span class="BCX0 SCXW168757422"> </span><br class="BCX0 SCXW168757422"></span><span class="TextRun BCX0 SCXW168757422" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW168757422">We’ve earned the trust of leaders across Consumer Products and Retail, Education, Energy, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Manufacturing and more, and earned a reputation as the nimble alternative to traditional global systems integrators. Founded in 2009, with delivery centers in Canada, the United States, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, we are smaller, faster, and more senior by design. Our teams average 15+ years of experience. </span><span class="NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW168757422">We move fast, sweat the details, and build things that </span><span class="NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW168757422">actually ship</span><span class="NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW168757422">.</span></span><span class="EOP Selected BCX0 SCXW168757422" data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 2">Position Overview</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":299,"335559739":299}"> </span></strong></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">We’re looking for a Staff Data Engineer to join a multi-disciplinary engineering team building modern, enterprise-grade data platforms. This role is ideal for an experienced engineer who can define data strategy, own platform decisions end-to-end, and contribute to technical leadership across the team.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">In this role, you will design scalable data lakes, warehouses, and pipelines, define governance and quality standards, and drive data platform modernization across real, in-flight work where performance, reliability, and security are critical. You’ll mentor more junior engineers, partner with leadership on data strategy, and bring an AI-forward mindset. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 2">Why This Role Matters</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":299,"335559739":299}"> </span></strong></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">At Robots & Pencils, we design AI systems for a human world. Our name says it all. Robots and pencils means engineering paired with creativity, because every agent we ship has to work for real people in real workflows. That balance is baked into how we operate.</span> <br> <br><span data-contrast="none">Every role here contributes directly to that mission. Here, you shape how AI systems integrate into enterprise operations, how teams move at real velocity, and how products create measurable impact for clients and the people they serve. We ship production-ready AI in 30 to 45 days. That pace demands people who take ownership, lead with craft, and care deeply about what they put their name on.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 2">What </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 2">You’ll</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 2"> Do</span></span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":299,"335559739":299}"> </span></p> <p><em><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 3">Craft & Delivery</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":281,"335559739":281}"> </span></em></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="none">Define data architecture and platform strategy, leading design across pipelines, warehouses, and data lakes</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="none">Build and optimize scalable data pipelines supporting batch and real-time processing</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="none">Define and enforce data governance, quality standards, and compliance frameworks across the platform</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Build monitoring, logging, and alerting for data pipelines and services, and contribute to CI/CD workflows for data deployment and automation</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="none">Drive data platform modernization, optimizing for performance, cost, and scalability</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="none">Bring an AI-forward mindset to your daily work, using tools like Claude, Cursor, and other modern AI assistants to ship higher-quality work at pace</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="none">Design and implement data contracts and event flows in collaboration with backend, platform, and engineering teams </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="none">Lead the design and implementation of data pipelines for production AI/ML systems, including embeddings, vector stores, RAG data preparation, feature stores, and training/inference data flows</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="none">Integrate data services with APIs, middleware, and third-party systems to support end-to-end data consumption</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><em><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 3">Collaboration & Communication</span></span></em><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":281,"335559739":281}"> </span></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="none">Partner with leadership on data strategy, translating technical depth into decisions others can act on</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="none">Collaborate closely with engineering, analytics, AI, and product teams to align data platforms with broader goals</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="none">Advocate for data quality, governance, and platform best practices across teams and engagements</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><em><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 3">Leadership & Influence</span></span></em><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":281,"335559739":281}"> </span></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="none">Establish data engineering standards that lift the quality and consistency of work across the team</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="none">Mentor junior and mid-level engineers, helping them grow their craft, confidence, and impact</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="none">Make high-stakes architectural decisions with clear ownership and consideration of long-term tradeoffs</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 2">What </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 2">You’ll</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 2"> Bring</span></span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":299,"335559739":299}"> </span></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="auto">7+ years of professional data engineering experience, with experience leading complex data platform initiatives</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Strong system architecture background with expertise in distributed data systems</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Expert proficiency in Python, Scala, and SQL</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Deep expertise with cloud-native data platforms and enterprise data warehousing</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Strong expertise in data pipeline orchestration and processing </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Strong experience with streaming platforms and real-time data processing (e.g., Kafka, Kinesis, Pub/Sub)</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Strong data modeling expertise and experience with data transformation</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Strong experience with data quality, governance, and compliance frameworks</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Strong experience with container orchestration and CI/CD for data systems</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Strong experience building data pipelines for production AI/ML systems, including embeddings, vector stores, RAG data preparation, feature stores, and training/inference data flows</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Demonstrated leadership and technical mentoring experience across a team or organization</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Strong stakeholder communication skills, with the ability to translate technical depth across audiences</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Demonstrable, day-to-day usage and expert knowledge of AI-forward coding tools such as Claude and Cursor</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to navigate highly ambiguous technical and business challenges with sound judgment</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="none">Experience with data mesh or data fabric concepts, lakehouse architectures, or governance framework implementation is a plus</span> <br><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 2">Helpful Extras and Unique Skills</span></span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":299,"335559739":299}"> </span></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Experience with handling and modeling data in the healthcare industry is a plus</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">AWS certifications, like Certified Data Engineer – Associate, strongly preferred </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 2">You’ll</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="heading 2"> Do Well Here if You Are</span></span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"335559738":299,"335559739":299}"> </span></p> <ul> <li><strong><span data-contrast="auto">A doer.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> You see something broken and fix it. You'd rather move on clarity than wait for certainty.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> <li><strong><span data-contrast="auto">A fast learner who knows you don't know everything.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> The AI landscape changes weekly. You're senior enough to know better and curious enough to keep learning anyway.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> <li><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Direct in a way that makes the work better.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> You give honest feedback. You'd rather have the hard conversation than blow smoke.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> <li><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Obsessed with craft.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> You know genius is in the details. You ship exceptional, not perfect, and you don't put your name on work you wouldn't stand behind.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> <li><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Built for ownership.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> You honor commitments, admit mistakes fast, and back your teammates when a decision costs something. No handoffs, no finger-pointing.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> <li><strong><span data-contrast="auto">All in.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> You treat clients' businesses like your own. You take the work seriously without taking yourself seriously.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> <li><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Resourceful when the budget, timeline, or team is tight.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Constraints don't slow you down. They sharpen you.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li> <li><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Glad to be in the room with people who care as much as you do.</span></strong><span data-contrast="auto"> Our teams average fifteen-plus years of experience. We hire people who push each other to do better work.</span> <br> </li> </ul> <p><br> <br><em><span data-contrast="none">An offer of employment may be conditional upon successful completion of a background check in accordance with local legislation and our candidate privacy notice. Your current employer will not be contacted without your permission. We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.</span></em><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
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