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Michael Baker International · 2 days ago

Lead Database Developer - AI/ML Focus

Seattle, WA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$130K/yr - $170K/yr

6+ years exp

Michael Baker International is seeking a skilled Lead Database Developer with AI/ML expertise to architect, build, and scale intelligent, data-driven applications across their enterprise ecosystem. The role involves leading database developers, partnering with data scientists, and owning the roadmap for scalable data systems that enable real-time insights and model-driven decision-making.

ArchitectureInformation TechnologyService Industry

H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Lead design of scalable data pipelines, ingestion frameworks, and distributed processing systems

Architect enterprise data lake/lakehouse/warehouse solutions (Databricks, Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift)

Guide data engineers on best practices, code quality, and scalable data engineering patterns

Own end-to-end execution of data engineering initiatives, including estimation, delivery, and performance optimization

Build ML-ready data environments, feature stores, and training pipelines

Partner with data scientists to productionize ML models with CI/CD/CT

Implement model monitoring, data quality, feature versioning, and automated retraining

Support real-time and batch feature engineering and inference pipelines

Develop scalable ELT/ETL pipelines using Spark, PySpark, SQL, Airflow, DBT, Kafka, Kinesis

Build high-quality data models (dimensional, data vault, lakehouse)

Implement observability, lineage, and data quality frameworks across all pipelines

Architect MLOps pipelines using Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, MLflow, SageMaker, or Vertex AI

Optimize cloud cost, performance, and reliability for large-scale AI/ML workloads

Drive standards for cloud data infrastructure and reusable data engineering components

Ensure compliance with SOC2, GDPR, PII standards based on company needs

Implement secure data-sharing, encryption, IAM, tokenization, and access patterns

Maintain metadata, cataloging, governance processes (Collibra, Alation, Unity Catalog)

Champion emerging technologies including GenAI, vector databases, and LLM-based pipelines

Drive innovation in AI/ML data engineering and real-time analytics

Lead and mentor data engineering teams

Collaborate with data scientists, ML engineers, and business stakeholders to deliver impactful solutions

Translate business requirements into scalable data strategies

Qualification

AI/ML expertiseData architectureCloud platformsPython programmingSpark/DatabricksMLOps pipelinesSQL programmingData engineering experienceFeature storesStakeholder engagementData governanceCompliance knowledgeTeam leadershipMentoring

Required

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field, or similar, or equivalent experience

Any Data or AI/ML related certifications

6–12+ years of data engineering experience with 2–5+ years in a lead role

Strong programming in Python, SQL; deep expertise in Spark/Databricks

Experience building ML-ready architectures, feature stores, and MLOps pipelines

Expertise with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)

Proven ability to lead engineering teams, mentor junior engineers, and drive architectural decisions

Preferred

Experience implementing vector databases (Pinecone, FAISS, Milvus) and LLM-based pipelines including RAG

Background in real-time analytics and low-latency ML inference

Experience in highly regulated industries (healthcare, fintech, retail, AEC, manufacturing)

Ensure quality, compliance, and security across all data platforms while implementing observability, lineage, and governance frameworks

Define and execute enterprise data strategies aligned with AI/ML initiatives while championing best practices in data engineering, MLOps, and cloud optimization

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401 (k) Retirement Plan

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Life, AD&D, short-term, and long-term disability

Professional and personal development

Generous paid time off

Commuter and wellness benefits

Company

Michael Baker International

Glassdoor3.8

Michael Baker International is a Critical Service Provider company.

Founded in 1940

Alexandria, Virginia, USA

5001-10000 employees

http://mbakerintl.com/

H1B Sponsorship

Michael Baker International has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)

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2025 (48)

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2022 (39)

2021 (29)

2020 (34)