Data Engineer – AI by McKinsey

About the role

QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey is looking for a Data Engineer to build the data foundations for AI applications in its Zurich office. You will work in cross-functional Agile teams with Data Scientists, Machine Learning Engineers and industry experts, and partner with clients from data owners to C-level executives. The role sits within the global Data Engineering community.

Key responsibilities

• Build the foundational data infrastructure powering AI applications that use LLMs, retrieval systems, workflows and emerging agentic architectures.
• Design and maintain scalable data pipelines, manage secure data environments and prepare data for AI-driven systems.
• Assess data landscapes, apply data quality fundamentals and turn simple hypotheses into engineered features.
• Contribute to R&D initiatives and help develop scalable, production-ready AI systems.
• Collaborate with clients and cross-functional teams to solve complex business problems at scale.

Required profile

• Degree in Computer Science/Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in a data-focused role such as internships or academic projects.
• Ability to write clean, well-documented code in a modern language, with a strong preference for Python and SQL.
• Interest in data engineering for Agentic AI, Generative AI, Machine Learning or Business Intelligence, across structured and unstructured data and streaming and batch processing.
• Fluent business-level German, French and English.

Required skills

• Familiarity with data platforms (Databricks, Snowflake, BigQuery, PostgreSQL), cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and tools (Pandas, Spark, dbt, LangChain).
• Version control (Git) and basic DevOps, MLOps/LLMOps and CI/CD concepts.
• Time management in a largely autonomous environment and quick adaptation to new tech stacks.
• Experience with coding agents (Cursor, Claude Code, Codex) is a plus.

What we offer

• A competitive salary based on location, experience and skills.
• Structured learning and apprenticeship programmes with coaching and feedback.
• A global community of colleagues across 65+ countries and 100+ nationalities.
• A comprehensive benefits package supporting well-being for you and your family.