AI Data Engineer

PowerPlan • Atlanta, GA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

PowerPlan is hiring an AI Data Engineer as one of the first engineers on its Applied AI team, which is part of Strategic Initiatives and works closely with executive leadership. The role builds the data foundation for AI solutions used across finance, sales, professional services, and product. The work involves finding, cleaning, and defining data for each build; choosing straightforward data structures; and partnering with the team’s AI engineer to deliver solutions to the business. PowerPlan’s platform is used by nine in ten U.S. investor-owned utilities, and the data standards established in this early role will influence future team builds.

Success is measured by whether supported AI solutions are used and operated by the business each week, and whether new builds use trusted, shared data rather than fresh exports. Milestones include learning how the company operates through its data during the first 30 days; delivering an owner-checked catalog of critical data by the end of the first quarter; and keeping it current enough by month 12 to inform AI planning. The role also helps establish standards for data, connections, and code review, including read-only-by-default AI connections to business systems that are no more complex than needed and are reviewed by IT and security.

The engineer will pair with the team’s AI engineer on an initial build in the first quarter, lead the data work for a larger build into pilot by six months, and deliver the data behind at least two larger AI solutions in weekly business use by month 12. Other goals include agreeing on shared data sets during the first quarter, publishing the first within six months, putting at least two governed shared data sets into use by more than one team or AI solution by month 12, and replacing hand-built recurring reports by defining metrics once so AI tools can draft commentary, answer questions, and flag issues requiring human attention.

This is a hybrid role based in Atlanta, with at least three days per week in the office and some work from home. Onsite attendance may also be required for scheduled office days, team or client meetings, and special events. The role requires authorization to work in the United States and is not eligible for visa sponsorship, now or in the future.

Requirements

• Two to four years of professional experience as a data engineer, analytics engineer, or in a similar role centered on coding to clean and model data; alternatively, a related master’s degree and at least one year of that experience.
• Experience turning messy real-world data from a business system, spreadsheet, or documents into something used by people or an AI tool, and ability to explain what failed and how it was fixed.
• Ability to trace numbers through the systems and processes that produce them, consult their business owners, and describe how an owner’s explanation changed a prior build.
• Agentic coding tools such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or OpenCode are the default way of working; ability to plan work, direct the tool, and check its output.
• Working proficiency in Python and SQL and ability to read and modify code written by others.
• Experience pulling data from an API end to end, including authentication, secrets, paging, and error handling.
• Habitual use of Git; treating data access and documentation as part of the build; and writing notes a business owner can follow.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, statistics, mathematics, information systems, or a closely related quantitative field; a business analytics or other quantitative business degree qualifies if it included substantial programming coursework.
• Ability to work from the Atlanta office at least three days per week.
• Authorization to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

• Experience building an MCP server, an agent skill, or a connector used by others.
• Experience with a modern data platform, retrieval over documents (RAG), or data quality checks.
• Experience with CRM, finance, or project data, ideally in or alongside finance, professional services, sales operations, or support.
• Experience applying continuous improvement methods such as Lean, Six Sigma, or value stream mapping.
• A master’s degree in a related field such as computer science, information systems, data science, or business analytics.

Responsibilities

• Find, clean, and define business data needed for AI solutions, and select simple, appropriate data structures.
• Partner with the team’s AI engineer to deliver AI solutions into business use.
• Learn how the company operates through its data during the first 30 days.
• Deliver an owner-checked catalog of critical data by the end of the first quarter and keep it sufficiently current to inform AI planning by month 12.
• Help establish standards for data, connections, and code review, including read-only-by-default connections to business systems reviewed by IT and security.
• Pair with the AI engineer on an initial build during the first quarter and lead data work for a larger build into pilot by six months.
• By month 12, deliver the data behind at least two larger AI solutions that are used weekly and run by the business.
• Agree on initial shared data sets in the first quarter, publish the first within six months, and put at least two governed shared data sets into use across multiple teams or AI solutions by month 12.
• Replace hand-built recurring reports by defining numbers once, enabling AI tools to draft commentary, answer questions, and flag items needing human attention.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level