Ld Software Engineer, AI & Data Applications

Chicago Mercantile Exchange • Chicago, IL

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Lead Software Engineer, Business Intelligence & Data Product Note : This position follows a hybrid work model, requiring 2 days per week on-site at our corporate office 20 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606 The first preference for this role is given to local candidates in the Chicago area. Job Summary We are evolving beyond traditional Business Intelligence. While BigQuery, Tableau, and Looker remain core to our stack, our goal is to move from static visualization to Actionable Intelligence . The Lead Software Engineer will architect secure, scalable, and reliable data and AI technology solutions that leverage our curated data warehouse to advance CMEG in the global marketplace and serve the analytical and risk management needs of customers around the world. What You’ll Get A supportive environment fostering career progression, continuous learning, and an inclusive culture. Broad exposure to CME's diverse products, asset classes, and cross-functional teams. A competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. Explore our full range of benefits .

Requirements

• Years of experience: 10+ years of data engineering experience.
• Traditional BI Mastery: Advanced knowledge of Looker (LookML) and/or Tableau, and /or Business Objects specifically leveraging their APIs for headless BI.
• The Data Core: Expert-level SQL knowledge and deep experience with Google BigQuery (optimization, partitioning, complex modeling, and database tuning).
• The AI Stack: Hands-on experience with Gemini API and Vertex AI. Strong understanding of RAG and how to ground LLMs in structured data.
• Engineering Rigor: Proven experience with CI/CD, version control (Git), and reviewing environment build deployments and release notes.
• The Glue: Knowledge of Python for building robust APIs and integrating AI agents.

Nice To Haves

• Experience building "Chat with your Data" interfaces.
• Familiarity with vector databases and embeddings for unstructured data analysis.
• A "Product Mindset"—the ability to translate Sales or Ops pain points into automated AI solutions.

Responsibilities

• Architect Agentic Workflows: Design and deploy AI Agents (using Gemini and Vertex AI) that can reason over BigQuery datasets to answer complex business questions autonomously.
• Bridge the Gap: Act as the primary technical lead between our curated data warehouse and the end-user, building API-driven assets that allow stakeholders to interact with data using natural language and automated workflows.
• Engineer Beyond the Dashboard: Develop custom data applications that push insights directly into stakeholder workflows (CRM, internal tools) rather than waiting for users to log into a BI tool.
• Govern the Semantic Layer: Evolve our Looker/LookML and BigQuery environment to serve as a high-fidelity "Source of Truth" for LLMs to consume.
• Orchestrate LLMs: Implement frameworks to manage prompts, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and tool-calling for data-centric AI tasks.
• Drive Engineering Excellence: Demonstrate expertise in design patterns, identify best practices, and promote "Data as Code" standards across development teams.
• Strategize & Mentor: Lead the transition of the BI team from traditional report-builders to high-impact Data Product Engineers.

Benefits

• A supportive environment fostering career progression, continuous learning, and an inclusive culture.
• Broad exposure to CME's diverse products, asset classes, and cross-functional teams.
• A competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• Explore our full range of benefits .

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees