Vulcan Materials Company

Applied Machine Learning Engineer

Vulcan Materials Company • $100K — $130K *
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709In-Person
Manufacturing & Automotive
8 - 10 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years in data engineering or similar role, with proven success in production systems
  • Experience with designing and building data lakes or Lakehouses and understanding platform tradeoffs
  • Strong skills in ETL/ELT pipeline design for data enrichment
  • Deep expertise in data modeling for operational and analytical uses
  • Proficient in relational databases like PostgreSQL or SQL Server; capable SQL coder
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and document decisions clearly
  • Strong communication skills for liaising with both technical and non-technical stakeholders

Responsibilities

  • Design and own Vulcan's comprehensive data architecture, from data storage to analytics layer
  • Evaluate and select platforms based on scalability, compliance, and cost considerations
  • Review and refine architecture documents for technical clarity and compliance
  • Document key design and platform decisions for future reference
  • Ensure data architecture scales from pilot to full-scale operations without redesign
  • Build and manage ETL pipelines transitioning data to the Lakehouse for analytics usage
  • Collaborate across teams to refine data flow requirements and streamline integration

Benefits

  • Potential to transition into team leadership role
  • Opportunity to innovate within a growing data environment
  • Collaborative work culture with cross-functional stakeholders
  • Engagement in impactful projects contributing to sustainable infrastructure
  • Location flexibility transitioning from Durham, NC to Benson, NC upon facility completion
Full Job Description
As the Data Engineer, you will design and build the data infrastructure that makes Vulcan's operational and business data useful - first at pilot scale, and then as the foundation for a 10,000 ton/year facility. You will work from architecture to implementation: evaluating and selecting platforms, designing data models and pipelines, and building the systems that collect, contextualize, and deliver data to the teams and tools that depend on it. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional stakeholders to translate operational requirements into a durable, scalable data architecture. As Vulcan grows, this role has the opportunity to expand into a team leadership position.

This role begins in Durham, NC and is expected to move to Benson, NC upon completion of new facility.

Responsibilities

Architecture & Platform Design
  • Design and own Vulcan's data architecture from operational data stores through ETL pipelines to the analytics and AI layer
  • Evaluate and select platforms for the data Lakehouse, ETL tooling, and operational databases, weighing scalability, compliance requirements, operational burden, and cost
  • Review, refine, and implement data architecture design documents, ensuring designs are technically sound and account for CUI and ITAR data handling requirements
  • Make and document key platform and design decisions with enough clarity that future team members can understand the reasoning and build on it
  • Ensure the architecture scales from pilot plant to full-scale facility without fundamental redesign
  • Apply sound engineering practices to everything you build: version control, testing, observability, and documentation, and hold those standards as the data team grows

Data Pipeline & Integration
  • Design and build ETL pipelines that move data from operational data stores into the data Lakehouse with full contextual enrichment, making it ready for analytics and AI workloads
  • Build reliable ingest paths for structured data, time-series data, files, images, and other outputs from manufacturing and lab systems
  • Collaborate across engineering, operations, and IT to understand data flows, dependencies, and integration requirements, and translate them into pipeline and architecture decisions
  • Identify and eliminate manual data workflows, replacing them with monitored, reliable pipelines
  • Diagnose and resolve data quality issues across the stack, and build monitoring into pipelines so problems surface early

Data Modeling & Quality
  • Define data models that support operational queries, analytical workloads, and future AI and ML applications
  • Own data contextualization standards ensuring every data point carries the metadata needed to make it meaningful.
  • Contribute to schema design and payload definitions for operational data stores, working toward consistency and legibility across the organization
  • Support the development of reporting and visibility tools that give operations and leadership clear insight into process and quality data
  • Write clear technical documentation for architecture decisions, data models, pipeline designs, and operational runbooks

Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business.

Qualifications
  • 8+ years of experience in data engineering, data infrastructure, or a closely related technical role with a track record of owning and delivering production systems
  • Demonstrated experience designing and building data lakes, Lakehouses, or analytical data stores; understands the tradeoffs between platforms and can make and defend platform selection decisions
  • Strong experience designing and building ETL/ELT pipelines that enrich and contextualize data
  • Deep fluency with data modeling for both operational and analytical workloads; can design schemas that serve present needs without foreclosing future ones
  • Experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or similar); writes and debugs SQL confidently
  • Comfortable working in a fast-moving environment with a small team, making decisions with incomplete information and documenting them clearly for future colleagues
  • Strong communicator who can work across technical and non-technical stakeholders and translate between operational requirements and data architecture decisions
  • Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities

Desired Skills
  • Experience with time-series databases (InfluxDB, TimescaleDB, or similar) common in industrial and IoT environments
  • Familiarity with industrial data concepts - historian data, process tags, OT/IT integration - and the data challenges specific to manufacturing environments
  • Experience working on or alongside a Unified Namespace or MQTT-based data architecture; understands how industrial messaging infrastructure relates to the data layer
  • Familiarity with data Lakehouse platforms and open table formats (Delta Lake, Apache Iceberg, or similar)
  • Experience with ETL orchestration tooling (Airflow, Prefect, dbt, or similar)
  • Comfort with scripting and lightweight development (Python, SQL, or similar) for pipeline development and data quality tooling
  • Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and experience evaluating on-premises vs. cloud tradeoffs for data infrastructure
  • Experience working in a controlled information environment; familiarity with the handling requirements for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or export-controlled technical data under ITAR or EAR
  • Experience in a manufacturing, industrial, or operations-heavy environment

About Vulcan Materials Company

Vulcan Materials Company is the nation’s largest producer of construction aggregates, primarily crushed stone, sand and gravel, and a major producer of other construction materials including asphalt and ready-mixed concrete. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Vulcan operates aggregate facilities, serving markets in 18 states, the District of Columbia, Mexico and the Bahamas, and employing 7,211 dedicated men and women.

Vulcan Materials Company Careers

Join the robust team at Vulcan Materials Company, the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates and a leader in the production of other construction materials. Our dedicated professionals are at the forefront of industry innovation and sustainability, making now the most exciting time to advance your career with us.

Work You’ll Do

Embark on a career at Vulcan Materials Company and contribute to the infrastructure of tomorrow. Engage in meaningful work that makes a tangible impact on our communities. With a variety of job opportunities across multiple disciplines, you can find your perfect fit within our dynamic team.

Innovate and Lead

At Vulcan Materials Company, innovation and leadership go hand in hand. Drive change and efficiency in the construction materials industry by leveraging your skills in one of our leadership or technical positions. Our commitment to innovation isn't just about technology; it's about fostering a culture where diverse ideas and perspectives lead to groundbreaking solutions.

Grow and Develop

We believe in the growth and professional development of our employees. Vulcan offers comprehensive training programs and development opportunities that encourage our team members to expand their skills and advance their careers. From internships to leadership roles, the potential for professional growth within our company is limitless.

Be Part of Our Team

Our team at Vulcan Materials Company is our strongest asset. We prioritize a culture of safety, diversity, and inclusion, where every team member is valued and given the opportunity to thrive. Join us and be part of a team that is dedicated to excellence and leadership in the industry.

Explore Job Opportunities

Whether you’re starting your career or looking to make a significant impact in your professional journey, Vulcan Materials Company offers a range of positions from entry-level to senior management. Explore job opportunities that match your skills and interests. We are continuously hiring and looking for new talent to join our professional network.

Benefits and Culture

Vulcan Materials Company is committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package that meets the needs of our employees and their families. These benefits include health care, retirement plans, and wellness programs. Our culture is centered on building strong teams, recognizing achievements, and promoting from within.

Stay Connected

Stay ahead in your career by connecting with Vulcan Materials Company. Keep up to date with the latest company news, industry insights, and career tips by visiting our Careers Blog. Engage with us through professional networking events and stay informed about upcoming job fairs and interview opportunities.

Apply Now

Ready to make a difference? Start your journey with Vulcan Materials Company by exploring open positions that align with your career aspirations. Submit your resume, complete your application, and prepare for an interview where you can showcase your unique qualifications.

Join Vulcan Materials Company—where your career is set in stone.

[SEARCH VULCAN MATERIALS JOBS] [READ CAREERS BLOG]
Learn more about Vulcan Materials Company
Size
11,437 employees
Market Cap
$23.1 billion
Industry
Real Estate & Construction
Net Income
$584.4 million
Founded
1909
5 Year Trend
+9.1%
Revenue
$4.8 billion
NASDAQ
VMC
* Ladders Estimates

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