Senior Data Engineer (Hybrid)

Enterprise Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience building AI/ML systems in production environments.
  • Proven track record of transforming ambiguous problems into clear, shippable products.
  • Strong understanding of system design focusing on scalability and maintainability.
  • Expertise in software engineering principles, including large codebases and enterprise SDLC.
  • Hands-on experience with production-level LLM applications and prompt engineering.
  • Proficient in Python within a software engineering context.
  • Deep knowledge of GCP services, specifically Vertex AI and BigQuery.

Responsibilities

  • Partner with stakeholders to clarify use cases and translate them into technical requirements.
  • Design and build platform capabilities that teams across the organization can utilize.
  • Implement reusable infrastructure patterns for AI/ML processes.
  • Establish code quality and deployment standards for existing AI applications.
  • Mentor data scientists and engineers, offering guidance and conducting code reviews.
  • Facilitate communication and collaboration across various project teams.
  • Document essential workflows and operational standards for the platform.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • Competitive 401(k) contributions and a pension plan.
  • Annual incentive programs and 23 days of paid time off.
  • Paid family leave and student loan repayment assistance.
  • Nine paid holidays each year.
Full Job Description
American Family Insurance looking for an experienced and driven Senior Data Engineer to guide our AI Platform team. In this important role, you will oversee a team of engineers in advancing our service-oriented data and AI platform. The Data and AI Platform team influences multiple departments, including security and AI, at AmFam. You will create tools and infrastructure that empower other teams and departments within American Family Insurance.

You will report to a Senior Manager, Data Engineering.

In this flex office/home role, you will be expected to work a minimum of 10 days per month from the following office location: Madison, WI 53783.

#LI-Hybrid

Position Compensation Range:
$99,000.00 - $167,000.00

Pay Rate Type:
Salary

Compensation may vary based on the job level and your geographic work location. Relocation support is offered for eligible candidates.

Primary Accountabilities
  • Partner with business and technology leaders to turn complex, ambiguous opportunities into scalable AI solutions, translating evolving business needs into clear technical approaches and measurable outcomes.
  • Architect and build enterprise AI platform capabilities that accelerate adoption across teams, including model deployment, evaluation frameworks, observability, feature management, and operational tooling.
  • Establish reusable engineering patterns and shared services that improve speed, consistency, and scalability, including LLM infrastructure, internal developer tools, automation frameworks, and CI/CD practices.
  • Drive technical excellence across AI products and platforms by defining standards for architecture, code quality, testing, deployment, security, and operational reliability.
  • Evaluate and modernize existing AI and machine learning solutions, identifying opportunities to improve performance, scalability, maintainability, and business value.
  • Collaborate across engineering, architecture, product, and business teams to align priorities, remove barriers, and ensure successful delivery of platform capabilities and AI-enabled outcomes.
  • Champion platform reliability, observability, and operational readiness, ensuring solutions are measurable, supportable, and designed for long-term adoption and growth.
  • Create and maintain clear technical documentation, standards, and best practices, enabling teams to efficiently leverage platform capabilities while ensuring consistency and governance across the AI ecosystem.


Specialized Knowledge & Skills Requirements
  • Deep software engineering fundamentals: experience with large codebases, design patterns, testability, and enterprise SDLC.
  • Hands-on experience with LLMs in production: RAG, agents, evaluation, prompt engineering, or fine-tuning.
  • Strong system design skills with an emphasis on scalability, failure modes, and long-term maintainability.
  • Deep experience with GCP, specifically Vertex AI, Pub/Sub, BigQuery, and NoSQL databases (e.g., Firestore, Bigtable).
  • Applied knowledge of Kubernetes for container orchestration and workload management.
  • Demonstrated experience building AI/ML systems that run in production at scale - not notebooks or prototypes, but real software serving real users.
  • Proven ability to take ambiguous, undefined problems and deliver shipped products.
  • Expert-level Python programming in a software engineering context, not just scripting or pipelines.
  • Experience designing and building APIs for internal or external consumption.
  • Experience with infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Terraform, Docker) and CI/CD pipelines.


Travel Requirements
  • Up to 10%.


Additional Information
  • To ensure a strong start, all employees participate in our New Employee Orientation during their first week. This experience is held in person at our Madison, WI Headquarters or one of our AmFam core locations to help you connect with our mission, meet key team members and build relationships that support your growth. At times, sessions may be delivered virtually based on scheduling and availability.
  • Offer to selected candidate will be made contingent on the results of applicable background checks
  • Offer to selected candidate is contingent on signing a non-disclosure agreement for proprietary information, trade secrets, and inventions
  • Sponsorship will not be considered for this position unless specified in the posting


We provide benefits that support your physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing. You will have access to comprehensive medical, dental, vision and wellbeing benefits that enable you to take care of your health. We also offer a competitive 401(k) contribution, a pension plan, an annual incentive, 9 paid holidays and a paid time off program (23 days accrued annually for full-time employees). In addition, our student loan repayment program and paid-family leave are available to support our employees and their families. Interns and contingent workers are not eligible for American Family Insurance Group benefits.

#LI-DB1

About American Family Mutual Insurance Company

American Family Mutual Insurance Company Careers

There has never been a better time to explore the job opportunities at American Family Mutual Insurance Company, a leading entity in the insurance sector. This company stands out not only for its robust commitment to clients but also for its dedication to fostering a professional growth environment for its employees.

Work You’ll Do

Join American Family Mutual Insurance Company’s esteemed team to assist in pioneering efforts that drive innovation and leadership in the insurance industry. This is where skills meet challenge and excellence. Transform the landscape of insurance with American Family Mutual Insurance Company, where the culture of growth and leadership goes hand in hand with the pursuit of operational excellence. Lead in a unique position in the market, at the nexus of industry knowledge, professional expertise, and digital innovation. Engage with a nationwide team of business and technology advisors to help clients and the company navigate through transformative initiatives. Collaborate with a diverse group of professionals dedicated to upholding the highest standards of service and innovation in the insurance industry.

Introducing the American Family Mutual Insurance Company Professional Pathways

The team is actively building a leading-edge environment to support some of the most well-known companies and clients in mastering their challenges with innovative insurance solutions.

Do Innovative Work

Be part of a team that stands at the forefront of industry expertise and digital transformation, dedicated to delivering targeted solutions through a depth of consulting experience and innovation that is unparalleled.

Drive Innovation and Growth

Work on a wide range of projects that harness the power of teamwork and the latest technologies to deliver impactful results.

Future-proof Your Career

American Family Mutual Insurance Company offers nearly limitless opportunities to advance your career, supported by unmatched training, development programs, and certification support.

Explore

Discover how American Family Mutual Insurance Company is leading the way in predictive analytics to transform the insurance industry. With advanced tools and strategies, the company helps anticipate client needs and industry shifts.

The American Family Mutual Insurance Company Leadership and Development Initiative

This initiative combines service capabilities, global insights, and joint solution development to help clients and employees alike overcome challenges and lead transformation in their fields.

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