Data Engineer - SQL/Python

Job Description:We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Data Engineer (1015 years) to design and scale AI-ready, compliant data platforms with a strong focus on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architectures.This role is critical in enabling secure, governed, and explainable AI solutions in a regulated financial services environment, ensuring compliance with data privacy, model governance, and audit requirements.The ideal candidate combines deep data engineering expertise, GenAI experience, and strong understanding of regulatory and risk frameworks.Required Skills & Experience:- 1015 years in Data Engineering / Platform Engineering- 3+ years in GenAI / RAG / LLM-based systems- Proven experience working in regulated environments (Banking, Insurance, or similar)Core Technical Skills:- Strong expertise in:1. Python, SQL2. Data modelling, ETL/ELT pipelines3. Distributed data systems- Deep AWS experience:1. S3, Glue, Lambda, EMR, Redshift, Kinesis, IAM- Data orchestration tools:1. Airflow / Step FunctionsRAG & GenAI:- Hands-on experience building:1. Enterprise RAG pipelines with governed data access2. Vector databases (OpenSearch, Pinecone, FAISS, Chroma)- Strong understanding of:1. Embeddings, semantic search2. Chunking strategies & retrieval optimisation- Experience with:1. LangChain, LlamaIndex (or equivalent)Regulatory & Governance Expertise (Must-Have):- Strong knowledge of:1. GDPR / UK Data Protection Act2. Data governance frameworks (data classification, lineage, retention)3. Access control models (RBAC, ABAC)- Experience implementing:1. Data masking, anonymisation2. Encryption & key management3. Audit trails and compliance reporting- Familiarity with:1. Model Risk Management frameworks2. Responsible AI principles (fairness, transparency, accountability)Preferred / Advanced Skills:- Experience with:1. Graph databases (Neo4j, Neptune) for Graph RAG2. Agent orchestration frameworks- Knowledge of:1. LLM evaluation frameworks2. Guardrails, safety filters, red-teaming- Exposure to:1. API-first, microservices architecture2. Customer-facing AI journeys (chatbots, knowledge assistants) (ref:hirist.tech)