Senior Data Engineer – RAG & Snowflake Cortex

Work Model: Remote (United States)

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Data Engineering / AI Systems

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly technical, hands-on Senior Data Engineer to architect, build, and scale chat-with-data capabilities for an enterprise-grade, customer-facing platform. The ideal candidate has deep experience with production-ready Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems, Snowflake Cortex, vectorization techniques, and reliability frameworks that ensure trustworthy, explainable AI responses across structured and unstructured data environments. This is a fully remote U.S.-based role.

Key Responsibilities

· Develop and scale RAG-based workflows powering chat-with-data and conversational analytics experiences.

· Build and operationalize Snowflake Cortex Agents, Analysts, and Search solutions.

· Design ingestion, preprocessing, embedding, and vector search pipelines supporting large-scale datasets.

· Implement guardrails, evaluation metrics, and automated testing frameworks for trustworthy AI.

· Optimize performance across embedding models, vector indexes, and LLM inference layers.

· Ensure secure handling, governance, and monitoring of structured and unstructured data assets.

· Collaborate with cross-functional engineering, ML, and product teams to deliver scalable AI-driven capabilities.

· Drive continuous improvement in retrieval quality, latency, observability, and failure handling.

Required Skills & Qualifications

· Hands-on expertise with RAG architectures, embedding models, chunking, and retrieval optimization.

· Strong experience with Snowflake Cortex (Agents, Analysts, Search, vector functions).

· Proficiency in Python and SQL with experience building scalable data pipelines.

· Solid knowledge of vector databases and indexing strategies.

· Experience with unstructured data processing and document intelligence workflows.

· Familiarity with LLM orchestration tools (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex, Guardrails).

· Experience building testing, observability, reliability, and guardrail frameworks for AI systems.

· Strong system design, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Compensation (U.S.)

The annual salary range for this position is $110,000 – $120,000 USD, depending on experience, technical depth, and geographic considerations. This position may also qualify for annual performance bonuses and discretionary incentive programs aligned with company policy.

Benefits (U.S.)

· Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

· Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

· 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match

· Paid time off (PTO), paid holidays, and wellness days

· Life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance

· Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with mental health support

· Professional development, certification reimbursement, and learning resources

· Remote work flexibility with home office support

The Cognizant community:
We are a high caliber team who appreciate and support one another. Our people uphold an energetic, collaborative and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

• Cognizant is a global community with more than 300,000 associates around the world.
• We don’t just dream of a better way – we make it happen.
• We take care of our people, clients, company, communities and climate by doing what’s right.
• We foster an innovative environment where you can build the career path that’s right for you.

About us:
Cognizant is one of the world's leading professional services companies, transforming clients' business, operating, and technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build, and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant (a member of the NASDAQ-100 and one of Forbes World’s Best Employers 2025) is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com

Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Disclaimer:
Compensation information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government issued ID during each interview.