Principal Consultant – Data & AI Engineering

Are you driven by the challenge of turning complex data into actionable insights? Do you thrive on building scalable data systems that power better decisions and real business impact? If you’re ready to lead with purpose and bring data to life, Torq is the place for you. 

We are looking for technical builders who can turn ambiguous business problems into working data, AI and analytics solutions. We need individuals who can engineer pipelines, build data models, develop analytics applications, implement AI-enabled workflows, and architect modern data platforms - often within the same engagement. 

At Torq, you’ll join a collaborative team that takes on complex, high-impact projects. You’ll guide clients through the full data lifecycle, from raw ingestion and engineering through analytics, intelligent applications, and AI-enabled solutions, helping them unlock the full potential of their data ecosystem. 

What You Could Be Doing  

While every project we work on is different, below is a high-level overview of some of the responsibilities/hats you may wear:  

• Partner with clients and data consumers to translate business needs into scalable data, analytics, and AI solutions. 
• Design and build modern data pipelines, integrations, and models across batch, real-time, and cloud-based environments. 
• Develop end-to-end data products, from ingestion and transformation through semantic models, analytics, and intelligent applications. 
• Build and integrate APIs, automation, and AI-enabled workflows that extend how clients access and use data. 
• Design scalable architecture across modern data platforms, warehouses, lakehouses, and analytical applications. 
• Define and implement KPIs, data quality checks, and observability measures to ensure solutions are trusted and performant. 
• Apply software engineering best practices, including clean code, testing, code reviews, CI/CD, and documentation. 
• Establish data definitions, metadata, lineage, and governance practices that support scalable, enterprise-grade solutions. 
• Support the deployment, adoption, and ongoing evolution of data and AI solutions in production environments. 

What You Bring to the Table  

When you join our team, you’re a consultant first. This means there are core skills we expect out of each of our team members. These include:  

• 8+ years of hands-on experience building data, analytics, or AI-enabled solutions. 
• Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field 
• Willingness to work a hybrid schedule (2-3 days per-week onsite) 
• Strong proficiency in Python and SQL, with experience building scalable, production-ready solutions. 
• Experience acquiring and integrating data from APIs, flat files, databases, and event streams. 
• Hands-on experience with data pipelines, ETL/ELT, automation, data quality, and performance optimization.  
• Tools may include Python, SQL, Apache Airflow, dbt, Kafka, Terraform, or similar technologies. 
• Strong understanding of data architecture, schema design, and modern data platform patterns.  
• Cloud platforms may include Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud. 
• Data Platforms may include Databricks, Microsoft Fabric/Synapse, Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, or similar technologies.  
• Experience building solutions beyond the data layer, including analytics, semantic models, APIs, applications, automation, or AI-enabled experiences. 
• Familiarity with BI and analytics platforms such as Power BI, Tableau, Looker, or similar tools. 
• Understanding of data governance, security, lineage and compliance best practices using platforms such as Informatica, Collibra, Unity Catalog, or Purview. 
• Understanding of data governance, security, lineage, and compliance best practices using platforms such as Purview, Unity Catalog, or Collibra. 
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders 

Additional Skills We Value 

Each consultant brings a unique technical toolbox. We don’t expect you to have every skill below, but experience in these areas is a plus: 

• CI/CD and modern software engineering practices using tools such as GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or Jenkins. 
• Lakehouse, Data Mesh, and Data Product architecture patterns. 
• Building analytics applications, data products, APIs, or custom user experiences. 
• Experience with AI-assisted development, LLMs, agents, or other applied AI technologies. 
• Experience rapidly prototyping and taking solutions from concept through production. 

Benefits and Other Fun Stuff: 
 
We ask our consultants to be superstars, so we treat them like it. Even better, our perks are designed for employees by our employees. We do this because we believe in delivering a compelling benefits package that puts you at the heart of our rewards. 

• Competitive Salary – your bank account will be smiling 
• Unlimited PTO – we're serious about that work-life balance thing 
• Best-in-class health/vision/dental benefits – your health is our priority 
• Generous 401K options – take care of your future with us 
• Paid Parental Leave - supporting you during life's biggest milestones 
• Opportunity to be a key player at a highly reputable, fast-growing consulting firm 
• High degree of internal mobility and diverse project opportunities 

The salary range for this position considers multiple factors influencing compensation decisions, such as skillset, previous experience, certifications, and various business & organizational requirements. Being hired at or near the top of the range for this role is uncommon, as compensation determinations rely on individual circumstances. Currently, the base salary range is estimated to be between $140,000 and $170,000+.