Senior Data Engineer - Scientific AI, Life Sciences

McKinsey & Company
parental leave, paid time off
United States, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Jun 17, 2025
Analytics Senior Data Engineer - Scientific AI, Life Sciences Job ID: 98586 You will work with cutting edge AI teams on research and development topics across our life sciences, global energy and materials (GEM), and advanced industries (AI) practices, serving as a data engineer/machine learning engineer in a technology development and delivery capacity. Do you want to work on complex and pressing challenges-the kind that bring together curious, ambitious, and determined leaders who strive to become better every day? If this sounds like you, you've come to the right place. Your Impact You'll be working in one of our offices in North America in our Life Sciences practice. You will work as a member of the McKinsey's global scientific AI team helping to answer industry questions related to how AI can be used for therapeutics, chemicals & materials (including small molecules, proteins, mRNA, polymers, etc.). With your expertise in computer science, computer engineering, cloud, and data transformation (ETL & feature engineering), you will help build and shape McKinsey's scientific AI offering. You will deliver distinctive capabilities, data, and machine learning systems through your work with client teams and clients. You will play a pivotal role in the creation/dissemination of cutting-edge knowledge and proprietary assets and you will help build the firm's reputation in your area of expertise. As a Senior Data Engineer, your role will be split between developing new internal knowledge, building AI and machine learning models & pipelines, supporting client discussions, prototypes development, and deploying directly with client delivery teams. Your core responsibilities will entail: Bringing distinctive data/machine learning engineering & product development competency to complex client problems through part-time staffing on clients Supporting the manager of data engineering/machine learning engineering on the development of data/machine learning engineering roadmap of assets across cell-level initiatives Productionize AI prototypes/create deployment ready solutions Translating engineering concepts and design/architecture trade-offs and decisions for senior stakeholders Writing optimized code to advance our AI Toolbox and codify methodologies for future deployment Working in a multi-disciplinary team Coaching/mentoring junior colleagues Your Growth Driving lasting impact and building long-term capabilities with our clients is not easy work. You are the kind of person who thrives in a high performance/high reward culture - doing hard things, picking yourself up when you stumble, and having the resilience to try another way forward. In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we'll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities you need to become a stronger leader faster than you ever thought possible. Your colleagues-at all levels-will invest deeply in your development, just as much as they invest in delivering exceptional results for clients. Every day, you'll receive apprenticeship, coaching, and exposure that will accelerate your growth in ways you won't find anywhere else. When you join us, you will have: Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast-paced learning experience, owning your journey. A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You'll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes. Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm's diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions for our clients. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences. World-class benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well-being for you and your family. Your qualifications and skills Master's degree with 5+ years or PhD degree with 2+ years of relevant experience in computer science, computer engineering or equivalent experience with experience in research ETL, big data experience and tooling (i.e., PySpark, Databricks), Python testing frameworks, data validation and data quality frameworks, data handing (SQL & NoSQL), feature engineering, chunking, document ingestion, graph data structures (i.e., Neo4j), CI/CD pipelines, basic K8s (manifests, debugging, docker, Argo Workflows), MLflow deployment and usage, GenAI frameworks (LangChain), GPU model development / deployment Proven experience applying machine learning techniques to solve business problems Experience in client delivery with direct client contact Proven experience in translating technical methods to non-technical stakeholders Strong programming experience in python (Python, Java, C++, SQL) and experience with cloud development platforms such as AWS, Azure, Google (and appropriate Bash/Shell scripting) Experience with version control (GitHub) Ability to write production code and object-oriented programming is a plus Please review the additional requirements regarding essential job functions of McKinsey colleagues. Apply Now Apply Later FOR U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Certain US jurisdictions require McKinsey & Company to include a reasonable estimate of the salary for this role. For new joiners for this role in the United States, including all office locations where the job may be performed, a reasonable estimated range is $176,000 - $179,500 USD -to help you understand what you can expect. This reflects our best estimate of the lowest to highest [salary/hourly wages] for this role at the time of this posting, ensuring you have a clear picture right from the start, though it's important to remember that actual salaries may vary. Factors like your office location, your unique blend of experience and skills, start date and our current organizational needs all play a part in determining the final figure. Certain roles are also eligible for bonuses, subject to McKinsey's discretion and based on factors such as individual and/or organizational performance. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive benefits package that reflects our commitment to the wellness of our colleagues and their families. This includes medical, mental health, dental and vision coverage, telemedicine services, life, accident and disability insurance, parental leave and family planning benefits, caregiving resources, a generous retirement contributions program, financial guidance, and paid time off. FOR NON-U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. For additional details regarding our global EEO policy and diversity initiatives, please visit our McKinsey Careers and Diversity & Inclusion sites. Job Skill Group - N/A Job Skill Code - GCYA - Senior Data Engineer I Function - Technology Industry - High Tech;Life Sciences Post to LinkedIn - #LI-DNI Posted to LinkedIn Date - LinkedIn Posting City - LinkedIn Posting State/Province - LinkedIn Posting Country - LinkedIn Job Title - Senior Data Engineer - Scientific AI, Life Sciences LinkedIn Function - LinkedIn Industry - LinkedIn Seniority Level -