Junior Data Engineer (Washington DC-Baltimore Area)

Full-Time · Hybrid · based in US or Europe  

ABOUT PROXY FOODS  

Proxy Foods is an advanced AI-powered product development and recipe formulation platform trusted by leading R&D teams to create, reformulate, and optimize food & beverage products at scale and in record time. 

We help food and beverage companies move from idea to viable formulation faster by unifying fragmented R&D data: ingredients, specs, cost, nutrition, processing constraints, and compliance. As a result, teams launch new products with fewer failed trials, reformulate faster based on consumer feedback and margin pressure, and stay ahead on trends and regulatory requirements. 

THE ROLE  

We are looking for a curious, motivated, and detail-oriented Junior Data Engineer to join our team. 

This role is ideal for someone with strong foundational SQL and Python skills who wants to grow quickly by working on real-world data challenges in a startup environment. You will support the development of data pipelines, integrations, and data models that power both internal analytics and product features, while learning from a cross-functional team of engineers, product builders, and domain experts. 

We are especially interested in someone who is eager to keep learning and stay current with modern data tooling and AI/LLM-enabled workflows, while building strong data engineering fundamentals. 

In this role, you will: 

• Support the development and maintenance of ETL/ELT pipelines across APIs, databases, files, and external data sources 
• Clean, normalize, validate, and structure datasets related to ingredients, specifications, nutrition, costs, and compliance 
• Write SQL and Python code to transform data and improve data quality 
• Help maintain data models and storage layers used for analytics, reporting, and product features 
• Work closely with product, engineering, and food science teams to understand data needs and business context 
• Monitor pipeline performance, investigate issues, and help improve reliability and observability 
• Learn and apply AI/LLM-assisted workflows where appropriate for data extraction, normalization, enrichment, and structuring tasks under clear guidance and validation practices 
• Document data flows, transformations, and operational processes clearly and consistently 

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR  

• Bachelor's degree (or foreign equivalent) in Computer Science, Computer or Software Engineering, Data Science, or a closely related field is required
• A Master's degree in a related field is a plus
• 1–3 years of experience in data engineering, analytics engineering, software engineering, or a related data-focused role 
• Good foundation in SQL and Python 
• Familiarity with data transformation, ETL/ELT concepts, and structured datasets 
• Exposure to relational databases, APIs, JSON/CSV files, and basic data modeling concepts 
• Strong attention to detail and a mindset for data quality and correctness 
• Eagerness to learn new tools, technologies, and ways of working in a fast-moving startup environment 
• Curiosity about where the data industry is heading, including modern cloud platforms and AI/LLM-enabled workflows 
• Strong communication skills and willingness to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams 

Nice to have: 

• Exposure to cloud data platforms such as Azure 
• Familiarity with Git and basic software development workflows 
• Experience with pandas, SQLAlchemy, or similar Python tools for data work 
• Basic understanding of BI/reporting tools or dashboarding 
• Interest in AI, LLMs, or data products beyond traditional reporting 

WHY JOIN PROXY  

• Work on real product and data problems at the intersection of AI and the food industry 
• Learn fast in a startup environment with meaningful ownership from day one 
• Build strong data engineering fundamentals while gaining exposure to modern AI-enabled workflows 
• Collaborate with a small, ambitious, cross-functional team 
• Grow your role as the company and platform scale