AI Data Innovation Engineer, Data Innovation and Tools Rationalization

At U.S. Bank, we're on a journey to do our best. Helping the customers and businesses we serve to make better and smarter financial decisions and enabling the communities we support to grow and succeed. We believe it takes all of us to bring our shared ambition to life, and each person is unique in their potential. A career with U.S. Bank gives you a wide, ever-growing range of opportunities to discover what makes you thrive at every stage of your career. Try new things, learn new skills and discover what you excel at-all from Day One.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly skilled AI Data Innovation Engineer to join the Data Innovation and Tools Rationalization team within the Enterprise Data Office. This role plays a critical hands-on role in advancing the adoption of AI-enabled data capabilities by prototyping, validating, and operationalizing reusable AI Data patterns and enablement frameworks aligned with the Enterprise Data Strategy. The role focuses on accelerating AI readiness, enabling safe and scalable adoption, and reducing friction across teams through disciplined experimentation, platform integration, and enterprise-scale AI enablement.

About the Data Innovation and Tools Rationalization Team

We are the innovation and tooling engine for the Enterprise Data Office, focused on reusable patterns, accelerators, and tool rationalization that reduce friction and speed up delivery and adoption of governed data products.

Vision | Make data products and AI capabilities easier to build, safer to deploy, and faster to adopt across the bank.

Mission | Deliver reusable data product patterns, accelerators, and clear integration pathways that help teams ship data products faster while enabling safer AI adoption and reducing technology sprawl through disciplined tool evaluation and rationalization.

Values | In addition to U.S. Bank core values, we prioritize:

Head high : We build with excellence. Our work is intentional, high-quality, and designed to last, so we are always proud of what we deliver and comfortable standing behind it.

Accountability Over Activity : We take end-to-end accountability, from problem framing through delivery, adoption, and outcomes.

Strategic Intelligence : We think in systems, anticipate downstream impact, and collaborate to win as a pod, not as individuals.

Relentless Craft : We are passionate about the work we do. Our drive comes from curiosity, purpose, and a genuine love of building impactful solutions.

About the Role

The AI Innovation Engineer is a senior individual contributor responsible for advancing enterprise AI capabilities from a data and data product standpoint. This role sits at the intersection of enterprise data products, AI enablement, and platform innovation, acting as a force multiplier for teams adopting AI-enabled data products across the Enterprise Data Office and broader organization.

Unlike traditional model development or research-focused roles, this position focuses on prototyping, validating, and operationalizing AI capabilities that are tightly coupled to governed enterprise data products, including standardized semantic models, feature representations, and reusable data interfaces. The AI Innovation Engineer works hands-on to ensure that AI solutions are built on trusted data foundations and can be safely reused, integrated, and scaled across platforms.

The ideal candidate brings strong technical depth across modern data platforms and AI technologies, paired with a practical understanding of enterprise data products and operating models. This role plays a critical part in accelerating AI readiness, reducing fragmentation across AI implementations, and ensuring that innovative AI capabilities are delivered through consistent, well-governed data products aligned with the Enterprise Data Strategy.

Key Activities

Key responsibilities include:

• Prototype and validate AI capabilities that leverage governed enterprise data products , including standardized semantic models, shared feature representations, and reusable data interfaces.

• Develop and evolve reusable AI enablement patterns such as Snowpark workloads, Cortex AI functions, retrieval-augmented generation methods, and agent-based approaches aligned with enterprise data platforms.

• Support data product AI readiness by partnering with data engineers and product teams to ensure data assets are structured, documented, and optimized for AI use cases.

• Translate experimental AI solutions into reference implementations, reusable patterns, and adoption guidance that can be safely reused across teams.

• Partner with data governance, risk, and control teams to ensure responsible AI alignment , documenting guardrails, constraints, and handoff artifacts required for scaling.

• Collaborate closely with the AI Center of Excellence to integrate validated AI patterns into enterprise AI experiences , including Chat USB.

• Evaluate and experiment with emerging AI tools, frameworks, and platform capabilities, conducting technical proofs of concept and comparative assessments.

• Identify recurring friction points in AI adoption and design scalable, data-centric solutions that reduce complexity and risk.

• Document project outcomes, usage patterns, limitations, and operational considerations to support enterprise rollout and enablement.

• Work closely with data engineers, analytics engineers, architects, and data product owners to align AI solutions with enterprise data strategy and platform standards .

• Continuously refine AI assets based on feedback, usage data, and evolving enterprise needs.

• Influence data-centric AI adoption through hands-on expertise, technical credibility, and clearly articulated patterns rather than formal authority.

This role requires strong communication and collaboration skills, along with the ability to work effectively with stakeholders across data, technology, governance, and product teams. The successful candidate will bring strong technical fluency across modern data platforms, analytics tools, cloud capabilities, and emerging AI technologies, contributing to the Enterprise Data Strategy through hands-on innovation and enablement.

Core Competencies:

Knowledge :

• Strong understanding of enterprise data products and how they enable analytics and AI use cases, including semantic models, shared feature representations, and reusable data interfaces.

• Solid understanding of modern data and AI enablement concepts, including retrieval-augmented generation, prompt orchestration, agent-based patterns, and model integration approaches grounded in governed data assets.

• Familiarity with enterprise data ecosystems and shared platform operating models, including how data products are built, governed, and reused at scale.

• Ability to assess tradeoffs across AI tools, data platforms, and architectural approaches, balancing innovation with scalability, security, and governance.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively in ambiguous or emerging problem spaces.

• Comfortable operating as a senior individual contributor who influences outcomes through technical credibility rather than formal authority.

• Strong communicator able to engage effectively with data engineers, platform teams, governance partners, and AI practitioners.

Technical Competence:

• Hands-on experience working with modern data platforms such as Snowflake and Databricks, with the ability to leverage data products as inputs to AI-enabled workflows.

• Experience developing AI-enabled solutions using Python and SQL, including prototyping, validation, and integration with enterprise data assets.

• Familiarity with Snowpark workloads, Cortex AI functions, or similar data-native AI capabilities, with an emphasis on reuse and standardization.

• Experience implementing retrieval and semantic enrichment patterns that connect AI capabilities to governed enterprise data products.

• Understanding data quality, observability, security, and governance considerations as they relate to AI readiness and responsible adoption.

• Familiarity with cloud-native services and APIs used to prototype and operationalize AI-enabled data solutions.

• Experience documenting technical approaches, usage patterns, limitations, and handoff guidance to support enterprise adoption and scale.

• Exposure to CI/CD and deployment patterns for experimental and production-ready AI workloads is a plus.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a quantitative field such as computer science, engineering, data science, mathematics, or statistics.

• 7-10 years of experience across AI enablement, data engineering, analytics engineering, platform enablement, or data product roles.

Preferred Skills

• Demonstrated experience influencing adoption of shared platforms, tools, or standards in a large enterprise environment.

• AI/ML Model development experience

• Demonstrated experience prototyping and validating AI capabilities built on enterprise data products, including standardized semantic models and shared data interfaces.

• Experience developing reusable AI enablement patterns such as Snowpark workloads, Cortex AI functions, retrieval-augmented generation methods, or agent-based approaches.

• Technically proficient in model life cycle management, portfolio management, financial/budget management, and roadmap planning

• Proven track record of designing reusable components or standards adopted by multiple teams.

• Experience working across Snowflake, Databricks, and cloud ecosystems (Azure, AWS, or GCP).

• Experience working in regulated or large-scale enterprise environments preferred.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives concurrently.

• Deep understanding of banking and financial institution terms.

• Knowledge of banking regulation and requirements for regulatory reporting.

• Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and project management skills.

• Hands-on experience with programming languages such as Python and SQL.

• Proficiency with big data technologies including Hadoop, Hive, and Spark.

• Expertise in visual analytics tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent platforms.

• Experience with Power Platform tools such as Power Automate and Power Apps

• Proven track record in automating and optimizing ETL processes at scale.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for documenting technical processes and engaging with cross-functional teams and present to senior management.

The role offers a hybrid/flexible schedule, which means there's an in-office expectation of 3 or more days per week and the flexibility to work outside the office location for the other days.

If there's anything we can do to accommodate a disability during any portion of the application or hiring process, please refer to our disability accommodations for applicants ( .

Benefits:

Our approach to benefits and total rewards considers our team members' whole selves and what may be needed to thrive in and outside work. That's why our benefits are designed to help you and your family boost your health, protect your financial security and give you peace of mind. Our benefits include the following:

• Healthcare (medical, dental, vision)

• Basic term and optional term life insurance

• Short-term and long-term disability

• Pregnancy disability and parental leave

• 401(k) and employer-funded retirement plan

• Paid vacation (from two to five weeks depending on salary grade and tenure)

• Up to 11 paid holiday opportunities

• Adoption assistance

• Sick and Safe Leave accruals of one hour for every 30 worked, up to 80 hours per calendar year unless otherwise provided by law

Review our full benefits available by employment status here ( .

U.S. Bank is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status, and other factors protected under applicable law.

E-Verify

U.S. Bank participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program in all facilities located in the United States and certain U.S. territories. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program ( .

The salary range reflects figures based on the primary location, which is listed first. The actual range for the role may differ based on the location of the role. In addition to salary, U.S. Bank offers a comprehensive benefits package, including incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase 401(k) contribution and pension (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). Pay Range: $133,365.00 - $156,900.00

U.S. Bank will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment. U.S. Bank conducts background checks consistent with applicable local laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act as well as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. U.S. Bank is subject to, and conducts background checks consistent with the requirements of Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA). In addition, certain positions may also be subject to the requirements of FINRA, NMLS registration, Reg Z, Reg G, OFAC, the NFA, the FCPA, the Bank Secrecy Act, the SAFE Act, and/or federal guidelines applicable to an agreement, such as those related to ethics, safety, or operational procedures.

Applicants must be able to comply with U.S. Bank policies and procedures including the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and related workplace conduct and safety policies.

Posting may be closed earlier due to high volume of applicants.