AI Engineer

SUMMARY:

The AI Engineer makes Saturn's data decision-ready. The role builds one reliable data foundation across SAP S/4HANA, Ignition, Excel, and external market data, automates the reporting produced from it, and applies AI so that management receives analysis and recommendations directly, without the manual collecting, reconciling, and formatting steps in between.
The role reports to the CFO and works with the Executive and Plant Leadership Teams. It is a hands-on position: the incumbent builds the data models, reports, and AI solutions personally and is accountable for their accuracy. The role also makes the wider organization AI-ready by raising data quality at the source, building skills across the functions, and setting the rules for responsible use of data and AI.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Data Quality and the Data Foundation

• Make high-quality base data an organizational standard: define entry rules, master data discipline, and data quality measurement together with the functions, which remain accountable for the accuracy of the data they create.
• Build and operate one data foundation that connects SAP S/4HANA, Ignition and production systems, Excel-based sources, and external market data such as Nielsen, as a Single Source of Truth.
• Establish consistent KPI and master data definitions and documented calculation logic, so that every report and every AI answer uses the same numbers.
• Work with the functions to eliminate the causes of poor data rather than correcting data downstream.

Automated Reporting for Decision-Making

• Automate the recurring executive and plant reporting so that management information is produced without manual collecting, reconciling, or formatting.
• Inventory existing reporting, consolidate duplicates, and retire the manual spreadsheets that automated reporting replaces.
• Deliver executive-level output: few, clear views showing performance, drivers, and recommended action, so that leadership receives decisions to make rather than data to process.
• Use AI to generate commentary, variance explanations, and meeting-ready summaries from the underlying data, with human review before release.

Forward-Looking Analytics

• Move reporting from describing the past to anticipating the future: forecasting, scenario and sensitivity analysis, and early-warning indicators.
• Apply AI and statistical methods across all available data - financial, operational, machine, quality, and market - to identify trends, anomalies, and predictive maintenance opportunities.
• Quantify the financial impact of operational trends so that leadership sees the P&L consequence, not only the metric.

AI Solutions and Automation

• Identify, prioritize, and implement AI and automation use cases across all functions, each with a business case and a measured benefit.
• Build and maintain AI agents and automated workflows that connect to Saturn's systems and perform real work, rather than standalone chat usage.
• Test and monitor the quality of AI output, and keep a human accountable for every decision.

Making the Organization AI-Ready

• Build data and AI capability across the organization: train and coach employees at all levels in the practical, day-to-day use of AI, reporting, and automation tools.
• Identify where AI changes how work is done, and lead the change so that new ways of working are adopted and the replaced routines are retired.
• Make company knowledge and process documentation structured, current, and retrievable, so that both employees and AI systems can use it.
• Set and maintain the rules for responsible use of data and AI, aligned with heristo group policy and recognized frameworks such as the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, ISO/IEC 42001, and the EU AI Act, including protection of customer- and partner-confidential data from external AI services.

ERP and Process Optimization

• Support the optimization of SAP S/4HANA and related business processes, ensuring that data, reporting, AI, and automation requirements are built into the system landscape.
• Partner with KAM serv.it, PMO IT saturn petcare, functional teams, and external providers as the business-to-IT translator, and support process mapping and process mining.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Data Science, Business Analytics, Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field; master's degree preferred. Equivalent demonstrated capability may be considered.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in data analytics, business intelligence, or data engineering, including personally building and operating reporting solutions; manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience automating recurring reporting and replacing manual spreadsheet processes.
• Practical experience delivering AI or automation solutions into productive use, not pilots alone.
• Proven ability to translate business and operational needs into working solutions with measurable business impact.
• Strong communication, training, and change‑management skills, including the ability to present to executives. Candidates should be prepared to present examples of their own work.

Computer and Technology Skills - Required:

• SQL at a working level: able to query, model, and transform data independently.
• Advanced Excel and advanced proficiency in a modern business intelligence platform (Power BI preferred; SAP Analytics Cloud an advantage), including data modeling.
• Practical experience extracting and modeling data from an ERP system, preferably SAP S/4HANA.
• Hands‑on application of generative AI in a business setting: AI agents, workflow automation, retrieval over company documents, and the judgment to know where AI should and should not be used.

Computer and Technology Skills - Preferred:

• Python, or an equivalent language, for data processing and automation.
• Industrial and machine data: Ignition, historians, MES, OPC‑UA or MQTT.
• A modern data platform such as Microsoft Fabric, Databricks, Snowflake, SAP Datasphere, or SAP Business Data Cloud.
• Statistical forecasting or machine learning; process mining tools such as Signavio or Celonis; familiarity with AI governance frameworks.

Language Skills:

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions and procedural manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization. German language speaking skills is another advantage.

Mathematical Skills:

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and ability to apply concepts such as: fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations.

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is required to stand, walk, sit, and talk and hear. The employee must regularly lift and / or move up to 15 pounds, frequently lift and / or move up to 30 pounds and occasionally lift and / or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distant vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Allergen Awareness:

Products produced in this facility may contain the following allergens: Egg, Shellfish, Fish, Gluten.

Disclaimer:

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. Job descriptions are not intended to create a contract, nor are they to be construed to constitute contractual obligations of any kind or a contract of employment between Saturn Petcare Inc. and any of its employees. The provisions of job descriptions have been developed at the discretion of management and may be amended or cancelled at any time by Saturn Petcare Inc. with or without notice.

Employment with Saturn Petcare Inc. is voluntarily entered, and the employee is free to resign at will at any time, with or without cause. Similarly, Saturn Petcare Inc. may terminate the employment relationship at will at any time, with or without notice or cause, so long as there is not violation of applicable federal or state law.