At L.E.K. Consulting, the Data Science & Engineering team is expanding to bring data-powered precision to client engagements across industries. The Senior Data Engineer will braid data engineering and AI/LLM focus into production-ready pipelines and platforms, delivering analytics that inform strategy and fuel IP development. This onsite role in Boston collaborates with clients and colleagues to turn complex data challenges into scalable, reliable solutions.
Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end data engineering and AI/ML initiatives from concept through deployment in client cloud environments, prioritizing scalability, performance, and reliability
- Architect and implement data pipelines, data models, and supporting infrastructure that enable analytical and AI use cases for clients
- Help clients articulate data and AI strategies, translating business goals into actionable technical roadmaps and governance structures
- Contribute to agentic AI projects, designing multi-agent architectures and automation workflows that yield measurable outcomes
- Participate in technology due diligence, evaluating data infrastructure, AI/ML capabilities, engineering practices, and technical risks
- Guide clients in interpreting analytical outputs and integrating data-driven insights into business workflows
- Assist Managing Directors in scoping and shaping proposals where data engineering and AI capabilities are central
- Serve as the technical interface among the Data Science & Engineering team, consulting partners, and clients, ensuring alignment on feasibility and delivery expectations
- Translate technical findings into clear, client-facing language for presentations and proposals
- Support the development and commercialization of new offerings in data strategy, AI strategy, agentic AI, and LLM-powered analytics
- Contribute to internal enablement by sharing up-to-date data strategy and AI capabilities with leadership
- Advance the construction of scalable, production-grade data pipelines and ETL/ELT processes feeding proprietary analytics products and client tools
- Build and maintain cloud data infrastructure, including warehouses, data lakes, and data models supporting internal service lines and client solutions
- Develop AI-powered analytical applications leveraging LLMs, RAG architectures, and machine learning techniques to tackle complex problems
- Promote best practices in data quality, CI/CD, containerization, and scalable architecture across IP assets
- Stay current with data engineering tooling, cloud platforms, and AI/LLM frameworks; contribute to the D&A technical roadmap
- Identify new use cases where data infrastructure or AI can deliver outsized value for clients or strengthen internal capabilities
- Collaborate with data scientists, product owners, and consulting stakeholders to continuously innovate on apps and proprietary data assets
Requirements
- 4+ years of hands-on experience in applied data engineering with a track record of delivering scalable, production-grade data solutions
- Strong data modeling, ETL/ELT pipeline design, and experience with large-scale structured and unstructured datasets
- Proficiency in Python and SQL, with familiarity in core data engineering libraries (e.g., PySpark, Apache Airflow) and Big Data tools (Spark or Scala)
- Hands-on experience deploying data solutions on Azure (preferred) or other major clouds (AWS, GCP); familiarity with on-prem Microsoft SQL Server
- Experience building APIs (e.g., FastAPI), containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), DevOps practices, Git, and CI/CD pipelines
- Hands-on work with Microsoft Fabric across workloads (Data Factory, Lakehouse, semantic models, Power BI)
- Familiarity with developing cloud-based analytics web applications is a plus
- Experience with cloud data warehouses and data lake architectures (e.g., Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift)
- Hands-on experience delivering LLM-based applications in production, including RAG pipelines, prompt engineering, and evaluation
- Experience designing agentic AI systems (multi-agent orchestration or automation workflows) using frameworks such as LangChain or equivalents
- Familiarity with at least one major cloud AI platform (Microsoft Foundry, AWS Bedrock, or GCP Vertex AI) and related deployment patterns
- Knowledge of LLM evaluation frameworks (e.g., LangSmith, Ragas) and retrieval quality assessment is a plus
- Exposure to core agentic AI and LLM libraries (Transformers, LangGraph, Pydantic AI) in production contexts
- Ability to translate technical requirements for both technical and non-technical audiences; comfort collaborating with data science, engineering, and consulting teams
- Prior experience in strategic consulting is preferred; familiarity with L.E.K.’s sectors (life sciences, healthcare, consumer, industrials, TMT) is advantageous
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work at pace with a high degree of ownership
Technologies
- Python
- SQL
- PySpark
- Apache Airflow
- Spark
- Scala
- Azure
- AWS
- GCP
- Microsoft SQL Server
- FastAPI
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Git
- CI/CD
- Microsoft Fabric
- Data Factory
- Lakehouse
- Power BI
- Snowflake
- BigQuery
- Redshift
- LangChain
- LangSmith
- Transformers
- LangGraph
- Pydantic AI
- Microsoft Foundry
- AWS Bedrock
- GCP Vertex AI
- RAG
Benefits
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Life insurance
- Disability insurance
- 401(k) with employer contribution
- HSA contributions
- Paid time off
- Other firm-sponsored benefits
Location
- Boston, MA (onsite)
- Chicago, IL
- Los Angeles, CA
- New York, NY
- San Francisco, CA
Why join L.E.K.
- Help grow a rapidly expanding, data-driven capability within a premier strategy consulting firm
- Collaborate with C-suite clients and life sciences innovators to deliver market-shaping insights
- Take a leadership role in advancing L.E.K.'s Data & Analytics and digital solutions strategy
- Join a supportive, entrepreneurial team with access to cutting-edge tools and professional development
Additional Information
The base salary for this position is USD 135,000 annually, with actual compensation determined by experience, qualifications, skills, and location. The role may be eligible for discretionary bonus and a comprehensive benefits package.
This role is based in one of L.E.K.’s offices in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, or San Francisco and follows a hybrid work model. Employees are expected to be in their home office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week, plus the first Friday of every month.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis without employer sponsorship. We are unable to consider candidates requiring visa sponsorship at this time.
L.E.K. Consulting is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Reasonable accommodations are provided for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs or practices where required.
