Back to jobs
New

AI Solutions & Data Engineer

Darien, Illinois, United States

Are you looking for an opportunity to do challenging, creative work that makes a real impact? Would you like to be part of a company that respects individual contributions and thrives on collaboration? Do you love to win? Then consider joining Wight & Company. We’re a nationally recognized, award-winning architecture, engineering, and construction firm known for a dynamic company culture that fosters innovation and challenges the status quo, and we’re looking for a talented professional to join our team.

Wight & Company is seeking an AI Solutions & Data Engineer to help turn artificial intelligence and organizational data into practical solutions for our teams, clients, and projects. This hybrid role will work across architecture, engineering, construction, and business operations to identify valuable AI opportunities, develop AI agents and automated workflows, connect information from multiple systems, and help employees confidently apply AI in their work. The ideal candidate combines technical ability with curiosity, creativity, and strong communication skills. This person should be comfortable building solutions directly, facilitating conversations with teams, translating business challenges into technical approaches, and teaching others how to use new tools effectively. The AI Solutions & Data Engineer will report to the Chief Innovation Officer and collaborate with technology, BIM, operations, and departmental leaders across the company.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Develop AI Solutions and Agents

  • Design, build, test, and maintain AI agents that support project delivery and business operations.
  • Develop solutions using large language models, retrieval-augmented generation, workflow automation, APIs, and related technologies.
  • Connect AI tools with internal applications, document repositories, databases, and third-party platforms.
  • Create prototypes and pilot programs that allow teams to evaluate new ideas quickly.
  • Establish methods for testing solution accuracy, reliability, security, and business value.
  • Help move successful prototypes into maintainable, production-ready solutions.
  • Monitor the performance and adoption of deployed AI solutions and improve them over time.

Build and Manage Data Solutions

  • Gather, clean, organize, and combine data from multiple business and project systems.
  • Develop and maintain data pipelines, integrations, structured datasets, and reusable data services.
  • Help establish reliable connections between project, financial, operational, and knowledge-management platforms.
  • Improve the accessibility and usefulness of organizational data while maintaining appropriate security and permissions.
  • Collaborate with system owners to improve data quality, consistency, documentation, and governance.
  • Support dashboards, reporting, predictive analytics, and AI applications that depend on reliable data.
  • Identify opportunities to reduce duplicate data entry and improve the flow of information across the organization.

Identify and Prioritize AI Opportunities

  • Meet with teams across the company to understand their work, challenges, and opportunities.
  • Facilitate workshops and brainstorming sessions focused on meaningful business problems rather than technology alone.
  • Translate business needs into clearly defined AI, automation, or data initiatives.
  • Evaluate potential solutions based on value, feasibility, risk, scalability, and alignment with company priorities.
  • Help departments develop practical roadmaps for adopting AI and improving their use of data.
  • Stay informed about emerging AI capabilities and evaluate where they may create value for the company or its clients.

Train and Support Teams

  • Develop and deliver practical AI training for employees with varying levels of technical experience.
  • Teach teams how to use approved AI tools effectively, securely, and responsibly.
  • Create guides, demonstrations, templates, prompt libraries, and other reusable learning resources.
  • Coach individuals and teams as they incorporate AI into existing workflows.
  • Support a network of internal AI champions who can help expand adoption across the organization.
  • Share successful use cases and lessons learned to encourage continuous improvement.

Support Responsible AI and Data Governance

  • Help establish technical standards for AI development, data integration, documentation, testing, and deployment.
  • Apply appropriate security, privacy, intellectual-property, and data-governance requirements to AI solutions.
  • Work with technology, legal, risk, and business leaders to evaluate proposed tools and use cases.
  • Maintain clear documentation of data sources, integrations, models, prompts, permissions, dependencies, and system behavior.
  • Promote responsible human oversight and clearly communicate the limitations of AI-generated results.

BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

  • Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data engineering, information systems, software engineering, or a related field—or equivalent professional experience.
  • Experience developing AI-enabled applications, software integrations, data solutions, or workflow automations.
  • Proficiency in Python, SQL, APIs, and common data-processing methods.
  • Experience working with structured and unstructured data from multiple sources.
  • Understanding of modern generative AI concepts, including large language models, embeddings, vector search, tool use, and retrieval-augmented generation.
  • Experience developing with cloud platforms, databases, automation tools, or enterprise application ecosystems.
  • Ability to translate loosely defined business challenges into practical technical solutions.
  • Strong written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills.
  • Ability to explain technical concepts clearly to nontechnical audiences.
  • A collaborative mindset and an interest in working directly with employees across many disciplines.
  • Sound judgment regarding data privacy, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and responsible AI use.
  • Ability to balance experimentation and speed with reliability, documentation, and long-term maintainability.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience with Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Copilot Studio, Power Platform, Fabric, or related Microsoft technologies.
  • Experience with AI platforms and APIs such as Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, Anthropic, or similar services.
  • Experience with ETL/ELT processes, data warehouses, lakehouses, semantic models, or business-intelligence platforms.
  • Familiarity with agent frameworks, orchestration tools, vector databases, or enterprise search technologies.
  • Experience with application development, source control, testing, deployment, and DevOps practices.
  • Experience delivering technical training, facilitating workshops, or supporting organizational change.
  • Familiarity with architecture, engineering, construction, professional services, or project-based organizations.
  • Experience integrating enterprise systems such as Microsoft 365, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Procore, Bentley, Unanet, CMiC, Egnyte, or similar platforms.
  • Familiarity with BIM, digital project delivery, estimating, construction management, or design technology is beneficial but not required.

Salary Range: $100,000 - $160,000. Individual pay will be based on several factors including experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant.

Wight & Company offers excellent benefits and a wonderful work environment. Our comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, flexible spending, paid holidays, paid time off, and a 401(k). Our flexible work schedule allows for a healthy work-life balance. For more information about our company, visit our website at www.wightco.com.

Wight & Company is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetics, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Wight & Company values diversity in our workforce. We are committed to recruiting, hiring, and promoting people with disabilities and veterans. If you need an accommodation to assist with completing the electronic application, please call us at 630.969.7000 and ask to speak with a Human Resources representative.

#LI-NS1

 

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Wight & Company? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Wight & Company’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.