Senior AI Engineer

Job Description Do you want to take technical ownership of a platform that helps consultants and clients make faster, better-informed decisions? Do you enjoy combining hands-on engineering, AI-enabled development and product thinking? At SKIM, we don’t just follow trends, we help shape them. As we continue to grow, we are looking for a (Senior) AI Engineer in Rotterdam to help shape the platform’s next stage. For over 45 years, we’ve been trusted partners to the world’s largest CPG, technology, and healthcare companies. We specialize in understanding decision-making in Revenue Management, Innovation, and Brand Communications. Our approach combines methodological rigor, marketing expertise, and deep client understanding to build lasting strategic partnerships. With 13 offices across the US, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, we collaborate closely with clients to navigate the right strategies. Ranked #3 in GRIT’s most innovative research agencies, we continuously enhance our solutions. Above all, we foster a culture where smart, genuine people support each other, pursue their dreams, and thrive together. Job Description This is a unique opportunity to take substantial technical ownership of Nexus, SKIM’s AI-powered platform for making complex data analysis faster, easier and more accessible. Nexus reduces the time consultants spend manipulating and transforming data, allowing them to focus sooner on insights, shaping business decisions and building the client narrative. For clients, it makes scenario analysis faster and easier, helping them to accelerate decision-making. You will own a significant part of the platform’s engineering lifecycle, from translating user and business needs into technical solutions through to building, deploying, maintaining and debugging them. You will work closely with the wider Nexus team to set technical direction and priorities. As SKIM increasingly connects its consulting expertise with technology, AI and client-facing platforms, you can also grow towards a more strategic and client-facing role over time. Specifically, You Will Be Expected To - Building and evolving the platform: design the architecture, develop new functionality and ensure solutions are secure, scalable and maintainable. - Maintaining and improving Nexus: keep the existing platform running, troubleshoot issues and continuously improve how it works. - Setting technical direction and priorities: determine what should be built and when, make informed architectural decisions and push back when requests do not align with current priorities. - Working closely with the wider Nexus team: act as a technical sparring partner and help create structure and direction for colleagues contributing to the platform. - Act as a technical sparring partner: Challenge existing approaches constructively and connect technical decisions to adoption and business impact Qualifications The ideal candidate combines substantial hands-on engineering experience with structured problem-solving, sound technical judgement and the ability to connect technology to real user and business objectives. Typically, we are looking for someone with the following profile: - 5-6 years of relevant professional experience, including hands-on engineering or data-science work and meaningful experience applying AI in software or data products. - A rigorous technical degree, such as Computer Science, Econometrics, (Applied) Mathematics, (Applied) Physics or a comparable quantitative field. - Practical experience with architecture, back-end development, cloud deployment, data handling, security, maintenance, debugging and validation. - Strong Python capability and practical cloud experience; AWS experience is particularly relevant - Experience using LLM-based coding tools or agents effectively, combined with the critical judgement to validate and challenge their output. - Technically curious and proactive attitude, with the ability to identify what needs attention, propose a direction and follow through. - Clear professional communication in English and the ability to explain technical choices, collaborate closely and provide constructive pushback. - An entrepreneurial mindset and an interest in co-creating how Nexus and your own role develop within SKIM. - You are authorised to work in the Netherlands (resident, citizen, valid visa or other) Our offer A salary and benefits package designed to support you in your role and reward your contributions, including: - A fixed annual salary - Performance based profit sharing - Company pension scheme - A hybrid working environment - A flat organizational structure where everyone is treated as equal regardless of any differences - A place where taking initiative isn’t just encouraged. It’s valued - Harmony between work and personal life - A combination of learning through onboarding, active training programs, and on-the-job and guidance from experienced SKIMmers - A team that enjoys the ride – regular outings, events, and a culture that celebrates wins together At SKIM, we value diversity, equity and inclusion. With increased diversity comes greater variety of perspectives, ideas and creativity, and we foster an environment where everyone feels welcome and comfortable to be their authentic selves.  Therefore, we welcome diversity in applicants and base our hiring decisions regardless of age, race, color, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, genetic characteristics, marital or military status. Additional Information Thank you for taking the time to read the description of this role, and we look forward to reading your submission if this role sounds very exciting to you! We read each application carefully and will get back to you as soon as we can. Please note that only completed applications, consisting of a resume and cover letter, written in English, will be considered.