AI Principal Engineer

Role summary

AI Principal Engineer is a role at NielsenIQ in Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain (on-site). Posted 2026-09-02. Experience level: 10+.

Job title

AI Principal Engineer

Company

NielsenIQ

Location

Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain

Work arrangement

on-site

Category

Software Engineering

Experience level

10+

Date posted

2026-09-02

Job description

Company Description

We are looking for a Principal AI Engineer to join our Enterprise Productivity team, an agile, high-impact group building AI-driven solutions that transform how our company operates.

In this role, you will work at the intersection of AI, engineering, and business operations, partnering directly with teams across the company to identify inefficiencies, rapidly prototype solutions, and deploy scalable AI tools that drive measurable impact. You will operate globally, engage with diverse stakeholders, and tackle high-leverage problems that improve how we work every day.

This is a fast-moving, hands-on role for someone who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys solving real-world problems, and wants to see their work adopted quickly at scale.

Job Description

What You’ll Do

Embed with business teams to deeply understand workflows, pain points, and opportunities for automation and optimization

Design and build AI-powered tools that improve internal productivity across functions such as finance, HR, operations, sales, and marketing

Rapidly prototype and iterate using modern AI/ML technologies (e.g., LLMs, Copilots, automation pipelines)

Deploy solutions in production, ensuring reliability, usability, and measurable impact

Bridge technical and non-technical teams, translating business problems into scalable engineering solutions

Drive end-to-end delivery from problem discovery to implementation, rollout, and adoption

Create reusable frameworks and platforms to accelerate future AI deployments across the organization

Operate globally, collaborating with distributed teams and delivering solutions that scale across regions

Qualifications

What We’re Looking For

Core Skills

7–10+ years of experience in software engineering, machine learning, or applied AI

Strong experience designing and deploying production-grade systems in cloud environments

Experience building and deploying AI/ML systems, ideally with LLMs or generative AI

Experience in building, orchestrating, monitoring agentic/multi-agentic AI workflows

Ability to work across the stack (APIs, data pipelines, front-end interfaces when needed)

Deep understanding of system design, distributed systems, and scalable architectures

Solid system design skills with a focus on scalability, reliability, and security

Knowledge of data engineering and analytics workflows

Experience working in global, cross-functional teams

Familiarity with governance, security, and compliance considerations for enterprise AI

Problem-Solving & Mindset

Proven ability to navigate ambiguity and move quickly in fast-paced environments

Strong product and user mindset focused on delivering practical, impactful solutions

Excellent communication skills; able to work directly with stakeholders across all levels

High ownership and bias for action, ability to support multiple workstreams in parallel

String experience in mentoring and guiding team members to make good decisions

Nice to Have

Familiarity with enterprise systems (ERP, CRM, workflow tools)

Experience across Azure AI, Microsoft Copilot, and the broader Microsoft ecosystem

Experience implementing AI tools, GenAI services, building and orchestrating agentic AI workflows in real-world business processes

Experience in forward-deployed, solutions engineering, or consulting-style roles

Background in process optimization, automation, or digital transformation initiatives c

Additional Information

Why Join Us

High impact: Your work will directly improve how the company operates

Speed & autonomy: We are an agile team that ships quickly and iterates continuously

Broad exposure: Work across all business functions and geographies

Cutting-edge tech: Build with the latest AI technologies and shape how they are applied internally

Ownership: Drive projects end-to-end and see immediate adoption of your work

Success in This Role Looks Like

Identifying and delivering high-impact AI use cases that reduce manual work and

increase efficiency

Shipping production-ready solutions in weeks, with strong adoption across teams

Building scalable, reusable AI capabilities across the enterprise

Acting as a trusted technical partner to both engineering and business stakeholders

Salary : 55300– €78.800 gross per year. This role might also be eligible for a performance-based bonus. Placement within the range will depend on objective criteria including experience, skills, and internal equity considerations. We are committed to equal pay and pay transparency. Remuneration decisions are made using gender-neutral and objective criteria.​​

Our Benefits

Flexible working environment

Volunteer time off

LinkedIn Learning

Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP)

NIQ may utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools at various stages of the recruitment process, including résumé screening, candidate assessments, interview scheduling, job matching, communication support, and certain administrative tasks that help streamline workflows. These tools are intended to improve efficiency and support fair and consistent evaluation based on job-related criteria. All use of AI is governed by NIQ’s principles of fairness, transparency, human oversight, and inclusion. Final hiring decisions are made exclusively by humans. NIQ regularly reviews its AI tools to help mitigate bias and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. If you have questions, require accommodations, or wish to request human review were permitted by law, please contact your local HR representative. For more information, please visit NIQ’s AI Safety Policies and Guiding Principles: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/info/niqs-ai-safety-policies/

About NIQ

NIQ is the world’s leading consumer intellige