AI & Automation Engineer

About the role

D.A. Davidson Companies is an independent, employee-owned company with a 90‑year history, committed to integrity, ethics, outstanding service, and a supportive culture that encourages candid communication and community involvement. We are seeking a Mid‑Level AI and Automation Engineer to develop next‑generation AI capabilities within our Microsoft‑based environment, focusing on intelligent assistants and automated workflows using Microsoft 365 Copilot Studio, Power Automate, and Azure AI Foundry.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in software development, automation engineering, or similar roles.
• Hands‑on experience with Microsoft Power Automate and related Power Platform tools for workflow automation.
• Familiarity with M365 Copilot features or similar AI bot/agent development tools (e.g., Azure AI services, Cognitive Services).
• Proficiency in at least one programming or scripting language (Python, C#, JavaScript) to extend and customize solutions.
• Experience building or consuming RESTful APIs and working with data integration.
• Working knowledge of Azure cloud services and AI/ML frameworks; ability to deploy applications or automations in a cloud environment and integrate AI APIs (Azure OpenAI, Azure Cognitive Services, etc.).
• Experience with version control (git and Bitbucket) and CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions).
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills; excellent communication skills to work with technical and non‑technical team members.
• Ability to align efforts with other lines‑of‑business (Operations, Finance, Wealth Management, etc.).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Microsoft 365 Copilot Studio – building or managing AI copilots/agents in a production setting, designing conversation flows, topics, tools, and using advanced features (custom actions, agent‑to‑agent workflows).
• Familiarity with large language models beyond basic API usage – prompt tuning, deploying LLMs, or implementing retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) pipelines with vector databases for domain‑specific Q&A.
• Experience with Azure AI Foundry and Azure AI capabilities such as document intelligence, computer vision, speech, etc.
• Background in financial services or wealth management technology projects; understanding of industry regulatory requirements (data privacy, audit, model risk management) and how to design compliant AI solutions.
• Hands‑on experience implementing security, compliance, and responsible AI practices (Microsoft’s Responsible AI guidelines, Azure Purview, etc.).
• Demonstrated initiative – introduced new automation tools, led AI pilots, contributed to AI/automation communities; Microsoft certifications in Azure AI, Power Platform, or related areas are advantageous.
• Lean and Agile background – experience in highly‑iterative development processes.
• Patience and willingness to handle operational tasks such as vendor integration, bug fixing, and day‑to‑day administrative work.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop AI‑powered workflows using Microsoft Copilot Studio and Power Platform (Power Automate, Power Apps) to create AI assistants and automated workflows that enhance employee productivity and decision‑making.
• Integrate enterprise data and systems: connect AI copilots to enterprise data sources and APIs for context‑rich automation (e.g., integrating Azure AI services or databases with Copilot agents for real‑time information retrieval).
• Apply AI best practices: implement prompt engineering techniques, fine‑tune AI models or prompts, and utilize Azure OpenAI or similar services to incorporate advanced language AI capabilities.
• Ensure compliance and security: build solutions with robust security, privacy, and compliance controls aligned with corporate policies and industry regulations (financial data protection, responsible AI use, audit logging); work closely with governance teams to enforce security standards for AI integrations.
• DevOps and monitoring: develop CI/CD pipelines for deploying and updating AI agents or automation workflows; set up monitoring and telemetry dashboards to track performance, usage, and address issues promptly.
• Collaboration and iteration: work in an Agile team with product managers, business analysts, and designers to refine requirements and user stories; iterate on solutions based on user feedback and analytics to continuously improve AI assistants’ effectiveness.
• Documentation and training: document solution designs, workflows, and configurations; help create user guides or demo sessions to drive adoption of new AI‑powered tools among employees and stakeholders.

Benefits

• Competitive salary plus excellent benefits and perks including:
• Medical, Dental and Vision
• Company 401(k) and ESOP contribution
• Generous sick, vacation, and maternity/parental leave
• Paid holidays
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Tuition Reimbursement ($15,000 lifetime cap)
• Discounted personal insurance including home, auto and recreational vehicles
• Charitable gift‑matching program
• Davidson Day of Giving – tradition of positively impacting communities

Pay

The potential base pay hiring range for this role is $90,000 - $120,000 annually. Compensation will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis considering skills, relevant work experience, and geographic location. The role is eligible to participate in applicable D.A. Davidson variable compensation programs.