AI & Automation Engineer

D.A. Davidson Companies is an independent, employee-owned company with a rich history spanning more than 80 years. We are dedicated to conducting our business in accordance with the highest standards of integrity and ethics, and delivering outstanding service to our clients and each other. We support a friendly, open and supportive culture, and encourage candid communication and productive engagement that make our companies and each of us better. Just as we work to improve our clients’ financial well-being, we also work to strengthen local communities—and giving back is one of our core values. You can learn more about our company culture and impact in our latest annual report. Summary/Function: We are seeking a Mid-Level AI and Automation Engineer to develop next-generation AI capabilities within our Microsoft-based environment. This role will focus on building intelligent assistants and automated workflows using tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot Studio, Power Automate, and Azure AI Foundry. The ideal candidate will combine software engineering expertise with a passion for leveraging AI to transform business processes in a financial services and wealth management domain. You will work on integrating large language model solutions into enterprise systems, ensuring they are secure, compliant, and deliver real value to end-users. Qualifications: • Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field. 5+ years of experience in software development, automation engineering, or similar roles. • Microsoft Ecosystem Proficiency: 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). • Programming Skills: Proficiency in at least one programming or scripting language (such as Python, C#, or JavaScript) to extend and customize solutions. Experience building or consuming RESTful APIs and working with data integration. • Cloud & AI Knowledge: 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.). • DevOps Mindset: Experience with version control (git and Bitbucket) and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines for software projects. Comfortable using tools like Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions to automate build-test-deploy processes.  • Problem-Solving & Communication: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a track record of delivering solutions that meet business needs. Excellent communication skills to work effectively with both technical and non-technical team members. • Coordination: Align efforts with other lines-of-business and functional areas, such as our partners in Operations, Finance, Wealth Management, and more. Preferred Qualifications: • Copilot Studio Expertise: Experience with Microsoft 365 Copilot Studio – for example, having built or managed AI copilots/agents in a production setting. Knowledge of designing conversation flows, topics, tools, and using Copilot’s advanced features (custom actions, agent-to-agent workflows). • Advanced AI & ML Skills: Familiarity with large language models beyond basic API usage – e.g., experience with 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 like document intelligence, computer vision, speech, and more.  • Financial Services Experience: Background in financial services or wealth management technology projects. Understanding of industry regulatory requirements (e.g. data privacy, audit, model risk management) and how to design AI solutions that comply with them. • Security & Compliance Focus: hands-on experience implementing security, compliance, and responsible AI practices in software. For instance, familiarity with Microsoft’s Responsible AI guidelines, Azure Purview for data governance, or similar tools to control AI use. • Innovation & Leadership: Demonstrated initiative in previous roles – maybe you introduced a new automation tool, led a pilot of an AI solution, or actively contributed to AI/automation communities. Microsoft certifications in Azure AI, Power Platform, or related areas would be an advantage, reflecting your commitment to staying current. • Lean and Agile background: Lots of experience working in highly-iterative development processes.  You understand the principles of them but aren’t married to any particular methodology. • Patience: Somebody prepared to deal with the boring and the tough.  Every minute of every day in an AI role isn’t always deploying new models and agents.  An engineer in this role must also be willing and able to take on things like vendor integration, bug fixing, and other operational and administrative work that comes up day-to-day. The following is required from all associates of D.A. Davidson Companies: • Commitment to maintain client confidentiality and data security • Communicate in a clear and service-oriented manner; use appropriate, professional language and grammar to effectively exchange ideas and information • Ability to proactively work with both external and internal clients; relate with others in a professional manner to accomplish work responsibilities and objectives • Ability to maintain regular, predictable attendance Duties: • Design and Develop AI-Powered Workflows: Use Microsoft Copilot Studio and Power Platform (Power Automate, Power Apps) to design, build, and optimize 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, enabling 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 and fine-tune AI models or prompts to improve the relevance and accuracy of Copilot responses. Utilize Azure OpenAI or similar services to incorporate advanced language AI capabilities when needed. • Ensure Compliance and Security: Build solutions with robust security, privacy, and compliance controls in mind, aligning 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, ensuring smooth rollouts and version control. Set up monitoring and telemetry dashboards to track performance, usage, and quickly address any issues. • Collaboration and Iteration: Work in an Agile team alongside product managers, business analysts, and designers to refine requirements and user stories. Iterate on solutions based on user feedback and analytics, continuously improving the AI assistants’ effectiveness. • Documentation and Training: Document solution designs, workflows, and configurations. Help create user guides or demo sessions to drive adoption of the new AI-powered tools among employees and stakeholders. What do we offer: Competitive salary plus excellent benefits and perks including, but not limited to:   •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 – Our tradition of positively impacting communities in which we live and work.   The potential base pay hiring range for this role is $90,000 - $120,000 annually. The compensation offered will be determined on a case-by-case basis considering a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the skills, relevant work experience, and geographic location of each specific candidate.