Databricks AI / Machine Learning Engineer (Azure, LLMs, MLOps) – Freelance – Vienna / Remote

Databricks AI / Machine Learning Engineer (Azure, LLMs, MLOps) – Freelance – Vienna / Remote
Location: Vienna, Austria (Hybrid – 60% Remote)
Contract Type: Freelance / Contractor
Start Date: March / April 2026
Duration: 36 months (extension possible up to 5 years)
Workload: Full-time (100%)
Industry: Data, AI, Big Data, Cloud, Energy (nice to have)

Job Overview

We are recruiting an experienced Databricks AI / Machine Learning Engineer for a long-term enterprise data & AI programme based in Vienna, Austria, with a 60% remote working model. In this role, you will design, build, deploy, and operate scalable Machine Learning and Large Language Model (LLM) solutions on Azure Databricks, covering the full lifecycle from data engineering and feature engineering through to MLOps, CI/CD, deployment, and monitoring. This position is ideal for a senior Databricks engineer, ML engineer, or AI engineer with strong experience in Azure, Big Data, Spark, MLflow, and LLM workloads.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and prototype machine learning and AI solutions using Python on Azure Databricks
• Build and maintain big data pipelines using Apache Spark, Delta Lake, and Databricks SQL
• Perform feature engineering, model training, versioning, and deployment using Databricks MLflow
• Design and operate ML and LLM workloads on Azure Databricks, including Unity Catalog
• Optimise performance, scalability, and cloud costs

Integrate ML solutions into the Microsoft Azure ecosystem, including:

• API design and integration
• Azure Functions
• Azure Logic Apps

Build and maintain MLOps and CI/CD pipelines for:

• Automated training
• Testing
• Deployment
• Monitoring of ML, LLM, and agent-based workflows
• Monitor model performance, data drift, and bias, and manage ongoing maintenance
• Use AutoML tools to accelerate experimentation and prototyping
• Ensure security, stability, and compliance of all deployed solutions
• Required Skills & Experience
• Strong experience as a Databricks Engineer, ML Engineer, or AI Engineer
• Advanced Python skills for data analysis and ML development

Hands-on experience with:

• Azure Databricks
• Apache Spark
• Delta Lake
• Databricks SQL

Experience with ML frameworks:

• TensorFlow
• PyTorch
• scikit-learn
• Proven experience with Databricks MLflow for model lifecycle management
• Experience delivering ML and LLM workloads in production environments
• Strong background in MLOps and CI/CD pipelines
• Experience with model monitoring, data drift, and bias detection
• Practical experience using AutoML tools
• Ability to work with an independent, secure development environment compliant with data security standards

Nice to Have (Highly Desirable):

• Experience with Data Governance and AI Governance
• Experience building agent-based systems, multi-agent architectures, or agentic workflows
• End-to-end delivery experience of Databricks projects (data → ML → deployment → monitoring)
• Industry experience in the energy sector
• Strong stakeholder communication skills
• Structured, analytical mindset with a high focus on quality
• Willingness to share knowledge and collaborate in distributed teams

Why Apply?

• Long-term freelance contract (3–5 years)
• Work on enterprise-scale AI and LLM solutions
• Hybrid working model with high remote flexibility
• Cutting-edge Azure Databricks & AI technology stack
• Stable, high-impact programme with real-world business value