Data Engineer in Barcelona

About the company

From the creators of Vilynx — a Barcelona AI startup acquired by Apple — comes Cala AI: a bold new venture redefining how information is verified and represented at massive scale. Based in Barcelona’s vibrant tech hub near Passeig de Gràcia, Cala AI is building innovative AI systems focused on trust, accuracy, and impactful technology that challenges industry norms. 

Recently, Cala AI was named by Creandum to their #EuroSeed50 list — highlighting the most promising early-stage startups in Europe — an honor that reflects the strong belief in our mission and team. We are a small, ambitious group dedicated to building real solutions with grit, heart, and a culture of authenticity.

About the role

You’ll architect, build, and maintain data pipelines handling both batch and streaming workloads at scale. Your expertise in big data technologies and modern data storage will be crucial. You’ll also engage with emerging information representation systems like embeddings, Knowledge Graphs, and search engines to help shape the future of AI-driven data.

What you’ll do

• Design and maintain scalable, high-throughput data pipelines and ETLs

• Architect data storage and retrieval systems for efficient processing

• Collaborate closely with the team on system design and data modeling

• Integrate and experiment with ML-based data representation techniques

• Help build a culture of engineering excellence and innovation

• 3+ years experience working in data engineering or big data environments

• Hands-on experience with big data pipelines (Spark, Hadoop, Kafka or equivalent)

• Strong programming skills (Python or Scala preferred; Java welcome)

• Proficiency with SQL and NoSQL databases (Cassandra a plus)

• Familiarity with search and graph databases (Elasticsearch, Neo4j) a plus

• Language: B2+ level in either English or Spanish (fluency in either is acceptable)

• Curious, driven, and ready to help build something meaningful from the ground up

• Availability to work in hybrid mode 

Why Cala AI?

• Work alongside a founder with a proven track record in AI startups

• Join a company dedicated to building AI for good — focused on trust and impact

• Competitive compensation package plus stock options

• Based in Cloudworks, a dynamic co-working space near Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona; enjoy the perks that come from being part of Cloudworks, like gym subscription and restaurant discounts

• A supportive, inclusive, and horizontal culture that values authenticity and growth

Hiring process - Conversation-based (no coding tests)

• Initial chat with CTO focused on your experience and projects

• System design interview (onsite preferred)

• Cultural fit interview with CEO

• Offer