Senior Data Application Engineer

Cooley AI is seeking a Senior Data Application Engineer to join the Innovation team.

About Cooley AI:

Cooley AI is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Cooley LLP. The frontier development arm of the leading technology law firm in the world. Our mission is to bring the best-in-class practices from the technology field into the legal domain to help lead our firm and the legal industry into the AI era. All employees of Cooley AI are employees of Cooley and are seconded to Cooley AI.

Position summary:

As a leading technology law firm, Cooley is determined to become a leader in the digital practice of law. We are committed to advancing the digital practice of law through modern data applications, automation, and Lakehouse‑native tooling. The Senior Data Application Engineer plays a foundational role in building and supporting interactive data applications on the firm’s Databricks platform, enabling users to access insights, workflows, and AI‑powered capabilities more efficiently. The Senior Data Application Engineer will work closely with product owners and architects to deliver intuitive, reliable, and secure data applications built using Databricks Appkit, AI‑assisted development tools, and GitHub‑based engineering practices.

Position Responsibilities

Data Application Development & Support:

• Build and enhance interactive data applications using Databricks Appkit, AI‑assisted coding tools (e.g., Claude Code), and optional local development in VS Code, following GitHub‑based version control and pull‑request workflows
• Implement UI components, data visualizations, and user‑facing features that integrate seamlessly with Databricks data sources and Lakehouse‑native APIs
• Support the development of internal tools that streamline workflows, improve data accessibility, and enhance user experience across legal and business teams
• Participate in code reviews, testing, and documentation to ensure application reliability, maintainability, and adherence to firm standards
• Troubleshoot application issues, perform root‑cause analysis, and implement fixes under the guidance of senior engineers
• Maintain and update content‑driven applications, ensuring accuracy, usability, and compliance with firm policies
• Contribute to internal documentation, user guides, and knowledge bases for supported applications

Data Integration & Pipeline Support

• Assist senior engineers in building and maintaining ingestion, transformation, and integration workflows on the Databricks platform
• Write SQL queries to retrieve, validate, and prepare data for use in data apps
• Monitor data jobs and application integrations, escalating issues when needed
• Support data quality efforts through validation checks, structured testing, and documentation updates
• Learn foundational concepts of Lakehouse architecture, Delta Lake, and Databricks‑native development practice

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work with Data Platform team members to understand data consumption patterns and ensure applications present information clearly and accurately
• Collaborate with Product Owners to translate business requirements into actionable development tasks and user stories
• Partner with Data Architects and platform teams to ensure applications align with governance, security, and architectural standards
• Engage with Technology, Security, and Legal stakeholders to ensure applications meet firm compliance and access‑control requirements
• Participate in Agile ceremonies (standups, sprint planning, retrospectives) and contribute to team delivery commitments
• Communicate progress, blockers, and application updates to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders

AI, Automation & Innovation

• Use AI‑assisted development tools (e.g., Claude Code) to accelerate coding, documentation, and troubleshooting
• Support the development of lightweight automation workflows using Databricks, low‑code/no‑code tools, or API‑based integrations
• Assist in preparing structured content and data for AI‑driven tools, internal search experiences, and RAG‑style applications
• Explore emerging Databricks capabilities and bring forward ideas for improving internal processes through automation or app development
• Stay current on trends in web development, data applications, and AI‑assisted engineering
• All other duties as assigned or required

Required

Skills and experience:

• After orientation at Cooley LLP, exhibit proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, iManage, and other firm applications
• Ability to work extended and/or weekend hours, as required
• Ability to travel, as required
• 5+ years of experience directly applicable experience (e.g., d