AI Engineer & Operations (m/f/d)

mala markets is a specialized marketplace agency managing Amazon, OTTO, Kaufland, and eBay for European brands. We are rebuilding how agency work gets done: through agentic AI systems, internal automation, and our own marketplace software – all built in-house by the team.

This role sits at the intersection of engineering and strategy. You write production code and you think at the level of the business. You ship systems that the team depends on daily, and you help define what those systems should be. Neither half is optional.

What You'll Build
The engineering side of this role is concrete and consequential. You own what you ship.
– Design, build, and deploy AI automation systems using Claude Code and agentic frameworks – production quality, not prototypes
– Build agentic pipelines that take over real, recurring tasks from the team
– Architect and integrate MCP servers across our tool and data ecosystem
– Own features in our marketplace software: from architecture decisions to live deployment
– Write clean, maintainable Python and/or JavaScript code that others can build on
– Integrate APIs, handle edge cases, debug across the stack – end-to-end ownership

What You'll Solve
The operational side of this role requires structured thinking at a high level. You identify what is broken before it becomes a crisis.

– Analyze complex process and workflow problems – in our team and in client operations – and develop solutions that actually get implemented
– Evaluate AI tools and emerging capabilities, translate them into concrete decisions and recommendations for leadership
– Build decision frameworks, prioritization logic, and documentation that drive action – not documents that gather dust
– Define what gets engineered next: you set the brief, validate the approach, and stay accountable for the outcome
– Bridge the gap between business need and technical execution across every team function

What We Need

Non-negotiable
– Production-level programming in Python and/or JavaScript – you write code that runs in the real world, not just in notebooks
– Hands-on experience with agentic AI frameworks: Claude Code is preferred; LangChain, AutoGen, or comparable accepted
– Understanding of software architecture, API design, versioning, and deployment workflows
– Ability to take a problem from blank page to shipped solution, independently
– Structured analytical thinking – you decompose ambiguous problems methodically and communicate the reasoning clearly
– Direct, precise communication: you can brief leadership and brief an engineer in the same hour

Strong advantage
– Experience building with LLM APIs (Anthropic Claude, OpenAI) beyond wrapper scripts
– Familiarity with MCP server architecture and tool ecosystems
– Knowledge of marketplace operations (Amazon Seller Central, OTTO, Kaufland, eBay)
– German language skills – valuable for client-facing work
– Exposure to no-code/low-code automation (Make, n8n, Zapier) as a complement to engineering

Why mala markets
We are a boutique agency with a sharp focus: marketplace growth for ambitious brands across Europe. Small team, high standards, and a genuine belief that AI changes what good agency work looks like.

– You work directly with leadership – no layers, no politics
– What you build gets used. Immediately. By the whole team
– We build our own software products alongside client work – real product responsibility
– Remote-first with the option to work from our Dortmund office
– Competitive salary commensurate with the level of the role proud of.