Senior Data Engineer

ACV Auctions; Toronto; On-site; CAD 127,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading automotive technology company in Toronto is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to design and maintain scalable data solutions. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in Python and SQL, experience in cloud technologies such as AWS or GCP, and a solid background in database design. This role offers a competitive compensation package alongside a collaborative work environment focused on innovation and growth.

Benefits

Company Sponsored Healthcare

Generous Parental Leave Top-Up Pay

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Retirement planning through RRSP

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience with database engineering and administration.
• 5+ years of experience with Cloud platforms preferably in AWS or GCP.
• Experience with database security principles and best practices.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable ETL pipelines using Python and SQL.
• Collaborate with other data engineers and data scientists.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues efficiently.

Skills

Database design

Python programming

Cloud platforms

ETL pipelines

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field

Tools

AWS

GCP

Terraform

MySQL

PostgreSQL

Job description

If you are looking for a career at a dynamic company with a people-first mindset and a deep culture of growth and autonomy, ACV is the right place for you! Competitive compensation packages and learning and development opportunities, ACV has what you need to advance to the next level in your career. We will continue to raise the bar every day by investing in our people and technology to help our customers succeed. We hire people who share our passion, bring innovative ideas to the table, and enjoy a collaborative atmosphere.

Who we are:

ACV is a technology company that has revolutionized how dealers buy and sell cars online. We are transforming the automotive industry. ACV Auctions Inc. (ACV), has applied innovation and user-designed, data driven applications and solutions. We are building the most trusted and efficient digital marketplace with data solutions for sourcing, selling and managing used vehicles with transparency and comprehensive insights that were once unimaginable. We are disruptors of the industry and we want you to join us on our journey. Our network of brands include ACV Auctions, ACV Transportation, ClearCar, MAX Digital and ACV Capital within its Marketplace Products, as well as, True360 and Data Services.

At ACV we focus on the Health, Physical, Financial, Social and Emotional Wellness of our Teammates and to support this we offer:

• Company Sponsored (paid) Healthcare, Dental, Vision, Life/AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability.
• Comprehensive additional optional benefits such Critical Illness and Supplemental Life/AD&D.
• All insurance benefits go into effect on your date of hire.
• Generous Parental Leave Top-Up Pay and Vacation Programs.
• Employee Stock Purchase Program with additional opportunities to earn stock in the company.
• Retirement planning through the Company’s RRSP.

Who we are looking for:

The Data Engineering team’s mission is to deliver high availability, resilience, and performance as core services for ACV’s applications. We design and maintain data ingestion, data transformation pipelines, and databases supporting a wide range of critical tasks that ensure the reliability and scalability of ACV’s data platforms. Acting as a key bridge between Infrastructure Operations, Data Infrastructure, Analytics, and Development teams, we provide continuous feedback and insights that enhance platform reliability, functionality, and overall performance.

We’re looking for a Senior Data Engineer who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and is passionate about solving complex technical challenges. The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in software development, database design and administration, ETL multi-cloud environments, and in-memory data technologies. You bring deep technical expertise in database and infrastructure architecture, demonstrate strong communication and collaboration skills, and embrace a hands‑on, problem‑solving mindset to tackle ACV’s most challenging data engineering problems.

What you will do:

As a Data Engineer at ACV Auctions, you’ll have fun solving challenging problems!

You’ll design, develop, and optimize data solutions that power key business insights and applications. Your responsibilities include building and maintaining ETL pipelines, designing and building scalable database platforms, designing scalable application architectures, tuning databases and SQL queries for peak performance.

You’ll collaborate closely with other data engineers and data scientists to create innovative solutions for ACV’s most complex data and software challenges. Success in this role means thriving in a high-performing team, balancing quality delivery with customer focus, and demonstrating a proven ability to lead and deliver in a fast‑paced environment.

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable ETL pipelines using Python and SQL to ingest, process, and transform data from diverse sources.
• Write clean, efficient, and well‑documented code in Python and SQL.
• Use Git for version control and collaborate effectively with other engineers through pull requests and code reviews.
• Implement and manage data orchestration workflows using industry‑standard tools
• Apply a strong understanding of data structures (arrays, dictionaries, strings, trees, nodes, graphs, linked lists) to optimize data processing and storage performance.
• Support multi‑cloud application development and cross‑environment data solutions.
• Contribute to and influence technical standards for product and service development, including testing, debugging, performance optimization, and technology selection.
• Defines standards for database operations, monitoring, and security.
• Support all phases of application and data development, with a focus on MySQL and PostgreSQL database design and optimization.
• Help define and uphold company‑wide engineering standards for tooling, languages, and build systems.
• Leverage monitoring and observability tools to ensure high performance, reliability, and availability; partner with operations and engineering to proactively address issues.
• Ensure that all data development adheres to company standards for readability, reliability, and performance.
• Collaborate with internal teams on transactional and analytical schema design.
• Conduct code reviews, maintain high‑quality documentation, and develop comprehensive test suites.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues efficiently and effectively.
• Mentor junior data engineers and contribute to team growth through coaching and knowledge sharing.
• Lead and participate in technical discussions, innovation sessions, and engineering tech talks.
• Explore and evaluate new technologies, architectural improvements, and implementation strategies to advance the company’s data capabilities.
• Participate in the on‑call rotation to ensure platform reliability and timely issue resolution.

What you will need:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent work experience)
• Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English.
• 5+ years of experience with database engineering and administration
• 5+ years of experience with Cloud platforms preferably in AWS or GCP
• 5+ years of experience programming in Python
• 3+ years of experience working with Terraform/Infrastructure as Code concepts
• 3+ years work with continuous integration and build tools
• Experience with database security principles and best practices, database architecture, infrastructure, performance tuning, and optimization techniques.
• Experience with in‑memory data processing
• Exposure to data pipelines, streaming platforms, or big data ecosystems (Kafka, Spark)
• Experience with database monitoring and diagnostic tools, preferably Data Dog.
• Experience with Domain Driven Design.
• Experience working with data warehousing concepts and technologies, including dimensional modeling and ETL frameworks
• Proficiency in SQL query writing and optimization.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes, Docker, or containerized database deployments
• Familiarity with ETL workflow implementation (Airflow, Python)
• Hands‑on skills and the ability to drill deep into the complex system design and implementation.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a fast paced global team environment.

Compensation: $127,000.00 - $159,000.00 CAD annually. Please note that final compensation will be determined based upon the applicant's relevant experience, skillset, location, business needs, market demands, and other factors as permitted by law.

No immigration or work visa sponsorship will be provided for this position.

Our Values

Trust & Transparency | People First | Positive Experiences | Calm Persistence | Never Settling

At ACV, we are committed to an inclusive culture in which every individual is welcomed and empowered to celebrate their true selves. We achieve this by fostering a work environment of acceptance and understanding that is free from discrimination. ACV is committed to being an equal opportunity employer regardless of sex, race, creed, color, religion, marital status, national origin, age, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, disability, military status, status as a veteran, or any other protected characteristic. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires reasonable accommodation, please let us know. For information on our collectionand use of your personal information, please see our Privacy Notice.