Principal Software Engineer, PSA CX

Collectors; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Collectors is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to design and build a scalable backend architecture powering PSA Set Registry, Collectors’ flagship experience for organizing and celebrating graded collections. You will work with product, design, and cross-functional teams to deliver end-to-end features at scale.

You will lead the design of cloud-based solutions, own entire features, and collaborate across engineering disciplines to improve the customer experience for collectors worldwide.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of software engineering experience building backend systems.
• Strong proficiency in Python and AWS services.
• Experience with relational and NoSQL databases.
• Experience with microservices, event-driven architectures, and batch processing.
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Ability to design scalable APIs and work with product teams.
• Proficient in security, documentation, and monitoring best practices.
• Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop cloud-based backend architectures.
• Own complete features from design to deployment.
• Collaborate across engineering and product teams.
• Create scalable APIs for web and mobile experiences.
• Triage and debug large codebases and write tests.
• Contribute to technical documentation and best practices.

Skills

Python

AWS

PostgreSQL

NoSQL

Docker

Kubernetes

CDK/CloudFormation

Terraform

API design

Agile/Scrum

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS (ECS/Lambda/SQS/SNS)

DynamoDB

PostgreSQL

CloudFormation/CDK

Job description

Collectors is the leading creator of innovative technology that provides value-added services for collectors worldwide. We grade, authenticate, vault, and sell millions of record-setting collectibles, all while modernizing and digitalizing the process to further our mission of helping collectors pursue their passions. We’re always on the lookout for talented people to join our growing team. Our services span collectible trading cards, autographs, comic books, coins, video games, event tickets, and memorabilia. Our subsidiaries include PSA, PCGS, Beckett, SGC, and Card Ladder. Since our founding in 1986, we have graded and authenticated millions of items. We employ more than 3000 people across our headquarters in Santa Ana, California and offices in New Jersey, Texas, Florida, Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Canada, Mexico, Germany, the UK, and France.

As part of our interview process, we request that candidates have their cameras on during video interviews. This helps foster meaningful conversation and allows us to create an experience that closely resembles our standard working environment. Certain interview steps may take place by phone. For remote roles, and at our discretion, candidates may be asked to participate in an on-site interview as part of the final stages of the process. We understand there may be occasional circumstances requiring accommodation and are happy to discuss them as needed. Your recruiter will be able to clarify expectations and answer any questions you have.

Collectors is the leading creator of innovative technology that provides value-added services for collectors worldwide. We grade, authenticate, vault, and sell millions of record-setting collectibles, all while modernizing and digitalizing the process to further our mission of helping collectors pursue their passions. Our services span collectible coins, trading cards, Funko Pops!, video games, event tickets, autographs, and memorabilia.

Our subsidiaries include PSA, PCGS, SGC, WATA, and Card Ladder.

Since our founding in 1986, we have graded and authenticated millions of items. We employ more than 1,900 people across our headquarters in Santa Ana and offices in Jersey City, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Toronto, Guadalajara, Dallas, and Paris.

We’re transforming the collecting experience with technology that brings authentication, grading, and trading into the modern era. Our products are equalizing the playing field by providing tools that make complex research analytics — including pricing, scarcity reports, and historic sales data — accessible to every collector, old or new. Our engineering mission is to democratize technology while promoting innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning throughout the organization.

We're seeking engineers to utilize advanced technology in agile settings, with a focus on improving the customer experience for every collector. Our Collectors Experience team is enhancing an entirely virtual and digital Collectors ecosystem. We’re delivering a unified, end-to-end experience across all our brands, from grading submissions to marketplace serving millions of collectors and investors worldwide.

You’ll join a high performing engineering team and partner with product, design and cross-functional teams. We’re looking for a Staff Software Engineer to help design and build a scalable back-end architecture that powers PSA Set Registry, PSA’s flagship experience for collectors to organize, compete, and celebrate their PSA-graded collections. This is a highly visible, consumer-facing product at scale (hundreds of thousands of registered sets) with a deeply engaged user base of collectors who care about every card, ticket, and set they build on the platform.

What You’ll Do:

• Contribute to the design and development of new cloud-based software architectures
• Own and deliver complete features, including design, architecture, implementation, testability and deployment
• Provide feedback pertaining to technical designs, proposals and code
• Analyze existing applications / databases and identify areas for improvement
• Design and contribute to APIs that can support user experiences on web and mobile applications
• Participate across the entire software development lifecycle, taking features from concept to production release
• Collaboratively create solutions with other teams
• Troubleshoot software issues and debug a large codebase
• Develop and execute unit and integration tests
• Contribute to technical documentation to increase maintainability of software assets

Who You Are:

• 7+ years of software engineering industry experience building backend software, with exposure to microservices, event-driven architectures, and batch processing.
• Strong proficiency in Python
• Strong fundamentals working with databases and data modeling, both relational (e.g. PostgreSQL) & NoSQL (e.g. DynamoDB)
• 5+ years of experience building solutions using AWS technologies such as: Lambda, SQS, SNS, EventBridge, API Gateway
• Experience with containerization and orchestration infrastructure (e.g. Docker, Kubernetes, ECS)
• Experience with IaC such as CDK/CloudFormation or TerraForm
• Experience collaborating with Engineering and Product teams to turn complex business requirements into clean and extensible APIs
• Possess strong technical, analytical, troubleshooting, and communication skills with the ability to visualize and document processes
• Proficient at using appropriate security, documentation, and/or monitoring best practices
• Familiar with Agile/Scrum methodologies

Collectors uses e-Verify to validate your ability to work legally in the United States. We are aware that there are instances where individuals are receiving job offers that fraudulently allege to be from Collectors or one of our business units. This type of fraud can be carried out through false websites, through fake e-mails claiming to be from the company or through social media. We never ask for personal information such as your bank account, Social Security numbers or National IDs, nor do we send or request payments for the purchase of business-related equipment. If you suspect fraud, please reach out to [e-mail].

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, national origin, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or parental status, disability, veteran status, or other class protected by applicable law. We believe that a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills will better service the diverse community of collectors we support.

If you require an accommodation to apply or interview with us due to a disability or special need, please email [e-mail]

U.S. residents: for disclosures relating to personal information we collect during the employment application and recruitment process, please see our Privacy Notice for U.S. Applicants.

Collectors is the leading creator of innovative technology that provides value-added services for collectors worldwide. We grade, authenticate, vault, and sell millions of record-setting collectibles, all while modernizing and digitalizing the process to further our mission of helping collectors pursue their passions. We’re always on the lookout for talented people to join our growing team. Our services span collectible trading cards, autographs, comic books, coins, video games, event tickets, and memorabilia. Our subsidiaries include PSA, PCGS, Beckett, SGC, and Card Ladder. Since our founding in 1986, we have graded and authenticated millions of items. We employ more than 3000 people across our headquarters in Santa Ana, California and offices in New Jersey, Texas, Florida, Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Canada, Mexico, Germany, and France.