Senior Data Engineer

Collectors Universe, Inc.; Long Beach (CA); Hybrid; USD 136,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

401(k) Matching Plan

Vacation: flexible time-off

Holiday Pay: ten company holidays

Employee Discounts: grading services

Job summary

Collectors Universe, Inc. is seeking a data platform engineer to build and own scalable components across ingestion, BigQuery, and dbt transformations. You will collaborate with analytics engineers and leadership to shape the platform roadmap and ensure reliable, governed data delivery.

You’ll develop end-to-end data pipelines, apply AI coding agents, and enhance observability and governance while supporting cross-functional stakeholders with robust data solutions.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience building scalable data platforms
• Experience with batch and CDC data pipelines
• Ability to design and optimize data ingestion architectures
• Proficiency with Python and data tooling
• Familiarity with AI-assisted coding tools and safe engineering practices
• Strong collaboration with analytics engineers and stakeholders

Responsibilities

• Build and own key components of our data platform spanning ingestion, BigQuery warehouse, and dbt transformation layer.
• Contribute to architecture, write design docs, and work with senior engineers to shape platform evolution.
• Design and maintain data ingestion pipelines across diverse sources including databases, SaaS, and ERP systems.
• Develop end-to-end with AI coding agents, refining guardrails for fast, safe, high-quality engineering.
• Improve reliability and observability with testing, monitoring, and on-call practices.
• Implement governance and access controls across pipelines and datasets you own.
• Partner with analysts to understand data needs and translate requirements into durable platform capabilities.
• Engineer tooling and services beyond the warehouse using Python for internal tools and APIs.

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.

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.

What You'll Do

• Build and own key components of our data platform, spanning ingestion (Hevo, Estuary), our Google BigQuery warehouse, and the dbt transformation layer - delivering systems that are scalable, reliable, and secure.
• Contribute to architecture and technical direction, writing design docs, participating in design reviews, and working closely with senior technical leaders to shape how the platform evolves.
• Design and maintain data ingestion pipelines, building batch and CDC pipelines across a diverse set of sources - operational databases, SaaS applications, and ERP systems - and evaluating tooling options with a clear, well-reasoned perspective.
• Develop end-to-end with AI coding agents. Our teams build with Claude Code and similar tools, and you'll use them daily while helping refine the practices and guardrails that keep AI-assisted engineering fast, safe, and high-quality.
• Improve reliability and observability, implementing testing, monitoring, alerting, and on-call practices so data lands on time, is trusted, and failures are caught before stakeholders notice.
• Implement governance and controls, applying access models, auditability, and operational rigor across the pipelines and datasets you own.
• Help build the foundations for agentic analytics, delivering well-modeled, well-governed data that agents and MCP connections can rely on for trustworthy answers.
• Partner with analytics engineers, analysts, and stakeholders to understand data needs, unblock high-value use cases, and turn business requirements into durable platform capabilities.
• Engineer tooling and services beyond the warehouse - building the APIs, automated jobs, and internal tools in Python that make the platform run smoothly and put data in more people's hands than SQL alone can reach.
• Mentor and support other engineers through thoughtful code review, pairing, and knowledge sharing, helping raise the quality and consistency of the team's work.
• Explore what's next for our warehouse, contributing to hands-on POCs on lakehouse patterns, open table formats, and alternative query engines.

Remote or hybrid candidates will also be considered. We believe that there is significant value in in-person collaboration. If you live within a 1 hour commuting distance to one of our offices, you will be required to be onsite most of the time. This will be discussed further as part of the recruiting process.

Salary Range

The salary range for this position is $135,549 - $220,067.

Reasons To Join Us

• Health Insurance: All full-time employees are eligible to enroll in Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Additional Benefits: Full-time employees are eligible for fertility, commuter, and educational assistance benefits.
• 401(K) Matching Plan: We are proud to offer a competitive 401k matching plan to our employees to support their future financial goals
• Vacation: All salaried employees are eligible for flexible time-off.
• Holiday Pay: All regular, full-time employees are eligible for ten company paid holidays
• Employee Discounts: Employees receive discounts on select grading services for approved submissions
• Flexible Hours: Many of our teams offer flexible schedules with varying shifts and will work with you to accommodate your needs
• Fun Working Environment: Our team members are invited to participate in celebrations, holiday events, and team building activities
• Additional Resources: Collectors Tech Blog, PSA

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.

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. For New York Residents: In connection with hiring, Collectors Universe, Inc. uses an automated employment decision tool (Brighthire) to assist in evaluating candidates. Collectors Universe, Inc. began using this tool in September 2026. In accordance with NYC Local Law 144, a summary of the most recent independent bias audit of this tool is available from Brighthire . To request information about the type of data collected, its source, and our data retention policy, contact [e-mail].

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.