Senior Data Engineer

Checkr; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 218,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Learning and development allowance

Competitive equity package

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Fertility/adoption/parental planning

Flexible PTO

Wellness stipend

Job summary

Checkr is building a centralized people data platform to power fair and fast hiring decisions. As a Senior Data Engineer on the People Data team, you’ll lead core services and data pipelines, delivering reliable, scalable solutions that power Checkr’s products across Workforce, Trust, and Personal.

You will design data pipelines, own critical services, mentor engineers, and collaborate with product and engineering teams to scope initiatives.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering experience building scalable data platforms or backend services.
• Strong proficiency in Python, PySpark, and SQL and CS fundamentals.
• Experience building large-scale data processing pipelines (ETL/ELT, batch, stream).
• Familiarity with Kafka, Spark, Iceberg and AWS stack (EKS, EMR, Glue, Athena, S3).
• Experience with data modeling, domain modeling, and system architecture.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and ship new capabilities and data pipelines for the People Data platform from design through release.
• Lead the execution of core services with ownership, balancing speed to market with long-term scalability.
• Build and maintain large-scale data processing pipelines across Checkr’s products.
• Partner with Product and cross-functional teams to scope initiatives and roadmap quarterly.
• Ensure platform availability and data accuracy by on-call rotation and issue resolution.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to the broader engineering organization.

Skills

Python

PySpark

SQL

Data pipelines

Big data

Tools

Kafka

Spark

Iceberg

AWS stack

MongoDB

Job description

About Checkr
Checkr is building the data platform to power safe and fair decisions. Over 140,000 companies and millions of people rely on Checkr for AI verification in the moments that matter most: getting a new job, a new place to live, a car ride, childcare, even a date. Customers include Uber, Pennymac, Airbnb, Doordash, Amazon, and Anthropic.

We’re a team that thrives on solving complex problems with innovative solutions that advance our mission. Checkr is recognized on Forbes Cloud 100 2025 List and is a Y Combinator 2024 Breakthrough Company.

As a technical contributor on the People Data team, you’ll help build and scale Checkr’s centralized people data platform, the system that stores and serves the identity and people records powering every Checkr product.

As a Senior Data Engineer, you’ll lead the execution of core services and data pipelines, delivering reliable, high-quality solutions that keep the platform fast and accurate as our product surface grows. You’ll partner closely with engineering, product, and data teams across Workforce, Tenant, Trust, and Personal, directly enabling the fair and safe hiring decisions at the heart of Checkr’s growth.

What you’ll do

• Design, build, and ship new capabilities and data pipelines for the People Data platform, from design through release
• Lead the execution of core services with strong ownership, balancing speed to market with long-term scalability and reliability
• Build and maintain large-scale data processing pipelines (batch and streaming) that serve identity and people records across Checkr’s products
• Partner with Product and cross-functional teams to scope appropriately sized initiatives and shape a roadmap that meets business needs quarter over quarter
• Ensure platform availability and data accuracy by participating in on-call rotation, resolving production issues, and driving preventative improvements
• Mentor engineers on the team and contribute to the broader engineering organization through technical reviews, showcases, and proposals

What you bring

• 5+ years of software engineering experience building scalable, performant data platforms or backend services
• Strong proficiency in Python, PySpark, and SQL, with solid Computer Science fundamentals across data structures, algorithms, and relational/NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB)
• Experience building large-scale data processing pipelines using ETL/ELT, batch, and stream processing
• Familiarity with big data technologies such as Kafka, Spark, Iceberg, and data lakes, and the AWS stack (EKS, EMR, Glue, Athena, S3)
• Experience with data modeling, domain modeling, and system architecture, with a proven track record of writing clear, tested code
• Knowledge of security best practices and data privacy concerns, and a strong sense of ownership across the full development lifecycle
• Nice to have: experience with data processing platforms such as Databricks or Snowflake

#LI-TD1

Pay Transparency Disclosure

We use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop ranges for our roles and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range. If this role is remote, we have listed the top to the bottom of the possible range, but we will specify the target range for an exact location when you are selected for a recruiting discussion. For more information on our compensation philosophy, see our website.

On-target Earnings OR Base Salary range (San Francisco, CA)

$185,000—$218,000 USD

On-target Earnings OR Base Salary range (Denver, CO)

$157,000—$185,000 USD

What We Offer

• A fast-paced and collaborative environment
• Learning and development allowance
• Competitive cash and equity compensation, and opportunity for advancement
• 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Up to $25K reimbursement for fertility, adoption, and parental planning services
• Flexible PTO policy
• Monthly wellness stipend

At Checkr, we believe an in office work environment strengthens collaboration, drives innovation, and encourages connection. Our hub locations are Denver, CO; San Francisco, CA; Nashville, TN; and Santiago, Chile. Individuals are expected to work from the office 3+ days a week. In-office perks are provided, such as lunch five times a week, a commuter stipend, and an abundance of snacks and beverages. A relocation stipend may be available for those willing to relocate to a Checkr hub location.

Equal Employment Opportunities at Checkr
Checkr is committed to building the best product and company, which requires hiring talented and qualified individuals with a diverse set of perspectives and lived experiences. Checkr believes in hiring people of all backgrounds, including those whose histories are impacted by the justice system in accordance with local, state, and/or federal laws, including the San Francisco’s Fair Chance Ordinance.

Applicant Privacy Policy
If you are a California resident or are located in Alberta or British Columbia, our Applicant Privacy Policy applies to our collection and processing of your personal information when you apply for a role with us or otherwise participate in our recruitment process.

*Legitimate Checkr emails will always include our official domain name after the @ symbol (e.g., [e-mail] or [e-mail]).