Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Collectors; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Collectors is seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to join the AI/ML team. You will design, train, and deploy scalable ML systems used across grading, authentication, and research workflows.

You’ll own end-to-end projects, build production pipelines for computer vision and multimodal data, and partner with product, operations, and domain experts to turn ambiguous problems into reliable ML solutions in a collaborative, hybrid environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in machine learning or applied AI.
• Hands-on experience shipping ML systems in production.
• Proficiency in Python and ML tooling; strong software fundamentals.
• Experience in computer vision, multimodal modeling, or LLM-based systems.
• Ability to define evaluation methodologies and data-driven decisions.
• Clear communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and deploy end-to-end ML systems for AI/ML product initiatives.
• Own projects from framing through implementation, launch, and post-launch monitoring.
• Develop production-grade computer vision, multimodal, and agentic pipelines.
• Build data pipelines, evaluation frameworks, and feedback loops for reliability.
• Collaborate with annotation, operations, product, and domain experts on data needs and metrics.
• Translate experiments into actionable recommendations balancing quality, latency, and cost.
• Contribute code, docs, and design artifacts; participate in reviews.

Skills

Python

ML in production

Data pipelines

Model evaluation

Education

Bachelor's in CS/ML

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Scikit-learn

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 help people research and manage the items they care about most. Our products bring authentication, grading, and trading into the modern era and make complex collector data more accessible.Our engineering mission is to build trusted, scalable systems that improve the experience for every collector.We’re looking for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to join our AI/ML team and build applied machine learning systems from prototype through production. This role is ideal for an engineer who is equally comfortable training and evaluating models, designing production-ready pipelines, and shipping tools that help internal teams make better decisions. You’ll work across computer vision, structured data, and agentic AI workflows, with direct impact on products used by graders, researchers, and collectors. You’ll partner closely with product, engineering, operations, and domain experts to turn ambiguous problems into measurable, reliable ML solutions.What You’ll DoDesign, build, and deploy end-to-end machine learning systems that support AI/ML product initiativesOwn projects from problem framing through implementation, evaluation, launch, and post-launch monitoring, with clear accountability for outcomesDevelop production-grade computer vision, multimodal, and agentic pipeline solutions that can ingest images and other inputs, reason over uncertainty, and return structured, reliable outputsBuild and improve data pipelines, model evaluation frameworks, and feedback loops that ensure training and inference systems remain accurate, scalable, and maintainable over timePartner with annotation, operations, product, and domain experts to define data requirements, labeling standards, success metrics, and rollout plansTranslate experimental findings into clear technical recommendations, balancing model quality, latency, cost, and operational complexityContribute high-quality code, documentation, and technical design artifacts, and collaborate effectively through design reviews, code reviews, and cross-functional discussionsWhat We’re Looking For5+ years of experience in machine learning, applied AI, or a closely related software engineering fieldStrong hands-on experience building and shipping machine learning systems in production, including data preparation, model training, evaluation, deployment, and monitoringProficiency in Python and common ML tooling, along with solid software engineering fundamentals such as testing, modular design, observability, and version controlExperience in one or more of the following areas: computer vision, multimodal modeling, information extraction, search/retrieval, or LLM-based systemsDemonstrated ability to define statistically sound evaluation methodologies and make data-driven decisions about model readiness and trade-offsStrong judgment in system design, including how to build solutions that are scalable, maintainable, and practical for real-world operationsClear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholdersA high-ownership mindset with the ability to operate independently, navigate ambiguity, and drive work to completionNice to HaveExperience working on image-heavy or quality-sensitive domains such as computer vision inspection, authentication, fraud detection, or document/image understandingExperience with agentic systems, tool-using LLMs, verification loops, or workflows that combine models with retrieval and structured outputsFamiliarity with cloud ML infrastructure, experiment tracking, and production inference patternsExperience collaborating with human-in-the-loop operations, annotation teams, or domain specialists to improve model qualityInterest in collectibles, trading cards, marketplaces, or trust-and-safety style problemsCollectors 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] 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].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 .