Senior Data Engineer

Backflip • Full-time • San Francisco, California, United States • $175k - $240k / year • 3h ago

The Role

Backflip is looking for a Senior Data Engineer to design, build, and maintain the systems that power our data workflows. You’ll own the pipelines and infrastructure that feed our ML research and production environments, ensuring reliability and scalability at large volumes. A key focus will be working with 3D CAD data and other structured/unstructured data sources, making them usable for researchers and engineers across the company.

This is a hybrid role based in our San Francisco headquarters.

What You’ll Do

Design, build, and manage large-scale data pipelines and surrounding infrastructure
Partner with ML researchers to deliver high-quality data for training and evaluation
Process and interpret 3D CAD data for downstream ML and engineering applications
Build systems that scale from millions to hundreds of millions of data points
Develop tools for structured logging, monitoring, and querying large datasets
Collaborate with DevOps to ensure robust, secure, and automated data workflows

What We’re Looking For

5+ years of professional experience in data engineering or related fields
Strong experience building and maintaining batch ETL pipelines
Proficiency with Python and modern data tooling (Airflow, dbt, Spark, or equivalent)
Familiarity with Docker-based workflows and distributed cloud infrastructure (AWS, Modal, or similar)
Experience designing and optimizing data storage and query systems at scale
Exposure to ML workflows and preparing data for AI/ML systems
Strong problem-solving skills with a track record of building robust, scalable systems
Ability to collaborate effectively across ML research, engineering, and cross-functional teams

Nice to Have

Experience working with 3D or CAD data formats
Background or experience in another engineering discipline (mechanical, electrical, civil, etc.)

Compensation

The expected base salary range for this role is $175,000 – $240,000, plus equity. Final offers will be based on experience, interview performance, and alignment with role requirements.

Why Backflip

Repeat founder in 3D printing/CAD with a prior $2.1B exit
Backed by a16z and NEA; small, senior team with outsized impact
Flexible PTO and competitive compensation
3 days a week in our San Francisco office, 2 days remote with the option to come in more often