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Lead Data Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Stellic

Lead Data Infrastructure Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site +1

$230K - $260K/yr

Stellic is growing! We're looking for a Lead Data Engineer to own the next phase of our data platform that will power everything from internal decision-making to customer-facing insights - and we ...

AllSTEM Connections

Data Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120K - $133K/yr

Lead Data Engineer (GCP, Supply Chain & AI Data Platforms) Role Overview We are seeking an experienced and hands-on Lead Data Engineer to join our Enterprise Data & AI Organization. In this role, you ...

Visionaire Partners

Lead Data Architect

Irvine, CA · On-site

$148K - $185K/yr

Lead Data Architect An established enterprise brand is seeking a Lead Data Architect to spearhead ... Qualifications: * 10+ years in data engineering and architecture * 5+ years leading enterprise ...

CrewAI

Lead Data Engineer, Data Platform

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$134K - $162K/yr

The Role You'll be CrewAI's first dedicated data engineering hire. Your job is to own the data foundation end to end: rationalize what exists, improve the infrastructure, define trusted metrics ...

CrewAI

Lead Data Engineer, Data Platform

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$134K - $162K/yr

The Role You'll be CrewAI's first dedicated data engineering hire. Your job is to own the data foundation end to end: rationalize what exists, improve the infrastructure, define trusted metrics ...

CrewAI

Lead Data Engineer, Data Platform

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$134K - $162K/yr

The Role You'll be CrewAI's first dedicated data engineering hire. Your job is to own the data foundation end to end: rationalize what exists, improve the infrastructure, define trusted metrics ...

Stellent IT LLC

Lead Data Architect

Burbank, CA · On-site

Lead Data Architect Burbank, California(Hybrid) Phone+Skype Long Term Contract JD: You will ... Work closely with data engineers and data product managers to implement scalable data analytical ...

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Showing results 41-60

All JobsLead Data Engineer JobsLead Data Engineer Jobs in California

Lead Data Engineer information

See California salary details

$41.9K

$122.2K

$178.1K

How much do lead data engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 23, 2026, the average yearly pay for lead data engineer in California is $122,163.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $101,200.00 and $133,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a lead data engineer?

Lead Data Engineers are senior professionals responsible for designing, building, and managing large-scale data systems and architectures within an organization. They oversee data engineering teams, set technical standards, and ensure efficient data flow and storage. Their role involves collaborating with data scientists, analysts, and other stakeholders to deliver reliable data solutions that support business goals. Lead Data Engineers also mentor junior engineers and help define best practices and strategies for data management.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a lead data engineer?

To thrive as a Lead Data Engineer, you need advanced expertise in data architecture, database design, and programming languages like Python or Scala, typically supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with big data technologies (e.g., Hadoop, Spark), cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and relevant certifications such as Google Professional Data Engineer are highly valued. Strong leadership, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication help drive team performance and translate business needs into technical solutions. These skills ensure robust, scalable data pipelines and successful collaboration across technical and business stakeholders.

How does a lead data engineer typically collaborate with data scientists and other engineering teams?

As a Lead Data Engineer, you play a central role in bridging the gap between raw data and actionable insights. You’ll collaborate closely with data scientists to understand their requirements, ensuring data pipelines deliver clean, reliable datasets for modeling and analysis. Additionally, you’ll work with software engineers and DevOps teams to integrate data solutions into production systems, maintain data infrastructure, and uphold best practices for data governance and security. Effective communication and cross-functional teamwork are key aspects of this role.

What is the difference between Lead Data Engineer vs Data Engineer?

AspectLead Data EngineerData Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS, Data Science, or related; often certifications in cloud platforms or data toolsBachelor's in CS, Data Science, or related; similar certifications
Work EnvironmentLeads data projects, mentors teams, designs architectureBuilds data pipelines, maintains databases, implements data solutions
Industry UsageUsed in organizations with complex data needs, overseeing data teamsCommon in companies handling large-scale data processing

The main difference is that Lead Data Engineers oversee data projects and teams, focusing on architecture and strategy, while Data Engineers focus on building and maintaining data pipelines. Both roles require similar skills and certifications, but the Lead Data Engineer has additional leadership responsibilities.

What are the most commonly searched types of Lead Data Engineer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Lead Data Engineer jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Lead Data Engineer jobs in California?

For Lead Data Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Lead Data Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Lead Data Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Lead Data Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Lead Data Engineer job openings:

Lead Data Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Lead Data Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 88% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $122,163 per year, or $58.7 per hour.

Lead Data Infrastructure Engineer

Stellic

San Mateo, CA • On-site, Remote

$230K - $260K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement

Re-posted 24 days ago

Job description

Stellic is growing! We're looking for a Lead Data Engineer to own the next phase of our data platform that will power everything from internal decision-making to customer-facing insights - and we need a technical leader who can evolve it to support increasing scale, complexity, and product integration.
ABOUT US
We're building a future where every student can move through their education with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Our platform transforms the student experience, giving them the tools they need to make the right decisions about their degree plans, track their journey, and build an education and career path that's truly their own.
Stellic is a fast-growing startup backed by leading social impact investors, partnering with top institutions like Cornell, Columbia, UVA, and Ohio State to support over 1 million students across 7 countries. As we scale to serve more universities worldwide, we remain deeply committed to this mission, driven by our values, and committed to building a high-performance team that's here to make a lasting difference on both students' lives and higher education.
STELLIC ENGINEERS
Stellic engineers combine a rare blend of curiosity, creativity, and business acumen with the ability to deliver pragmatic solutions at high velocity with uncompromising quality. Our mission is to help students, and our engineers always have that in mind as they are building.
THE DATA TEAM
Stellic's data platform will be critical part of how we operate and deliver value, and will power everything from internal decision-making to customer-facing insights. The platform spans data ingestion, transformation, aggregation, and presentation - with much of the foundation in place, but requiring significant iteration and expansion to support new use cases and growing scale.
We work with data that is highly variable across partners and regions, requiring thoughtful system design to balance standardization with flexibility. In addition to the internal platform, this role is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining customer-facing data systems that extend the core architecture directly to university partners.
As a technical lead on Data, you will own the next phase of our data architecture, shaping both the platform and how data is leveraged across the product. This is a hands-on, high-impact role focused on building and operating a data platform that is scalable, adaptable, and aligned with both internal and product needs. This role will play a central part in shaping both the platform and how data is leveraged across the product.
ABOUT YOU
You've designed and operated data pipelines at scale before, and you understand what it means to build systems with clear guarantees around correctness and consistency. You think carefully about data models, lineage, and validation - and you're equally comfortable owning the internal platform and the customer-facing products built on top of it.
AS OUR LEAD DATA ENGINEER, YOU WILL OWN
  • Data platform, end to end: Own the design, evolution, and operation of Stellic's data pipelines from ingestion through transformation, aggregation, and presentation.
  • Customer-facing data systems: Design, build, and maintain customer-facing data products built on top of the core data architecture, extending the platform's value directly to university partners.
  • Scalable, reliable data processing: Build and maintain systems that ensure consistent and reliable data processing at scale, with clear guarantees around correctness and behavior.
  • Data models across varied requirements: Design data models and pipelines that balance standardization with flexibility to support diverse regional and institutional requirements.
  • Compliance and partner requirements: Ensure systems meet regional and partner-specific data requirements and compliance constraints.
  • Platform evolution: Identify and drive improvements across the data platform to support new use cases and increased scale. Establish patterns for data correctness, consistency, and maintainability.

TO BE SUCCESSFUL, YOU SHOULD HAVE
  • 8+ years of data engineering experience with previous technical lead experience
  • Deep experience designing and operating data pipelines across ingestion, transformation, and aggregation layers
  • Strong expertise in building scalable data processing systems with clear guarantees around correctness and consistency
  • Experience designing data models that balance standardization with flexibility across varied requirements
  • Strong understanding of data correctness, lineage, and validation in complex data systems
  • Familiarity with ensuring compliance with varied regional and partner-specific data requirements
  • Ideal candidates will also have experience building and owning customer-facing data systems or data products
  • Clear and effective communication skills for collaborating with product, design, and customer-facing teams
  • Deep curiosity, customer empathy, and commitment to engineering as a craft

OUR CURRENT TECH STACK
While we plan on introducing new technologies and capabilities, and potentially migrating away from current ones, here is the general shape of our current stack:
  • Data Pipeline:
    • Schema: Pydantic
    • Infrastructure: Terraform
    • Data transforms: dbt
    • Orchestration: MWAA / Airflow
    • Storage: S3 + Redshift Serverless
    • Catalog: Glue Data Catalog + Schema Registry
    • Governance: Lake Formation ABAC
  • Languages: Python, SQL
  • Frameworks: Django, Angular, React, Remix
  • Databases: PostgreSQL, ElasticSearch, Redis
  • Version control: Git (GitHub)
  • Cloud: AWS
  • Deployment: AWS CodeDeploy
  • Observability & Analytics: Sentry, Grafana, Prometheus, PostHog, Metabase
  • Both single and multi-tenant architecture

WHY YOU'LL LOVE WORKING AT STELLIC
  • Shape the future of higher education at a company leading the transformation of student success.
  • Work alongside an ambitious, mission-driven leadership team building something meaningful.
  • Own a piece of the journey with competitive salary, meaningful equity and a culture of excellence, speed and ownership.
  • Thrive in a flexible, outcome-driven culture built on trust and autonomy.
  • Exceptional benefits, including health insurance with Stellic covering 99% of your premium and 75% for dependents.
  • 401(k), commuter benefits, and annual international retreats in incredible locations.

Stellic is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Our company values diversity and believes diverse teams make innovation possible. We encourage all qualified applicants from any race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or other characteristics to apply.

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