New Grad Data Engineer Jobs in Irvine, CA (NOW HIRING)

We’re on a mission to fix dental software - and we’re not playing small. Our platform replaces clunky, outdated systems with modern, cloud-based, AI-powered technology built to actually work at scale. From practice management to imaging to revenue cycle automation, we’re tearing down the old infrastructure and rebuilding the future of dentistry. Planet DDS is the fastest-growing provider of dental practice management solutions and the #1 cloud platform for DSOs and multi-location groups.

Here, you won’t just join a team - you’ll join a movement. We want bold thinkers who are ambitious enough to push limits, empathetic enough to work as one, and accountable enough to own big outcomes. Trust is our currency, collaboration is our edge, and impact is our fuel. If you’re ready to grow fast, challenge the status quo, and help reinvent an entire industry, Planet DDS is where you belong.

To learn more, visit: Planet DDS.

Overview

The Data Engineer IV will design and lead the build-out of Planet DDS’s next-generation data and analytics platform – scalable, reliable, and AI-ready – enabling smarter decisions across every product and team in our ecosystem.

• Architect and build AI-ready data pipelines and ELT workflows with automation at the core, enabling real-time analytics, ML model serving, and generative AI applications across product and operations.
• Lead the design of a modern data platform built for AI workloads, including vector stores, feature stores, and infrastructure that supports LLM integration and AI-powered analytics.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, and Data Science teams to define data models and ensure high-quality, reliable data delivery across the organization.
• Define and enforce data and software engineering best practices, including version control, data quality standards, documentation, and testing frameworks.
• Mentor and coach junior and mid-level data engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous growth.
• Evaluate, adopt, and champion new data technologies and frameworks to drive platform modernization and efficiency.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to define the long-term data strategy and roadmap aligned with company objectives.
• Lead complex, cross-functional data initiatives from scoping through delivery, ensuring stakeholder alignment and on-time execution.
• Optimize data infrastructure for performance, cost efficiency, and reliability at scale.
• Ensure data security, compliance, and governance across the data platform, including adherence to HIPAA and other applicable regulations.
• Champion AI tooling adoption across the data team, including AI-assisted development, automated data quality monitoring, anomaly detection, and intelligent pipeline observability.
• Design and maintain data products that serve AI/ML models in production, including feature engineering pipelines, model input/output logging, and feedback loop infrastructure.

Skills and Qualifications

• 8-11+ years of experience in data engineering, with demonstrated progression to senior or staff-level responsibilities.
• Expert-level proficiency in SQL and at least one programming language (Python, Scala, or Java).
• Deep experience designing and building data pipelines using tools such as Apache Spark, Airflow, dbt, or equivalent.
• Proven ability to design and implement cloud-based data platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP), including data lake and warehouse solutions (Databricks, Snowflake, Redshift, BigQuery, or similar) and AI/ML platforms.
• Strong understanding of data modeling, schema design, and database performance optimization for large-scale datasets.
• Experience with real-time and streaming data architectures (Kafka, Kinesis, or equivalent).
• Hands-on experience integrating AI/ML workflows into data platforms, including feature stores, vector databases, or LLM-adjacent data pipelines (e.g., RAG systems, embedding pipelines).
• Familiarity with AI development tooling and a demonstrated habit of using AI to accelerate engineering work, code review, documentation, and data modeling.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical projects and influence architectural decisions across teams and functions.
• Experience with data governance, data quality frameworks, and compliance requirements; familiarity with HIPAA is strongly preferred.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Benefits:

• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Health Savings Account
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Telehealth
• 401(k) and 401(k) match
• Life and AD&D insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• FTO or Vacation
• Sick Time
• Employee Well-Being program
• 11 paid holidays
• Volunteer Time Off
• Employee Referral program
• Additional perk and voluntary benefit programs

Salary is based on a number of factors and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This position is also eligible for variable pay as part of the total compensation package.

PLANET DDS CORE IDEOLOGY:

To encourage measurable progress toward our vision and make the best decisions on behalf of employees and customers, we adopted a set of common values:

• Collaborative – Working independently and across teams, we create scalable solutions to enable company growth
• Empathetic – We are educated on the experience of our customers and feel vested in their success
• Accountable – We feel ownership for the quality of our work and take pride in the positive outcomes
• Trustworthy – We operate with integrity and honest, making promises we know that we can keep
• Ambitious – We are driven by our ability to make a long-term, positive impact on the lives of dental market leaders

Planet DDS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.