Data Engineer – Clips/ML Data at Modal

New York, New York, United States

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$170,000 – $275,000Compensation

Senior (5 to 8 years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Gaming, Technology, Machine LearningIndustries

Requirements

5+ years of experience in data engineering, backend systems, or related roles. Experience with video data or ML infrastructure is a plus
Deep knowledge of ETL/ELT pipelines, distributed systems, and streaming data architectures (e.g., Kafka, Spark, Flink, etc.)
Strong proficiency with Python, Scala, Go, or similar languages used in data-intensive environments
Experience with cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS, GCP) and modern data stack tools (e.g., dbt, Airflow, Parquet, Arrow)
Track record of designing systems with extreme scale and performance requirements
Deep understanding of data QA methodologies, anomaly detection, and automated testing in production systems
Passion for mentorship and team development; able to upskill engineers and advocate for engineering excellence
A bias toward ownership, urgency, and a desire to build systems that just work, even at scale

Responsibilities

Architect and operate petabyte-scale ingestion pipelines
Design automated QA guard-rails (schema validation, anomaly detection, deduplication)
Build high-performance ETL and feature-extraction jobs to process and index hundreds of millions of clips into columnar/video-native formats
Own the end-to-end data ingestion stack (desktop & mobile recorders, upload services, CDN)
Establish real-time monitoring, lineage, and “five-nines” SLAs, driving continuous improvement across storage, compute, and network layers
Partner with research and product to curate high-signal data slices, data-health metrics, and accelerate model experimentation
Champion security, privacy, and governance: implement robust RBAC, audit trails, and compliant retention policies for sensitive gameplay footage and user inputs
Mentor and uplevel engineers (including internal Medal platform talent), fostering a culture of craftsmanship, documentation, and ruthless focus on data excellence

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

ETLData PipelinesSchema ValidationAnomaly DetectionDeduplicationFeature ExtractionReal-time MonitoringData LineageRBACVideo ProcessingML Infrastructure

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the salary range for this Data Engineer position?

The salary range is $170K - $275K.

Is this role remote or onsite?

This is an onsite position.

What skills and experience are required for this role?

Candidates need 5+ years in data engineering or backend systems, deep knowledge of ETL/ELT pipelines, distributed systems, and streaming architectures like Kafka or Spark, strong proficiency in Python, Scala, or Go, experience with cloud infrastructure like AWS or GCP, and expertise in data QA and anomaly detection.

What is the company culture like at Medal?

Medal has a passionate team that values ownership, innovation, craftsmanship, documentation, and a ruthless focus on data excellence, with emphasis on mentorship and engineering excellence.

What makes a strong candidate for this Data Engineer role?

Strong candidates have a track record of building systems at extreme scale, a bias toward ownership and urgency, experience with petabyte-scale pipelines and video/ML data, and a passion for mentorship.

Modal

Employee training and skill development platform

About Modal

Modal Learning focuses on improving employee performance through skill development for businesses. Their main product, the Modal Mastery Platform, uses active learning techniques, including live cohort sessions, labs, and one-on-one coaching, to help employees engage with the material effectively. Unlike competitors, Modal Learning offers a subscription model that provides structured eight-week training programs, aligning skill development with organizational goals. The company's goal is to empower employees and help organizations retain talent by providing clear career development paths.

San Francisco, CaliforniaHeadquarters

2021Year Founded

$30.8MTotal Funding

EARLY_VCCompany Stage

Consulting, EducationIndustries

51-200Employees

Risks

Competition from established players and emerging startups could dilute Modal's market share.

Focus on data and AI may limit appeal to companies seeking broader skill development.

Economic downturns could reduce corporate spending on employee training, impacting revenue.

Differentiation

Modal offers personalized technical skills training with on-demand coaching.

The platform uses cohort-based learning to enhance engagement and retention.

Modal's strategic skills planning aligns training with business goals.

Upsides

Increased demand for personalized learning experiences boosts Modal's market potential.

Growing emphasis on data and AI skills aligns with Modal's course offerings.

Subscription model provides steady revenue and predictable growth for Modal.

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