Data Collection Specialist Jobs in California
Data Collection Specialist jobs in California are consistently active, with demand concentrated in life sciences, public health research, technology, and market research across a large and diverse employer base. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego lead in openings, where organizations like Kaiser Permanente, RAND Corporation, and UC Health systems regularly hire specialists at field, mid-level, and senior researcher grades. Survey methodology, clinical data abstraction, and geospatial data collection are the most sought-after specialties in the state. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 24+ Data Collection Specialist jobs
DESCRIPTION
Key job responsibilities
Own the technical execution and continuous improvement of early-stage data collection for advanced robotics. Partner with researchers to translate research objectives into reliable collection workflows, improve data quality, and shorten policy training iteration cycles. Work independently within agreed priorities, providing hands-on technical guidance to data collectors and coordinating execution across research, engineering, and operations.
In this role, you will
- Own end-to-end collection iterations for assigned research tasks, from requirements and station readiness through pilot collection, quality review, and delivery of training-ready data. Coordinate dependencies and resolve blockers to meet agreed quality and turnaround goals.
- Partner with researchers to develop and refine SOPs, translating task objectives, failure modes, and evaluation feedback into clear collection instructions and acceptance criteria. Maintain version control and ensure collectors adopt changes consistently.
- Serve as the technical subject matter expert for assigned collection workflows, equipment, and tools. Independently diagnose complex issues involving robotics hardware, sensors, calibration, collection software, and data integrity; engage engineering partners when resolution requires deeper expertise.
- Provide critical technical direction and coaching to data collectors. Demonstrate correct execution, calibrate collectors against quality standards, and develop their troubleshooting skills and judgment.
- Assess operational and technical risks, including equipment readiness, unsafe conditions, data loss, and quality degradation. Determine when to continue, pause collection, or escalate, and coordinate recovery within established safety and technical boundaries.
- Own collection performance metrics, including usable-data yield, rework, station availability, and iteration turnaround time. Use dashboards and root-cause analysis to identify recurring issues and verify that corrective actions improve results.
- Lead operational improvement projects that reduce collection failures and iteration delays. Develop and implement reusable workflows, troubleshooting guides, readiness checks, and lightweight tooling, and drive adoption across relevant stations, shifts, and partner teams.
- Coordinate technical and nontechnical stakeholders, including researchers, engineering, operations, and annotation partners. Communicate priorities, trade-offs, risks, and decisions clearly, and escalate issues that threaten delivery commitments.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Can work proactively and independently, meet deadlines, and deliver on projects and tasks
- Bachelor's degree or above in Operations Research, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science or related field, or experience working in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM)
- Experience diagnosing hardware, software, or process issues, using evidence to identify root causes and implement corrective actions
- Strong problem-solving and systems-thinking skills, including the ability to assess risks and make sound technical decisions with incomplete information
- Working understanding of how collection quality, task coverage, and consistency affect model training and evaluation, with the ability to translate research requirements into executable procedures and quality checks
- Demonstrated ability to train and mentor others and communicate complex information clearly to technical and nontechnical audiences, including remote teams and colleagues who use English as a second language
- Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and dependencies across multiple collection tasks
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 5+ years of experience in technical operations, engineering, technical project management, or a related role involving hands-on ownership of complex systems or workflows
- Experience developing SOPs, technical documentation, performance metrics, and process improvements, and ensuring their adoption
- Experience with robotics, teleoperation, egocentric video, or multimodal sensor data
- Experience supporting ML/AI data collection, annotation, quality assurance, or model evaluation workflows
- Familiarity with sensor calibration, timestamp synchronization, pose tracking, and data integrity checks
- Experience using vibe coding agents to build and maintain lightweight operational tools
- Experience taking an experimental workflow from initial pilot through repeatable execution across multiple stations or teams
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, CA, San Francisco - 128,000.00 - 214,000.00 USD annually
DESCRIPTION
Key job responsibilities
Own the technical execution and continuous improvement of early-stage data collection for advanced robotics. Partner with researchers to translate research objectives into reliable collection workflows, improve data quality, and shorten policy training iteration cycles. Work independently within agreed priorities, providing hands-on technical guidance to data collectors and coordinating execution across research, engineering, and operations.
In this role, you will
- Own end-to-end collection iterations for assigned research tasks, from requirements and station readiness through pilot collection, quality review, and delivery of training-ready data. Coordinate dependencies and resolve blockers to meet agreed quality and turnaround goals.
- Partner with researchers to develop and refine SOPs, translating task objectives, failure modes, and evaluation feedback into clear collection instructions and acceptance criteria. Maintain version control and ensure collectors adopt changes consistently.
- Serve as the technical subject matter expert for assigned collection workflows, equipment, and tools. Independently diagnose complex issues involving robotics hardware, sensors, calibration, collection software, and data integrity; engage engineering partners when resolution requires deeper expertise.
- Provide critical technical direction and coaching to data collectors. Demonstrate correct execution, calibrate collectors against quality standards, and develop their troubleshooting skills and judgment.
- Assess operational and technical risks, including equipment readiness, unsafe conditions, data loss, and quality degradation. Determine when to continue, pause collection, or escalate, and coordinate recovery within established safety and technical boundaries.
- Own collection performance metrics, including usable-data yield, rework, station availability, and iteration turnaround time. Use dashboards and root-cause analysis to identify recurring issues and verify that corrective actions improve results.
- Lead operational improvement projects that reduce collection failures and iteration delays. Develop and implement reusable workflows, troubleshooting guides, readiness checks, and lightweight tooling, and drive adoption across relevant stations, shifts, and partner teams.
- Coordinate technical and nontechnical stakeholders, including researchers, engineering, operations, and annotation partners. Communicate priorities, trade-offs, risks, and decisions clearly, and escalate issues that threaten delivery commitments.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Can work proactively and independently, meet deadlines, and deliver on projects and tasks
- Bachelor's degree or above in Operations Research, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science or related field, or experience working in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM)
- Experience diagnosing hardware, software, or process issues, using evidence to identify root causes and implement corrective actions
- Strong problem-solving and systems-thinking skills, including the ability to assess risks and make sound technical decisions with incomplete information
- Working understanding of how collection quality, task coverage, and consistency affect model training and evaluation, with the ability to translate research requirements into executable procedures and quality checks
- Demonstrated ability to train and mentor others and communicate complex information clearly to technical and nontechnical audiences, including remote teams and colleagues who use English as a second language
- Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and dependencies across multiple collection tasks
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 5+ years of experience in technical operations, engineering, technical project management, or a related role involving hands-on ownership of complex systems or workflows
- Experience developing SOPs, technical documentation, performance metrics, and process improvements, and ensuring their adoption
- Experience with robotics, teleoperation, egocentric video, or multimodal sensor data
- Experience supporting ML/AI data collection, annotation, quality assurance, or model evaluation workflows
- Familiarity with sensor calibration, timestamp synchronization, pose tracking, and data integrity checks
- Experience using vibe coding agents to build and maintain lightweight operational tools
- Experience taking an experimental workflow from initial pilot through repeatable execution across multiple stations or teams
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, CA, San Francisco - 128,000.00 - 214,000.00 USD annually
See All 24 Data Collection Specialist Jobs in California
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Find JobsData Collection Specialist Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Data Collection Specialist Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in data collection specialist jobs across California.
- Associate or bachelor's degree in social science, public health, or a related field
- Experience using data collection platforms such as REDCap, Qualtrics, or SurveyMonkey
- Demonstrated ability to collect, verify, and enter data accurately across large datasets
- Familiarity with California-specific privacy regulations including CCPA data handling
- Strong written and verbal communication skills for participant and stakeholder interaction
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets for data logging and basic analysis
Data Collection Specialist Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a data collection specialist in California?
Most California employers hire data collection specialists with an associate or bachelor's degree in public health, social science, statistics, or a related field. There is no state-issued license required for the general role, but positions in clinical research often require completion of CITI Program training or Good Clinical Practice certification recognized by California's research institutions. Building experience through university research labs, community health organizations, or government survey programs is the most direct path into the field.
Which companies hire data collection specialists in California?
Employers hiring data collection specialists in California right now include Tesla, COBOT, and Amazon, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. California's concentration of health systems, research universities, and technology companies means openings appear across a particularly wide range of industries.
Which California cities have the most data collection specialist jobs?
Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Fremont account for the largest share of data collection specialist openings in California. Los Angeles draws volume from its public health agencies, entertainment research firms, and large hospital networks, San Francisco and San Diego benefit from dense concentrations of biotech and clinical research employers, and Sacramento generates steady demand through state government health and policy programs.
Are there remote data collection specialist jobs in California?
Yes, but they are mixed. Many data collection roles require in-person fieldwork, site visits, or clinical settings, while survey design, data entry, and research coordination tasks are well suited to remote work. About 0% of data collection specialist openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and the most remote-compatible positions tend to be those focused on online survey administration or secondary data analysis.
How can I get hired as a data collection specialist in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is applying to research assistant or data entry associate roles at California's public universities, county health departments, or nonprofit research institutes, which routinely hire candidates without extensive prior experience. UC campuses and California State University system departments often post student or entry-level research positions open to recent graduates. Completing CITI Program certification and demonstrating familiarity with tools like REDCap or Qualtrics gives applicants a concrete edge over candidates with equivalent education but no technical exposure.
Where can I find and apply to data collection specialist jobs in California?
You can find and apply to data collection specialist jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings from employers across the state. Search for roles that match your experience level and specialization, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 24 Data Collection Specialist Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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