Senior Data Engineering Architect

Are we right for you...

Do you enjoy solving difficult technical problems that don't have an obvious answer? 

Perhaps you're a software-first data engineer who enjoys building robust systems, creating scalable data products, and continuously improving how engineering work gets done. Maybe you're the person who doesn't just build the thing, you ask whether or not there's a better way to build it. 

If you're energized by variety, continuous learning, modern engineering practices, and collaborating with a highly technical team that is still learning and evolving every day, this may be the next step in your career. 

In this role you will be asked to...

Build the data foundation that powers reporting, analytics, operational decision-making, and machine learning across BC Transit. Reporting to the Manager, Enterprise Data & Analytics, you'll design, build, and maintain automated data pipelines that transform raw data into reliable, scalable, and reusable data products. 

This role goes beyond simply moving data from one place to another. You'll help shape the future of the organization's data engineering practice by introducing best practices, improving standards, recommending new approaches, and helping the team evolve its capabilities.  

You'll work with a variety of technologies including cloud data platforms, lakehouses, warehouses, and Data/MLOps practices. You'll collaborate with project teams, vendors, architects, analysts, and technical stakeholders to solve new and often complex challenges as business needs evolve.  

As a senior member of the team, you'll mentor other data engineers, contribute to technical decision making, and help establish engineering patterns that can be adopted across the organization.  

No two days are exactly the same. One day you may be troubleshooting an ingestion issue, the next designing a new lakehouse, building a feature engineering pipeline, or helping define the future roadmap for data engineering at BC Transit. 

In this role you will not be asked to...

• Operate in a highly predictable environment where the same processes and tasks repeat day after day. 
• To do things strictly by the book. Success comes from curiosity, experimentation, continuous improvement, and solving new technical problems as they emerge. 
• Contribute as a data generalist. This is a highly technical engineering role focused on data platforms, software engineering practices, automation, architecture implementation, and scalable data solutions.  
• Work in isolation. Collaboration is fundamental to how the team operates, and engineers work closely with each other and stakeholders across the organization. 

What you might love about this role...

• Build the Practice, Not Just the Product: You'll help define engineering standards, best practices, tooling approaches, and the future direction of data engineering at BC Transit.  
• Software-First Engineering: This role embraces modern software engineering concepts including version control, automated testing, CI/CD, DataOps, and MLOps.  
• Interesting Problems to Solve: You'll tackle complex data integration, architecture, quality, performance, and scalability challenges across a diverse technology environment.  
• Modern Technology Stack: Work with cloud data platforms, tiered architectures, automated workflows, machine learning pipelines, and enterprise-scale data products.  
• Collaborative Technical Culture: You'll join a team that is highly collaborative, supportive, low-key, and committed to delivering quality outcomes while continuing to learn from one another. 
• Visible Organizational Impact: The solutions you build become foundational assets that support reporting, analytics, operations, governance, and decision-making across BC Transit.  

What might not resonate...

• You prefer highly repetitive work with established processes and limited ambiguity. 
• You enjoy working independently with minimal collaboration or stakeholder interaction. 
• You see yourself as a data generalist rather than a specialist technical engineer. 
• You are not interested in mentoring others or contributing to engineering standards and best practices. 
• You prefer maintaining existing solutions rather than designing and building new capabilities. 

What you'll bring to the table...

Some qualities you possess to be successful in this role: 

• Data Engineering Expertise – deep understanding of modern data engineering practices and scalable data architecture patterns.  
• Software Engineering Mindset – strong commitment to engineering discipline, code quality, automation, testing, version control, and CI/CD practices. 
• Advanced Python and SQL Skills – expert-level proficiency developing and maintaining data pipelines, transformations, and automated workflows.  
• Cloud Platform Experience – experience working with modern cloud data platforms and lakehouse architectures such as Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, or Snowflake.  
• Problem-Solving Ability – demonstrated analytical and computational problem-solving skills with the ability to tackle complex technical challenges independently.  
• Innovation Mindset – a passion for continually improving systems, practices, processes, and technical approaches.  
• Collaboration and Communication Skills – ability to translate business needs into technical solutions and build strong working relationships with stakeholders and teammates.  
• Leadership Through Influence – experience mentoring peers, coaching teammates, and helping elevate technical capability across a team.  

The successful candidate will typically bring a post-secondary degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, along with at least five years of experience building production data pipelines and three years of hands-on experience developing automated workflows using SQL, Python, and modern data engineering tools such as Airflow and dbt. Experience with cloud data platforms, machine learning pipelines, DataOps practices, and mentoring technical teammates will be highly valued.  

To learn more about this role, we encourage you to review the Senior Data Engineer job description where you'll see all the accountabilities of the position. 

What we'll bring to the table...

We value and prioritize personal wellness and offer comprehensive benefits to support all the important phases and milestones of your journey:

• Comprehensive medical and dental benefits to support you and your family, regardless of what life throws at you
• Membership in BC’s Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP). Nationally recognized for its strong investment and governance practices, PSPP is a “defined benefit” plan
• Access to fitness and lifestyle centers to help you take care of your physical fitness and health
• Various programs that support employees such as an Employee Assistance Program and health and wellness initiatives and events aimed at fostering your mental health
• A complimentary employee bus pass (plus taxable dependent passes)
• A corporate learning and development program to help you in continuous career growth
• An employee recognition program where we all recognize each other's successes (not just your Leaders!)
• A social club that gives you access to events throughout Victoria

What next steps could look like...

• Interviews will be conducted the week of September 7th, 2026
• An eligibility list for future full time regular and temporary full time vacancies may be established
• The position requires the completion of a Criminal Record Check or Vulnerable Sector Search
• If you have a disability that requires an accommodation during any stage of our recruitment process, please let us know how we can assist you by contacting careers@bctransit.com
• BC Transit is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. If the organization identifies this position as a reasonable accommodation for an existing employee, all candidates will be notified as soon as reasonably possible