Lead developer Jobs in Ottawa, ON

Developer

Take a central role

The Bank of Canada has a vision to be a leading central bank—dynamic, engaged and trusted—committed to a better Canada. No other employer in the country offers you the unique opportunity to work at the very center of Canada’s economy, in an organization with significant impact on the economic and financial well-being of all Canadians. You will be challenged, energized and motivated to excel in our environment.

Building on the principles that have always guided us – excellence, integrity and respect – we strive to be forward-looking and innovative, to welcome people with diverse perspectives and talents, and to earn trust by living up to our commitments and by clearly explaining the intent of our policies and actions.

With our defined-benefit pension plan, benefits, and high flexibility for work life balance - find out more about why we are annually ranked as one of Canada's top employers: Working Here - Bank of Canada

Find out more about the next steps in our Recruitment process.

This competition will be used to fill Regular and Term opportunities at the Job Grade 15 and 16 level.

What you need to know

As a member of our multidisciplinary Data Operations team, you will collaborate with other developers, data analysts, data modelers, architects and business stakeholders to create reliable and scalable data pipelines using Databricks, Python, SQL, and cloud data technologies. You will contribute to the development of ingestion workflows, transformations, data quality checks, and automation that enable the Bank to effectively manage and leverage its data.

You will follow development standards and established patterns to ensure consistency in design and delivery of supported data pipelines, while contributing to the enhancements of these standards and better ways of working. You will support your peers by sharing your knowledge and benefit yourself by learning from the experience of others.

As a Developer, you will help build the data foundations that power analytics, research, digital services, and AI enabled solutions, including machine learning and large language model (LLM) use cases. You will contribute to preparing, validating, and structuring data that is fit for advanced analytics, model training, inference, and experimentation across the Bank.

This role offers an excellent opportunity for developers seeking to build and expand their skills in modern data engineering.

What you will do

Data Engineering & Development

• Build secure, well-structured data pipelines and transformations using Databricks/Spark.
• Write Python and SQL code for ingestion, data cleaning, validation, and automation.
• Help maintain and enhance the Bank’s cloud data platform and analytics environment.
• Support the creation of reusable patterns, notebooks, and components for data processing.

Team Collaboration

• Participate actively in Agile development cycles, including sprint planning, demos, and code reviews.
• Partner with senior developers to troubleshoot issues, resolve data quality problems, and develop enhancements.
• Share ideas and contribute to discussions on improvements to data workflows, tooling, and team practices.

Documentation & Testing

• Create and maintain clear documentation for pipelines, processes, and data flows.
• Support automated testing and data-quality checks using Databricks and Python frameworks.

Continuous Learning

• Build skill depth in Databricks, Spark, Python, cloud data services, and data engineering best practices.
• Stay informed about data engineering trends, tools, and emerging technologies.
• Explore optional ML/LLM tooling under guidance (e.g., model-driven workflows, feature extraction, vectorization).

What you need to succeed

Level 15 role (Entry–Intermediate)

• Foundational Python and SQL skills.
• Exposure to cloud or distributed frameworks.
• Understanding of ETL and data engineering concepts.

Level 16 role (Intermediate–Advanced)

• Strong Python and SQL skills.
• Hands-on experience with cloud and distributed data platforms.
• Applies best practices and contributes to standards.
• Works independently and supports team capability growth.

To have success at both levels we require you to have strong problem-solving skills and a keen attention to detail, combined with a collaborative approach and the ability to communicate clearly with a variety of stakeholders. Candidates should demonstrate enthusiasm for learning, a willingness to experiment with new technologies and approaches, and a genuine desire to continuously grow and develop their expertise in the data engineering field.

Nice-to-have

• Practical experience with Databricks, Spark, or Delta Lake.
• Knowledge of data modeling, data quality patterns, or metadata management.
• Exposure to machine learning or LLM workflows (e.g., embeddings, inference, feature engineering).
• Experience with workflow orchestration tools (Airflow, Databricks Jobs, etc.).
• Familiarity with data visualization tools such as Power BI or Tableau.

Your education and experience

This role requires a college or bachelor’s degree/diploma in computer science and a minimum of three years (for level 15) or 5 years (for level 16) of relevant experience in data engineering, software development, or data analytics. Relevant internships or academic projects will also be considered as part of your experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Innovative Mindset
We value candidates who demonstrate adaptability, curiosity, and a willingness to learn new technologies, including AI and digital tools. We seek individuals who can think critically about data, question existing processes, and find ways to simplify our work while embracing change and new ways of doing things.

Language requirement

The Bank’s work environment is conducive to the use of both of Canada’s official languages - English and French. Although the position language requirement is English or French essential, we do encourage everyone to improve their second language proficiency for future career growth and to contribute towards fostering a bilingual environment.

What you need to know

• Priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents
• Security level required: Be eligible to obtain Secret
• Relocation assistance may be provided, if required
• Please save a copy of the job poster. Once the closing date has passed, it will no longer be available.

Hybrid Work Model
The Bank offers work arrangements that provide employees with flexibility, enable high-performing teams, and support an excellent workplace culture. Most employees can telework from home for a portion of each month as part of the Bank’s hybrid work model, and they are expected on site at the Bank location a minimum of 12 days per month to help build connections between colleagues. You must live in Canada, and within reasonable commuting distance of the office.

What you can expect from us
This is a great opportunity to join a leading organization and be part of a high-performing team. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet your needs at every stage of your life and career. For more information on key benefits please visit A great deal to consider.

• Salaries are based on qualifications and experience and typically range from $82,586 to $97,160 (job grade 15), and $94,193 to $110,816 (job grade 16)
• The Bank offers an incentive for successfully meeting expectations at 5 to 7% of your base salary. The Bank offers additional performance pay (3%) for those who exceed expectations. Exceptional performers who far exceed expectations may be eligible for higher performance pay.
• Flexible and comprehensive benefits so you can choose the level of health, dental disability and life and/or accident insurance coverage that meets your needs
• Extra vacation days (up to five each year) that you can purchase to add to your vacation entitlement
• Indexed, defined-benefit pension for Regular employees (Term employees after 24 consecutive months of service)

We wish to thank all applicants for their interest and effort in applying for this position. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.