Lead Developer (HCM Systems)

ABOUT UNIVERUS:

Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, Univerus is a fast-growing enterprise software company specializing in vertical market solutions. With over 300 employees, more than 20 acquisitions, and a global customer base exceeding 3,500 organizations, Univerus delivers mission-critical technology across public and private sectors. Our flagship product, Unity ERP, powers operations in local government, utilities, construction, manufacturing, health and safety, education, and beyond.

As part of the Univerus family, PDS combines over 50 years of human capital management expertise, now enhanced by the broader innovation and resources of Univerus.

PDS’ Vista® is the complete HCM software solution Built to Empower. All the pieces— human resources, payroll, benefits, recruiting, onboarding, time and attendance, self-service, analytics, extensive reporting, and workflow—on-premises or in the cloud, come together to simplify your business practices and processes.

POSITION DETAILS:

• Hours: 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday
• Salary Range: $100,000 - $140,000 per year
• Location: Ideally from one of our Canadian offices in Burnaby, Saskatoon, Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIP:

• Reports to Vice President of Engineering
• No direct reports, but influences team of 3-5 software development engineers across multiple levels

ROLE OVERVIEW:

This is your opportunity to shape the future of workforce management technology.

We're seeking a Lead Software Development Engineer to drive technical excellence across our Vista® platform. In this pivotal role, you'll architect scalable solutions that power payroll, benefits, recruiting, and HR operations for thousands of organizations. You'll lead a team of talented engineers while staying hands-on with the code that matters most.

This isn't just another engineering role—it's a chance to influence the technical direction of mission-critical software that directly impacts how companies care for their employees. You'll work at the intersection of deep technical challenges and meaningful business outcomes, designing systems that process billions of dollars in payroll and manage the employment lifecycle for hundreds of thousands of workers.

If you thrive on solving complex problems, mentoring high-performing teams, and building software that truly matters, this role is for you.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical Leadership

• Lead the design and implementation of large-scale, distributed systems for our Vista® HCM platform

• Drive architectural decisions that ensure scalability, reliability, and security for enterprise HR operations

• Champion engineering excellence through code reviews, technical standards, and best practices

• Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies to enhance platform capabilities

Team Development

• Mentor and develop 3-5 engineers across multiple experience levels

• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement

• Conduct technical interviews and participate in building world-class engineering teams

• Provide technical guidance and career development support to team members

Strategic Impact

• Collaborate with Product, Customer Success, and Business stakeholders to shape technical strategy

• Own technical debt management and platform evolution roadmaps

• Lead incident response, root cause analysis, and post-mortem processes

• Drive measurable improvements in system performance, reliability, and developer productivity

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES (KSAs):

Technical Requirements

• C# / .NET: Expert-level proficiency in C# and the .NET ecosystem, including ASP.NET Core, Entity Framework, and modern .NET patterns

• Python: Strong experience with Python for automation, data processing, scripting, and API development

• SQL Server: Deep expertise in SQL Server including performance optimization, stored procedures, complex queries, and database design

• AWS Cloud: Hands-on experience with AWS services (EC2, RDS, Lambda, S3, CloudFormation) and cloud-native architecture patterns

• System Design: Proven ability to architect scalable, secure, and highly available distributed systems

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field

• 5-10 years of professional software development experience

• 3+ years of experience in a technical leadership role leading project teams and setting technical direction

• Proven track record of designing, building, and operating large-scale production systems

• Strong proficiency in C#, Python, SQL Server, Power BI, and cloud technologies

• Experience with modern software development practices including CI/CD, automated testing, and infrastructure as code

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science or related technical field

• Experience with Human Capital Management (HCM) software, including payroll processing, benefits administration, or talent acquisition systems

• Knowledge of HR compliance requirements (ACA, FLSA, tax regulations) and their technical implications

• Experience with enterprise-scale SaaS applications serving diverse customer bases

• Background in financial systems, particularly payroll, tax calculations, or benefits processing

• Experience with recruiting and applicant tracking systems

• Familiarity with time and attendance systems and workforce scheduling

• AWS certifications (Solutions Architect, Developer) are a plus

WHAT WE OFFER:

• Health and Dental
• EFAP
• RRSP Matching
• Generous Paid Time Off
• Flexible Work Environment
• Education Reimbursement Program

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Univerus is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and respectful workplace where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to contribute fully. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, abilities, and experiences, including but not limited to Indigenous peoples, racialized persons, women, LGBTQ2S+ individuals, persons with disabilities, and veterans.

If you require accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know. We are committed to working with you to ensure your needs are met.

Please note that we may use AI as part of our recruitment and hiring process. While we may incorporate select AI features to enhance process efficiency, we remain committed to human-led decision making. We recognize that AI is not perfect, so all AI-generated outputs are subject to human review to ensure accuracy and fairness. Our goal is to use technology to support, not replace, thoughtful human decision-making in recruitment and hiring.

How to Apply

Ready to join us? Please submit your resume by following the application instructions outlined in this posting.