Senior Software Developer

Location: Calgary Alberta

SOVRA is a leading public procurement platform trusted by more than 7,000 government agencies and over 1 million suppliers across North America. Our work sits at the intersection of technology, public service, and accountability, helping governments operate more efficiently and transparently on behalf of the communities they serve.

What makes SOVRA unique is our deep focus on the public sector. Our solutions are purpose-built to solve real, complex procurement challenges, balancing compliance with usability and innovation. That commitment has been recognized with the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) Certification from the National Procurement Institute, reflecting our high standards and impact in the market.

At SOVRA, the work you do matters. Every improvement we make helps public organizations stretch taxpayer dollars further, operate with greater transparency, and deliver better outcomes for millions of people. We’re a growing, mission-driven company where smart, curious people come together to build technology that serves the public good.

Learn more at sovra.com.

About the Opportunity

We’re beginning the process of upgrading our code base for 3 products from Java into Python and need a Senior-level Software Developer to contribute to the efforts. You’ll bounce between code bases as part of the refactoring effort, with a large focus on the ETL system. We use AI coding with Cursor to jump-start our work; experience with AI coding and LLMs is a must.

What you’ll do:

• Build new services and pipelines in Python, the primary language for greenfield work on the platform.
• Read, debug, and extend existing Java systems at a basic-to-intermediate level — understanding current behavior, preserving compatibility, and designing clean migration paths off them.
• Own the design and build of a modernized ETL platform that replaces legacy integration tooling and decouples data pipelines from downstream production systems.
• Leverage AI/LLM tools as part of your daily development workflow — for code generation, refactoring, debugging legacy systems, and accelerating delivery.
• Design and integrate LLM-powered capabilities into the platform where it adds value
• Work alongside the existing SQL Server layer and design around the realities of legacy production data.
• Work on AWS Pipelines, building new pipelines and serverless services.

What you’ll bring:

Required

• Strong, production-grade Python proficiency — this is the core build language for the role.
• Basic-to-intermediate Java skills — comfortable reading an unfamiliar Java codebase, debugging it, and making targeted changes. You don't need to be a Java specialist, but you can't be a complete stranger to it.
• Strong skills in backend service and data pipeline development – at least 4-5 years working on software backends with large data pipeline systems.
• Demonstrated experience designing ETL systems that absorb heterogeneous, messy inputs and produce clean structured outputs — flexibility across input shapes is the core requirement.
• Hands-on experience using AI/LLM tools (Cursor/codex/claude code) in your development workflow — comfortable pair-programming with an AI assistant, writing effective prompts, and reviewing AI-generated code critically.
• Experience building with LLMs — calling LLM APIs, prompt engineering, structured output extraction, or agent workflows — is a strong asset.
• Strong SQL Server skills, comfort with large data files, and awareness of how to write queries that perform safely against production databases. Familiarity with PostgreSQL and Oracle / RDS is a plus.
• Comfortable in Agile/Scrum/DevOps environments.
• Required: Authorized to work in Canada—unfortunately we are not able to sponsor work visas or transfers at this time.

Nice to have

• Working familiarity with React, Node.js, and TypeScript — enough to contribute to light frontend or Node-based tooling when needed.
• Terraform or other Infrastructure-as-Code experience.
• Prior data analysis experience.
• Fluency in French and English (oral and written).

What success looks like:

• At 3 months you will… have completed onboarding and started your work on small projects.
• At 6 months you will… be hands-on with refactoring and migrating the legacy system, starting to provide oversight and knowledge sharing with junior team members.
• At 12+ months you will… have built out the new system with the team, working to fill final gaps and beginning to enter maintenance mode.

Why Ontopical

Ontopical is a product that sells because it solves a real problem. The companies we work with spend enormous time and resources trying to track government activity that could turn into contracts—and most of them are doing it manually. We replace that with something smarter. When you’re in front of a prospect and you can show them exactly what they’ve been missing, the conversation lands. That’s a good position to sell from.

As part of the SOVRA network, you’re backed by the infrastructure of North America’s leading public procurement platform—while operating with the speed and ownership of an early-stage team. This is a role with real scope: you’ll help shape the sales motion, contribute to the playbook, and grow with the business as it scales.

Apply

If this role sounds like the right fit, we’d love to hear from you.

Thank you for your interest in Ontopical by SOVRA. Only selected candidates will be contacted.

At SOVRA, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. We provide a work environment free from discrimination and harassment. In addition, we are committed to ensuring pay equity across our organization and regularly review our compensation practices.