Technical Lead, Data & Analytics

💡 Are you ready to take ownership of a data function and shape how an entire business makes decisions?

We're hiring a Technical Lead, Data & Analytics with a fast-growing Canadian consumer goods distributor that is investing seriously in its data, analytics, and AI capabilities.

In this role, you'll lead a small, highly hands-on team spanning data engineering, business intelligence, and analysis, and set the direction for the pipelines, warehouse, reporting, and governance the organization runs on. You'll define the data strategy alongside the Director of IT, stay close enough to the technical work to build and troubleshoot alongside your team, partner with stakeholders across Finance, Sales, Operations, and Supply Chain, and guide the platform from trusted reporting toward AI-assisted decision making.

💻 Who You Are

You're a technical data professional who has grown into leadership without leaving the hands-on work behind. You're as comfortable writing and tuning a query as you are presenting a roadmap, and you know that in a small team the person setting the standards is also the person shipping the work. You communicate clearly with technical and business audiences alike, you're confident advising stakeholders on the right approach, and you take pride in developing the engineers and analysts around you.

📍 Work Type

• Location: Markham, ON
• Hybrid: 2-3 days per week in the office
• Vacancy Type: This position reflects a new vacancy

Requirements

🎯 What You’ll Do (Your Superpowers)

• Define and execute the organization's data and analytics strategy, aligned to business goals and delivered against real timelines and budgets
• Lead, mentor, and grow a small team spanning data engineering, BI development, and analysis, setting the standards and practices the function operates by
• Remain genuinely hands-on across SQL, Python, and the data stack, building alongside the team rather than only directing it
• Oversee the development and maintenance of robust pipelines, warehouses, and infrastructure across BigQuery, dbt, and the Microsoft data ecosystem
• Own the data governance program already in place, ensuring data quality, lineage, access, and compliance standards are upheld as the platform grows
• Partner directly with Finance to build models and dashboards that support planning, performance, and commercial decision making
• Work with stakeholders across Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, and the leadership team to translate open-ended business questions into well-defined data requirements
• Lead the transition toward AI-assisted data infrastructure, building the foundations the organization's AI and machine learning ambitions will depend on
• Balance multiple concurrent BI and data initiatives, sequencing delivery so the business sees results without accumulating avoidable technical debt
• Raise engineering maturity through documentation, code review, version control discipline, and consistent delivery practice
• Represent the data function to senior leadership, translating technical trade-offs into decisions the business can act on

⭐ What We’re Looking For (Our Wishlist)

• 5+ years of progressive experience in data and analytics, including a minimum of three years delivering hands-on in a data engineering or data analyst capacity
• At least one year of demonstrable leadership experience, gained either as a formal team lead or as the technical owner of a project directing junior engineers and analysts
• Current, hands-on delivery experience, evidenced by production SQL and Python written within the last twelve months
• Advanced SQL proficiency, including the ability to write, debug, and tune complex queries against large and imperfect datasets
• Strong Python skills applied to data transformation, automation, and analysis, with R considered complementary rather than an alternative
• Hands-on experience with cloud data warehouses, particularly BigQuery, alongside modern ELT/ETL tooling such as dbt or Fivetran
• Practical working knowledge of both Google Cloud and the Microsoft data stack (Azure, Fabric, Power BI), reflecting the mixed-cloud environment in place
• A thorough grounding in data modeling, warehousing concepts, and dimensional design, with a clear point of view on when each approach applies
• Demonstrated experience owning or operating a data governance framework within a corporate environment
• Experience gained within small to mid-sized organizations, where a single individual is expected to own several tech stacks rather than specialize in one
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate complex data concepts into actionable business strategy
• A demonstrated ability to work autonomously and manage competing priorities without losing delivery momentum

Nice to Have:

• Experience implementing machine learning models or AI solutions in a production environment
• Familiarity with NetSuite or a comparable enterprise ERP
• Industry exposure to retail, distribution, supply chain, or consumer packaged goods
• Experience with MDM, data catalog solutions, or establishing data governance frameworks from the ground up
• Experience shaping how a data engineering and analytics function is structured as the team scales

🔥 What Makes This Role Exciting

• Ownership of the Function: You'll take the data and analytics team from being run alongside a broader IT remit to being led properly, with genuine influence over strategy, standards, and structure
• Leadership That Stays Hands-On: The team is small and the work is technical, so this is leadership for someone who still wants to build
• Direct Business Influence: The models and dashboards you deliver inform decisions taken across Finance, Sales, Supply Chain, and the leadership team
• The AI Mandate: The organization is actively moving toward AI-assisted data infrastructure, and this role sets the foundations that work will rest on
• Room to Grow: As the function matures, there is a clear path toward a broader leadership remit and a larger team

Benefits

• Base Salary: $100,000 – $120,000
• Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation and personal days to maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Comprehensive Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision benefits to support your overall well-being
• Culture & Team: Be a part of a supportive cross-functional team, that thrives on collaboration and innovation, where every member's ideas are valued and contribute to shared goals and success

📩 Ready to Elevate Your IT Career? Apply Now!

At STACK IT Recruitment, we connect top technical talent with standout opportunities across Canada. If you meet at least 70% of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply - we’d love to chat!

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AI Use Disclosure:

STACK IT uses AI-enhanced tools to support initial candidate screening and interview note analysis. All assessments and hiring decisions remain human-led.