Technical Lead, Data Services and Interoperability in Winnipeg

The Digital Research Alliance of Canada (DRAC) serves Canadian researchers, with the objective of advancing Canada’s position as a leader in the knowledge economy on the international stage. By integrating, championing and funding the infrastructure and activities required for advanced research computing (ARC), research data management (RDM) and research software (RS), we provide the platform for the research community to access tools and services faster than ever before.

We have an ambitious mandate – to transform how research across all academic disciplines is organized, managed, stored and used. We work with other ecosystem partners and stakeholders across the country to help provide Canadian researchers with the support they need for leading-edge research excellence, research, innovation and advancement across all disciplines.

The Technical Lead, Data Services and Interoperability is responsible for delivering the interoperability capabilities that connect DRAC’s data services with each other and with national ARC infrastructure. Working within the broader architecture and technical direction of DRAC’s data platform, the position leads the technical design and implementation of integrations that enable researchers to securely move, access, process, and return data across storage, computing, identity, repository, and research workflow environments.

The role provides technical leadership for integration specifications, data movement, authentication and authorization, distributed research workflows, and operational integration across independently operated infrastructure. It works closely with national research data services teams, ARC teams, regional infrastructure providers, storage and networking specialists, cybersecurity and identity teams, and service partners to establish reusable and scalable integration approaches.

The position exists to reduce technical barriers between research data and the computing infrastructure used to analyze it, and to ensure that DRAC services can operate as part of a connected national research computing ecosystem. The Technical Lead reports to the Director, Architecture. This is a contract position with a term until March 31, 2028. A secondment from a Canadian higher education institution or research organization is an option for the successful candidate.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical design and implementation of integrations that connect DRAC data services with national ARC environments.
• Define integration specifications, interface contracts, data flows, and reusable implementation patterns based on interoperability standards that minimize site-specific customization and proprietary dependencies.
• Design integrations with shared computing clusters, batch scheduling systems, high-performance storage, object storage, container platforms, and other research computing infrastructure.
• Coordinate integration delivery with ARC operations, the Distributed Storage and Compute Grid Operations Lead, regional infrastructure providers, and cluster, storage, networking, identity, cybersecurity, and service teams to ensure performance, scalability, reliability, and supportability across independently operated environments.
• Support secure cross-system access by implementing appropriate authentication, authorization, auditing, encryption, and data-handling requirements in collaboration with cybersecurity and identity teams.
• Conduct end-to-end workflow validation, interoperability testing, performance assessment, and operational-readiness testing for integrations spanning data and computing services.
• Contribute integration-specific technical requirements and assessments to procurement and vendor-evaluation activities.
• Monitor emerging research computing, distributed systems, data-transfer, storage, and interoperability technologies and recommend appropriate enhancements.
• Provide technical direction and review for developers, contractors, and contributors assigned to integration initiatives.
• Act as a technical contact for assigned research computing integration initiatives and represent DRAC in selected national and international working groups related to research computing interoperability.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, information systems, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Seven to ten years of progressive experience in distributed infrastructure, systems integration, research computing, high-performance computing, cloud infrastructure, or related technical environments.
• Proven experience leading complex technical integration initiatives across large-scale or independently operated distributed environments.
• Strong knowledge of Linux-based infrastructure, distributed systems, networking, storage systems, application programming interfaces, and systems integration approaches.
• Experience with high-performance and distributed storage technologies, including parallel file systems, object storage, and data-transfer mechanisms used for large scientific datasets.
• Strong understanding of interoperability approaches, open standards, interface design, and integration patterns across independently operated infrastructure.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-management skills, with demonstrated ability to coordinate technical decisions across multiple organizations and teams without a single point of operational control.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the design and delivery of digital research infrastructure.

The expected salary range for this position for candidates residing in Canada is between $118,400 CAD - $177,600 CAD. Placement within this range will be determined based on several factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, experience, demonstrated performance, and overall alignment with the requirements of the role.