Data Engineer

Position: Data Engineer

Site: Hybrid: MaRS Discovery Tower + Work from Home

Reports to: Manager, Digital Transformation and IT Operations

Status: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: $76,308/year + benefits

Grand Challenges Canada backs Bold Ideas with Big Impact^®. We are a global innovation platform and one of the world’s leading impact-first investors, working toward a future where innovation helps everyone thrive. With support from the Government of Canada and other partners, we use a Grand Challenges approach to identify, invest in, and help scale bold, locally led solutions that advance health, equity, and resilience in low- and middle-income countries and Canada.

We back bold ideas from seed to scale - combining capital, advisory support, and strategic partnerships to help them grow and succeed. We look for innovations that combine science, social insight, and business strategy - what we call Integrated Innovation^® - to drive real-world change.

We work with innovators to test, refine, and de-risk solutions, positioning them for long-term adoption through public systems, private-sector pathways, or blended models. Our goal: to save and improve lives at scale by turning bold ideas into sustainable solutions. Learn more at www.grandchallenges.ca.

POSITION OVERVIEW AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

GCC is in the early stages of a digital transformation and needs a hands-on technical expert to turn our unmanaged data into a strategic asset. As a Data Engineer, you'll build and operate GCC's data foundation, turning raw data into trusted, governed, AI-ready data assets. You will be the primary architect of our Microsoft Fabric environment, responsible for cleaning "dark data," establishing automated pipelines, and implementing the data governance required to make us AI-ready.

Key Responsibilities

• Data Ingestion & Unification: Identify and migrate unmanaged/siloed data (structured and unstructured) into Microsoft Fabric OneLake.
• Pipeline Development: Build and maintain automated ELT/ETL workflows using Data Factory and Spark Notebooks to eliminate manual bottlenecks.
• Governance Implementation: Technically enforce data governance using Microsoft Purview. You will set up sensitivity labels, data lineage, and role-based access controls (RBAC).
• Medallion Architecture: Design and manage the transition of data from Bronze (raw) to Silver (cleaned) to Gold (business-ready) layers.
• AI Enablement: Ensure all datasets feeding into AI models are accurate, deduplicated, and compliant with privacy standards.
• Process Improvement: Partner with business units to map how data flows between core systems and automate manual data movement and preparation.

Qualifications

• Technical Proficiency: 3+ years of experience in Data or Analytics Engineering. AI experience considered a bonus.
• Microsoft Ecosystem: Hands-on experience with Microsoft Fabric (OneLake, Lakehouse, Data Factory, Spark Notebooks), including at least one year of practical Fabric experience.
• Azure Data Platform: Hands-on experience with Azure data platform technologies such as Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, and/or Azure Databricks.
• Delivery Experience: Has designed and delivered at least one lakehouse or medallion-architecture (Bronze/Silver/Gold) implementation end to end.
• Languages: Strong mastery of SQL and Python (PySpark) for data transformation.
• Governance Knowledge: Familiarity with Microsoft Purview or similar data cataloging/governance tools.
• Analytical Mindset: Proven ability to take messy, unstructured data and turn it into clean, structured, reliable datasets.
• Synthesizing and sharing: Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline or commensurate work experience
• Asset: Microsoft certifications such as DP-700 (Fabric Data Engineer), DP-600 (Fabric Analytics Engineer), or DP-203 (Azure Data Engineer).
• Asset: Familiarity with Power BI semantic models, to support colleagues who build reports and dashboards.

People from historically excluded communities with lived experiences in relevant thematic areas are encouraged to apply. People with lived experience and/or work experience in the communities or countries we are supporting are especially encouraged to apply.

Don’t meet every requirement? Studies have shown that women, people of colour, people from LGBTQ2S+ and disability communities are less likely to apply to jobs when they do not meet every qualification. At Grand Challenges Canada, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, authentic, and accountable workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply, as you may be the ideal candidate we are looking for.

Location and Work Requirements

• We are currently working in a hybrid model with time in office and working from home. With rare, approved exceptions, GCC staff are to live in or near the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and available to travel to, and work from the Toronto main office, as business operational needs require. Any expenses related to travel and or relocating to Toronto are the sole responsibility of the employee and will not be reimbursed by GCC.
• Domestic and international travel may be required.
• Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada.

Benefits

• Health and Dental provided by Sunlife Canada effective on start date.
• Enrollment in the Healthcare of Ontario (HOOPP) Defined-Benefit Pension Plan
• Four (4) weeks of paid vacation per calendar year (prorated)
• Four (4) day work week (with Friday as a flex/off day), excluding weeks with Statutory holiday (program reviewed annually)
• Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and UHN added value benefits such as fitness, spas and wellbeing, hotels and travel services, and retail discounts. 
• International SOS (ISOS) travel safety and supports around the world.
• Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) cell phone allowance
• Professional development allowance
• New Temporary Work Relocation – work remotely for up to 90 days, almost anywhere in the world.

Term

• Start date: As soon as possible 
• Full-time, Permanent

AI Use in Application Processing

Please be advised that Grand Challenges Canada may use artificial intelligence tools to assist in the processing and evaluation of applications submitted for this position. These tools may be used to support activities such as résumé screening, candidate assessment, or scheduling, and are used as an aid to, and not a replacement for, human decision-making. All hiring decisions are made by qualified personnel who review AI-assisted outputs before any determination is made regarding a candidate's application. Grand Challenges Canada is committed to ensuring that its use of AI in recruitment is fair, transparent, and free from unlawful discrimination, in accordance with applicable federal and provincial human rights and privacy legislation. If you have questions about how AI is used in our hiring process, or if you require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact GCC’s HR Team at hr@grandchallenges.ca.