Data Architect & Analytics Team Lead

Canadian Football League; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Canadian Football League seeks an ambitious, technically strong data leader to build the next generation of its data and analytics capability in Toronto. This role partners with executives to design solutions and personally build data pipelines, models, and reporting structures.

You will establish data technologies, AI capabilities, and a culture that treats data as a strategic asset across the league and clubs, while growing the analytics team and setting standards for governance, quality,

Qualifications

• MBA, master’s degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience; candidates with technical work experience prior to an MBA are strongly preferred.
• Advanced SQL skills and experience designing or developing reporting, analytics, data engineering, or business intelligence solutions.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to connect technical solutions to organizational outcomes in sports, entertainment, media, or consumer business context.
• Demonstrated leadership experience through professional work, project leadership, entrepreneurship, athletics, student leadership, community involvement, or similar experience.
• Exposure to Snowflake, dbt, Python, Power BI, cloud platforms, SQL Server, ETL/ELT tools, or similar technologies is an asset.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• A passion for sports, entertainment, media, or fan engagement businesses.
• Curiosity about AI and enthusiasm for helping organizations adopt emerging technologies responsibly.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement the CFL’s analytics architecture, data models, semantic layers, data marts, and reporting ecosystem.
• Build and maintain SQL-based ETL/ELT pipelines, data transformation workflows, and trusted datasets for business reporting.
• Establish data governance, documentation, quality standards, KPI definitions, and reporting best practices.
• Partner with executives and department leaders to translate business goals into measurable KPIs, dashboards, and analytical solutions.
• Identify opportunities to improve decision-making across fan engagement, commercial, digital, club support, media, and league operations.
• Help establish and grow the CFL’s new analytics team.
• Create development standards, operating practices, and a culture of accountability, curiosity, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Write and optimize complex SQL queries and build reporting datasets, analytical models, and dashboards.
• Work with modern cloud and data technologies, including Snowflake, dbt, Python, SQL Server, Power BI, cloud data services, and ETL/ELT platforms.
• Troubleshoot data quality, integration, and performance issues while remaining directly involved in hands‑on implementation.
• Identify where AI can enhance analytics, reporting, forecasting, data quality, and decision support.
• Evaluate and implement AI capabilities within the data ecosystem, with an emphasis on responsible, practical business value.

Skills

Advanced SQL

Snowflake

dbt

Python

Power BI

Leadership

Education

MBA or master’s degree

Tools

SQL Server

Job description

Position Title: Data Architect & Analytics Team Lead; Status: Full-time Permanent; Reports to: Associate VP Technology and Software Development; Location: Toronto, ON; Start Date: November 2026

Company Description

The Canadian Football League is Canada's home for professional football. With over a century of rich history and nine member teams across the nation, the CFL provides world-class entertainment and excitement to a passionate and dedicated fan base. A season-long journey of unforgettable moments and must-see-TV broadcasts culminates in Canada’s largest single-day sporting event – the Grey Cup, where the newly crowned champions earn the right to hoist the iconic emblem of Canadian football.

The CFL is dedicated to entertaining fans in Canada and abroad. The league pursues that goal through a continuing commitment to modernize and elevate both the game and the business. The CFL is transforming its digital ecosystem and maximizing fan engagement through captivating content, data analytics, personalized marketing, and more.

Just as important as its industry-leading operations, the CFL proudly champions the values on which Canada was built – unity, diversity, inclusion, strength, and service to the community. The league is supportive of all peoples, cultures, and backgrounds, offering a respectful and inclusive working and playing environment, centered on acceptance and understanding. The CFL's successes are measured not only on the field and within its ranks, but also in its unparalleled impact in affecting positive change and bettering Canadian communities and lives.

Position Summary

The Canadian Football League is seeking an ambitious, technically strong business leader to build the next generation of its data and analytics capability. This role is designed for someone who worked in technology, analytics, software, consulting, engineering, or business intelligence before completing an MBA or equivalent graduate degree.

This is not a traditional data architecture role. You will work directly with executives, business leaders, and stakeholders across the League and its clubs to understand business opportunities, design solutions, and personally build the data pipelines, models, reporting structures, and analytical assets that support better decision-making.

You will also help establish how the CFL uses modern data technologies and data-focused AI capabilities to improve analytics, reporting, forecasting, fan engagement, business operations, digital products, commercial initiatives, and league-wide strategy.

Most importantly, you will help build the analytics function itself: the team, processes, standards, technology choices, and culture required to make data a long-term strategic asset for one of Canada’s most recognized sports and entertainment organizations.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement the CFL’s analytics architecture, data models, semantic layers, data marts, and reporting ecosystem.
• Build and maintain SQL-based ETL/ELT pipelines, data transformation workflows, and trusted datasets for business reporting.
• Establish data governance, documentation, quality standards, KPI definitions, and reporting best practices.
• Partner with executives and department leaders to translate business goals into measurable KPIs, dashboards, and analytical solutions.
• Identify opportunities to improve decision-making across fan engagement, commercial, digital, club support, media, and league operations.
• Help establish and grow the CFL’s new analytics team.
• Create development standards, operating practices, and a culture of accountability, curiosity, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Write and optimize complex SQL queries and build reporting datasets, analytical models, and dashboards.
• Work with modern cloud and data technologies, including Snowflake, dbt, Python, SQL Server, Power BI, cloud data services, and ETL/ELT platforms.
• Troubleshoot data quality, integration, and performance issues while remaining directly involved in hands‑on implementation.
• Identify where AI can enhance analytics, reporting, forecasting, data quality, and decision support.
• Evaluate and implement AI capabilities within the data ecosystem, with an emphasis on responsible, practical business value.

Qualifications & Skills

• MBA, master’s degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience; candidates with technical work experience prior to an MBA are strongly preferred.
• Advanced SQL skills and experience designing or developing reporting, analytics, data engineering, or business intelligence solutions.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to connect technical solutions to organizational outcomes in a sports, entertainment, media, or consumer business context.
• Demonstrated leadership experience through professional work, project leadership, entrepreneurship, athletics, student leadership, community involvement, or similar experience.
• Exposure to Snowflake, dbt, Python, Power BI, cloud platforms, SQL Server, ETL/ELT tools, or similar technologies is an asset.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• A passion for sports, entertainment, media, or fan engagement businesses.
• Curiosity about AI and enthusiasm for helping organizations adopt emerging technologies responsibly.

Expected Compensation

The expected compensation range for this position is $65,000 - $75,000, which includes base pay plus bonuses and variable incentive pay, if eligible. This range represents a good faith estimate for this position and should serve simply as a guide. The specific compensation offered may vary based on factors such as candidate experience, skills, budget, and location.

Other Considerations

• Hybrid Model: The incumbent will be required to attend the office in accordance with the CFL Hybrid Work Policy. In addition, you are required to attend meetings and other business events at the office or other venues as business needs dictate.
• Work Schedule: Due to the nature of the business, the incumbent must be available and willing to work evenings, weekends and holidays, as required.
• Travel: As required.

The Canadian Football League is an equal opportunity employer, and we are working to create a more diverse and inclusive work environment. We welcome applications from traditionally underrepresented groups such as women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, people living with disabilities and people identifying as LGBTQ2S+.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. The CFL may use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, and/or select applicants for an interview.

For additional information on the Canadian Football League, please visit our website at www.cfl.ca.