Data Engineer (2 years term)

University of Toronto; Toronto; On-site; CAD 103,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Alternative Work Arrangements

Job summary

The University of Toronto, Acceleration Consortium, is seeking a Data Engineer in Toronto to design, implement, and maintain robust ETL/ELT pipelines supporting AI-driven research, data warehouses, and MAPs. The role focuses on scalable data infrastructure for high-impact projects in a grant-based environment.

You will work with AI, robotics, and chemistry data, collaborating with researchers and engineers to optimize data flows and improve analytics capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in CS/IT/Data Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Minimum five years data engineer experience with ETL/ELT in research/tech environments.
• Experience with data pipeline tools: Airflow, AWS Glue, Talend.
• Proficiency in SQL, Python, and DBT.
• Experience with RDBMS/NoSQL and warehousing (Redshift, BigQuery, Snowflake, Databricks).
• Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Strong problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Assets: experience in research/academic environments and BI tools.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain robust ETL/ELT pipelines.
• Optimize and manage data infrastructures and data warehouses.
• Collaborate with researchers and IT teams on complex integrations.
• Develop and enforce quality control procedures for data processing.
• Lead and plan IT projects and technical initiatives.
• Provide guidance on technical solutions and best practices.
• Support cross-functional teams with data insights and architecture design.
• Stay updated with data engineering trends and toolchains.

Skills

ETL/ELT design

SQL

Python

Data pipelines

Airflow

DBT

Cloud platforms

Docker/Kubernetes

Education

Bachelor's Degree in CS/IT/Data Eng

Master's Degree preferred

Tools

Apache Airflow

AWS Glue

Talend

Tableau

Power BI

Snowflake

BigQuery

Databricks

Redshift

Docker

Kubernetes

DBT

Job description

Date Posted: 08/27/2026
Req ID: 50015
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Acceleration Consortium
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Position Number: 00057089

Description:

About us

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs.

We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world.

The Acceleration Consortium (AC) at the University of Toronto (U of T) is leading a transformative shift in scientific discovery that will accelerate technology development and commercialization. The AC is a global community of academia, industry, and government that leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, materials sciences, and high-throughput chemistry to create self-driving laboratories (SDLs), also called materials acceleration platforms (MAPs). These autonomous labs rapidly design materials and molecules needed for a sustainable, healthy, and resilient future, with applications ranging from renewable energy and consumer electronics to drugs. AC Staff Scientists will advance the infield of AI-driven autonomous discovery and develop the materials and molecules required to address society’s largest challenges, such as climate change, water pollution, and future pandemics.

The Acceleration Consortium received a $200M Canadian First Research Excellence Grant for seven years to develop self-driving labs for chemistry and materials, the largest ever grant to a Canadian University.

Your opportunity

Reporting to the Executive Director, Acceleration Consortium and working closely with the (Senior) Research Associates, the Data Engineer plays a pivotal role in managing and optimizing our data infrastructure to support these high-impact research projects. The Data Engineer will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining robust ETL/ELT pipelines that ensure the efficient flow of data from various sources to data warehouses and research databases.

This is a grant-based 2-year term position that is ending approximately in May 2028, with the possibility of renewal.

Your responsibilities

• Reconciling business requirements with information architecture needs for highly complex system integration
• Analyzing and optimizing database software
• Developing and maintaining quality control procedures
• Analyzing, recommending, and designing highly complex software architecture
• Designing, testing, and modifying programming code
• Leading and planning IT projects
• Analyzing, recommending and designing technical solutions for highly complex IT problems
• Serving as a resource to others by providing (non-supervisory) job-related guidance

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree (Master's Degree preferred) in Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Engineering, or a related field or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum five years recent and relevant Data Engineer experience with a strong background in ETL/ELT processes in materials, chemicals, research, and technology industry or related industries with significant research and development.
• Experience with data pipeline tools and platforms (e.g., Apache Airflow, AWS Glue, Talend, etc.).
• Proficiency in SQL, Python, and/or other programming languages commonly used in data engineering as well as data transformation tools (e.g. DBT).
• Solid understanding of database management systems (RDBMS, NoSQL, etc.) and data warehousing solutions (e.g., AWS Redshift, Google BigQuery, Snowflake, Databricks).
• Familiarity with cloud computing platforms (e.g. AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced, research-driven environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

Assets (Nonessential)

• Experience in a research or academic environment, particularly in handling large and complex scientific datasets.
• Knowledge of data modeling, schema design, and data architecture best practices.
• Familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) is a plus.

To be successful in this role you will be

• Accountable
• Communicator
• Efficient
• Insightful
• Problem solver
• Team player

This role may be eligible for an Alternative Work Arrangement in accordance with the University of Toronto’s Alternative Work Arrangements Guideline.

Closing Date: 09/18/2026, 11:59PM ET

Employee Group: USW

Appointment Type: Grant - Term

Schedule: Full-Time

Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:

USW Pay Band 16 -- $103,367. with an annual step progression to a maximum of $132,188. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol.

Job Category: Information Technology (IT)

Lived Experience Statement

Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.

Diversity Statement

The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

Accessibility Statement

The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact [e-mail].

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