Lead Big Data Spark Engineer

Citi; Mississauga; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A global financial services firm is seeking an experienced Big Data Engineer in Mississauga to lead the development of advanced big data platforms. This role involves designing scalable data processing systems, mentoring engineers, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with Scala and Apache Spark, alongside strong leadership and problem-solving skills. Engage in innovative projects that leverage cutting-edge big data technologies to provide impactful solutions.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive experience in software development, focused on big data technologies.
• 3+ years in a leadership or senior architectural role.
• Extensive experience with Scala for big data processing.
• Demonstrated expertise with Apache Spark.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture and development of scalable big data processing systems.
• Design and optimize data pipelines for massive datasets.
• Mentor a team of big data engineers and foster technical excellence.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical solutions.

Skills

Scala

Apache Spark

Problem-solving

Leadership

Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)

Docker

Kubernetes

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

Hadoop

Kafka

Cassandra

HBase

Delta Lake

Snowflake

Databricks

Job description

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced and highly skilled Big Data Engineer to lead the design, development, and implementation of next‑generation big data platforms and applications. The ideal candidate will be a technical leader with a strong background in Scala, Spark, and other big data technologies, capable of driving innovation, mentoring engineers, and collaborating with cross‑functional teams to deliver robust and scalable solutions. This role requires a strategic thinker who can translate business requirements into technical architecture and lead their execution.

Key Responsibilities:

• Technical Leadership:
  • Lead the architecture, design, and development of high‑performance, scalable, and reliable big data processing systems using Scala and Apache Spark.
  • Drive technical vision and strategy for big data initiatives, ensuring alignment with overall company goals and industry best practices.
  • Evaluate and recommend new technologies and tools to enhance our big data capabilities and maintain a competitive edge.
• Engineering & Development:
  • Design, develop, and optimize data pipelines for ingestion, transformation, and storage of massive datasets from various sources.
  • Implement robust and efficient data processing jobs using Scala and Spark (batch and streaming).
  • Ensure data quality, integrity, and security across all big data platforms.
  • Promote and enforce best practices in coding, testing, and deployment.
• Team Leadership & Mentorship:
  • Mentor and guide a team of talented big data engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and collaboration.
  • Conduct code reviews, provide constructive feedback, and contribute to the professional growth of team members.
  • Participate in the recruitment and hiring of top engineering talent.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management:
  • Partner with product managers, data scientists, and other engineering teams to understand business requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
  • Communicate complex technical concepts and solutions effectively to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
  • Work closely with DevOps and SRE teams to ensure operational excellence, monitoring, and troubleshooting of big data systems.
• Strategy & Innovation:
  • Contribute to the strategic roadmap for big data engineering, identifying opportunities for innovation and improvement.
  • Stay abreast of emerging trends and technologies in the big data ecosystem and incorporate them into our platform where appropriate.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience:
  • 8+ years of progressive experience in software development, with at least 5+ years focusing on big data technologies.
  • 3+ years of experience in a leadership or senior architectural role.
  • Extensive hands‑on experience with Scala for big data processing.
  • Demonstrated expertise with Apache Spark (Spark Core, Spark SQL, Spark Streaming).
  • Strong experience with distributed systems and big data ecosystems (e.g., Hadoop, Kafka, Cassandra, HBase, Delta Lake, Snowflake, Databricks).
  • Proficiency with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their big data services (e.g., EMR, Redshift, Glue, DataProc, BigQuery).
  • Experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD pipelines.
  • Solid understanding of data warehousing concepts, ETL/ELT processes, and data modeling.
  • Familiarity with functional programming paradigms in Scala.
• Skills:
  • Exceptional problem‑solving and analytical skills.
  • Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment.
  • Proactive and results‑oriented with a strong sense of ownership.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with real‑time data processing and stream analytics.
• Knowledge of machine learning frameworks and their application in big data.
• Contributions to open‑source big data projects.
• Experience in the financial services industry.

EEO Statement:

Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you are a person with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to use our search tools and/or apply for a career opportunity review Accessibility at Citi. View Citi’s EEO Policy Statement and the Know Your Rights poster.