Lead Power BI developer

Cognizant; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology consulting firm in Toronto seeks a Lead Power BI Developer to drive the design and deployment of advanced BI solutions. This senior role involves mentoring junior developers and collaborating with stakeholders to optimize analytics processes. Candidates should possess over 10 years of experience in BI development and relevant Microsoft certifications. A hybrid work model is offered.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in BI development, preferably with insurance data.
• Proven track record of leading BI initiatives and mentoring teams.
• Strong understanding of data governance and compliance standards.

Responsibilities

• Drive the design, development, and deployment of advanced BI solutions.
• Lead dashboard modernization efforts and mentor junior developers.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to gather requirements and deliver analytics.

Skills

Power BI

SQL

Python

DAX expressions

Agile methodologies

Education

Microsoft Certified Power BI Data Analyst Associate

Azure Data Engineer Associate

Tools

Power Platform

Azure

SQL Server

Spark

Job description

Overview

Job title - Lead Power BI Developer
Location - Toronto, Canada (Hybrid)
Experience Level: Senior (10+ years preferred)
Certification - Microsoft Certified Power BI Data Analyst Associate

Responsibilities

The Lead Senior Power BI Developer will drive the design, development, and deployment of advanced BI solutions tailored to insurance operations. This role involves leading dashboard modernization efforts, mentoring junior developers, and collaborating with business stakeholders to deliver high-impact analytics.

• Lead the development of interactive dashboards, paginated reports, and semantic models using Power BI.
• Build and optimize DAX expressions, Power Query/M scripts, and data models for performance and usability.
• Migrate legacy reports (e.g., QlikView, Cognos, SAP BOBJ) to Power BI.
• Design and maintain ETL pipelines using SQL, Python, and Azure Data Factory.
• Integrate data from insurance platforms such as Guidewire, Salesforce, and Policy Admin Systems.
• Mentor junior developers and guide BI teams in Agile environments.
• Collaborate with business analysts, data architects, and stakeholders to gather requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
• Lead sprint planning, backlog grooming, and delivery cycles for BI initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with data governance and security standards.
• Maintain documentation including user manuals, technical specs, and change logs.

Technical Environment

• Tools: Power BI, Power Platform, Power Automate, Azure, SQL Server, Python, Spark
• Frameworks: Microsoft Fabric, Semantic Layer, Delta Lake

Certifications Preferred

• Microsoft Certified Power BI Data Analyst Associate
• Azure Data Engineer Associate
• Databricks Certified Developer

Insurance-Specific Use Cases

• Claims Analytics: Real-time dashboards for fraud detection, KPIs, and anomaly alerts.
• Policy Insights: Role-based visualizations for underwriting and policy management.
• Customer 360: Hyper-personalized dashboards for client engagement and retention.