Senior Data Engineer

Sun Life Financial; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 128,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incentive plans

Diversity & inclusion

Accommodation

Job summary

Sun Life Financial is seeking a Senior Business Data Engineer to build enriched data products for analytics across Canada. You will work with data analysts and data scientists to extract insights on Clients, Advisors, and Products, and collaborate with governance and CXO teams to deliver scalable data solutions.

The role emphasizes data modeling, data quality, and governance, with a focus on turning complex business rules into robust data pipelines and production-grade data products.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years hands-on experience with major cloud technologies for data processing and analytics.
• Experience with AWS and Snowflake platforms for ETL pipelines, catalog management, data quality and governance.

Responsibilities

• Design and engineer data models representing key business entities (Advisor, Client, Product).
• Ensure data quality and integrity across sources for data assets.
• Convert complex business rules into data flows and pipelines.
• Collaborate with Data Science teams to implement data products for use cases.
• Standardize metadata and documentation for data consumers.
• Bridge requirements of business consumers and data engineering practitioners to support data strategy.
• Partner with CXO stakeholders and governance teams.

Skills

Cloud data engineering

AWS

Snowflake

Python

PySpark

SQL

Data modeling

Data governance

Data quality

Tableau

Quicksight

Streamlit

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Math/Engineering

Graduate degree preferred

Tools

Parquet

Iceberg

Job description

You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do. At Sun Life, we're driven by our Purpose: helping our Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. Our values shape how we work: caring, authentic, bold, inspiring, and impactful. When you join Sun Life, you'll work with passionate colleagues and empowering leaders who support your growth and celebrate your contributions, so you can make a meaningful difference in our Clients' lives. Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

Job Description

The Client Experience Office (CXO) is an important pillar of Sun Life Canada’s Data and Analytics growth and corporate strategy and as such, is seeking experienced data engineering individual with a proven track record working with data consumers to extract meaningful insights from enterprise data. This Senior Business data engineer will play an indispensable role in assembling the necessary data products that fuel myriads of analytical models used by our various business units across Canada. Reporting to the Manager of Data Engineering, the Senior Business Data Engineer will be a key member of Data Enablement Team responsible for building enriched data products that provide deep insights about our Client, Advisor, Product, Transactions along with their intricate relationships. The Senior Business Data Engineer will work with data analysts and data scientists to help answer complex business enquires such as identifying new business opportunities, understanding our client behavior and optimizing areas of our sales cycles.

What will you do?

• Design and engineer data models that represent our key business entities such as our Advisor, Client & Product
• Ensure high level of data quality and data integrity are maintained across data sources for business data assets
• Convert complex business and technical rules into logic for data flows and data pipelines
• Obsessed with understanding our enterprise data and interpreting it in the best way possible to derive business value
• Work with our Data Science teams to implement data products for various use cases
• Collaborate with stakeholders and incorporate into solution design for various use case requirements
• Standardize metadata into a common glossary along with the necessary documentation for data consumers
• This is a senior individual contributor role bridging the requirements of Business consumers and data engineering practitioners to support the overall Business Data Strategy.
• This role will partnering closely with CXO business stakeholders, enterprise governance and risk partners, and CXO data practitioners

What do you need to succeed?

• 3-5 years hands-on experience working on major Cloud technologies and programming languages for data processing and analytics
• 3+ years experience with AWS and Snowflake platforms for building robust ETL pipelines, Catalog management, Data Quality and Governance implementation to keep data compliant and reliable.
• 3+ years experience and proficiency in Python, Pyspark and SQL
• Demonstrated Experience in cost and performance optimization of Spark and SQL jobs
• 5 years hands-on experience with relational database systems, relational models, dimensional models, and analytical models
• 3-5 years experience with engineering data products as input to various analytical models
• 3-5 years building feedback loops between model deployment and its data – i.e. tune & tweak data products to achieve scale, optimization, etc.
• Sound understanding of Data Management principles (data warehousing, data quality, master data management, etc.) and Data Governance principles.
• Sound understanding of data modelling and a passion for analytics
• Proven ability to leverage knowledge of data engineering to extract, conform and integrate a variety of operational data sources into production-grade data products
• Experience of popular data formats like Parquet and Iceberg
• Experience in BI Tools like Tableau , Quicksight , Streamlit is a definite plus.
• Experience working with very large datasets and familiarity with big data technologies
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; have executive presence and proven ability to partner with Data Scientists to articulate insights gleaned from the model and the underlying data

What will be nice to have?

• Understand and Embrace Agile Operating Model
• Understanding of AI concepts and Machine learning and familiarity with AI services of AWS and Snowflake platforms
• Knowledge of fundamental statistical models & techniques
• Knowledge and experience working with DevOps technologies
• Experience working in a large financial services organization
• Undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or equivalent
• Graduate degree in business or quantitative science strongly preferred

What’s in it for you

• We’re honoured to be recognized as a 2026 Best Workplaces in Canada by Great Place to Work® Canada.
• We are thrilled to be recognized by Excellence Canada with their top-level certification, the Canada Order of Excellence for Mental Health at Work®, for prioritizing employee well‑being, fostering a positive work culture, and achieving excellence in mental health.
• Wellness programs that support the three pillars of your health – mental, physical, and financial
• The opportunity to move along a variety of career paths with amazing networking potential.
• As a hybrid organization, you and your leader use business and Client need to choose where you work, at home or in the

Benefits and Perks

• In addition to Base Pay, eligible Sun Life employees participate in various incentive plans, payment under which is discretionary and subject to individual and company performance.
• Certain sales focused roles have sales incentive plans based on individual or group sales results.
• Diversity and inclusion have always been at the core of our values at Sun Life.
• We welcome applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds.
• Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e-mail a request to [e-mail].

Unique Requirements

This role requires Reliability Status Clearance. In addition to a law enforcement inquiry and a credit check, as part of your application, the Government of Canada will ask if you lived or travelled outside of Canada for 6-consecutive months during the last 5 years, and you must account for all activities during this time. Important: Obtaining Reliability Status Clearance within a reasonable amount of time is a condition required to start employment for this role at Sun Life. Must be able to satisfactorily complete applicable background checks prior to the start date and during employment, in accordance with Sun Life’s policies and practices.

Base Pay range is for the primary location for which the job is posted. It may vary depending on the work location of the successful candidate or other factors. In addition to Base Pay, eligible Sun Life employees participate in various incentive plans, payment under which is discretionary and subject to individual and company performance. Certain sales focused roles have sales incentive plans based on individual or group sales results.

Salary Range: 80,000/80 000 - 128,000/128 000

Job Category: Advanced Analytics

Posting End Date: 07/09/2026

Shine together At Sun Life, you can be your most brilliant self. Our supportive, flexible, and inclusive work environment is one where you – and your career – can thrive. Whatever your aspirations, collaborative leaders and colleagues are ready to help you learn, grow, and succeed. Make life brighter We’re a global company with a passion for people. Our purpose is to help Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. As a team of 30,000 across 26 countries, our impact is far-reaching, and locally relevant There’s power in numbers. As part of Sun Life’s growing team, you have an impact on people in your community and around the world. Shape the future With an optimistic eye on a brighter future, we drive to innovate. Be part of leading change, push boundaries and try new ways of working. Use data to drive bold actions. Be agile and pivot as we test and learn. At Sun Life, we’re driving transformation, sustainability and innovation for our Clients, employees, partners, and communities. Join us. Together, we can make the future brighter. Join a top employer for a brighter future.