Senior Data Solutions Specialist

National Research Council of Canada; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

National Research Council of Canada in Ottawa is seeking a Senior Data Solutions Specialist to join the Information Systems Unit in the Construction Research Centre.

You will contribute to the design, development/configuration, deployment, enhancement and maintenance of DITA-XML and relational data models, databases and data pipelines, to support IT modernization and digitalization of the National Model Construction Codes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Computer Science or related discipline; equivalent combinations may be considered.
• Significant experience designing, implementing and maintaining structured data and content solutions.
• Experience with CMS/CCMS, source control, and versioning for content.
• Experience developing scripts and applications using Python.

Responsibilities

• Plan and coordinate production of the National Model Code publications.
• Support transition from legacy XML content management system and Oracle Database to a DITA-XML CCMS and an Azure SQL database.
• Design, develop and maintain data transformations and conversions.
• Work with developers to generate formatted outputs of structured/relational and semi-structured/DITA content.
• Work with developers to design and optimize Oxygen XML plug-ins for use in Oxygen XML Editor and a CCMS.
• Optimize and maintain API-based data exchange and automation between an in-house developed Azure application/database and a CCMS.
• Design and optimize data schemas, tables, queries and stored procedures in an AzureSQL database, as well as containers in a noSQL database (Azure CosmosDB).
• Design and maintain data models and pipelines for a graph database.

Skills

Structured data design

Relational databases

XML/DITA information models

Python scripting

CMS/CCMS experience

Cloud platforms & CI/CD

Education

Bachelor degree in Computer Science

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Experience with XML/DITA data models

Experience with CMS/CCMS and version control

Experience with Python programming

Tools

Oxygen XML Editor

Azure SQL

NoSQL databases (Azure CosmosDB)

Data pipelines

JSON/XML data formats

Job description

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Priority may be given to the following designated employment equity groups: women, Indigenous Peoples* (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), persons with disabilities and racialized persons*.

* The Employment Equity Act, which is under review, uses the terminology Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities.

Candidates are asked to self-declare when applying to this hiring process.

OrganizationalUnit:Construction

Classification:CS-3

Duration: 3 Years

Work arrangements: Due to the nature of the work and operational requirements, this position may be eligible for a limited hybrid work arrangement (combination of working onsite and telework).

At the NRC, we recognize that Indigenous candidates may have important connections to their communities and you may be eligible for an exception to this work arrangement. Alternative work arrangements may also be considered to accommodate candidates as required. To learn more about these options, please contact the NRC Hiring team using the contact information below.

Discover the possible

The role

We are looking for an innovative Senior Data Solutions Specialist to join our Information Systems Unit in the Construction Research Centre. In this role, the incumbent will contribute to the design, development/configuration, deployment enhancement and maintenance of DITA-XML and relational data models, databases and data pipelines, to support IT modernization and digitalization of the National Model Construction Codes. The Senior Data Solutions Specialist would be someone who shares our core values of Integrity, Excellence, Respect and Creativity.

As an experienced data solutions specialist, you will apply your expertise in multiple databases, data formats (particularly XML/DITA, relational/SQL, JSON), data conversion and data exchange mechanisms to help the NRC to manage and produce the National Model Codes, specifications and related content through multiple machine-readable and human-readable output formats. You will work closely with research and regulatory teams, project teams and external digital construction domain experts to optimize data models, design data pipelines and enhance in-house databases as well as a Component Content Management System (CCMS).

The successful candidate is someone who can be counted on to:

• Plan, coordinate, and assist with the production of the National Model Code publications.
• Support the transition from a legacy XML content management system and Oracle Database to a DITA-XML CCMS and an Azure SQL database.
• Design, develop and maintain data transformations and conversions.
• Work with developers to generate formatted outputs of structured/relational and semi-structured/DITA content.
• Work with developers to design and optimize Oxygen XML plug-ins for use in Oxygen XML Editor and a CCMS.
• Optimize and maintain API-based data exchange and automation between an in-house developed Azure application/database and a CCMS.
• Design and optimize data schemas, tables, queries and stored procedures in an AzureSQL database, as well as containers in a noSQL database (Azure CosmosDB).
• Design and maintain data models and pipelines for a graph database.

Screening criteria

Applicants must demonstrate within the content of their application that they meet the following screening criteria in order to be given further consideration as candidates:

Education

Bachelor degree in Computer Science or a related discipline from a recognized University or a Technical College diploma in Computer Science or a related field.

An equivalent combination of education and direct experience may be considered.

• Significant and recent experience designing, implementing and maintaining structured data and content solutions, including relational databases, XML or DITA-XML information models.
• Significant and recent experience developing and maintaining data integration, transformation, and automation solutions involving structured data and technical content.
• Experience using a content management system (CMS/CCMS), source code repositories, and version control solutions to manage structured technical content and related development artifacts.
• Experience developing scripts and applications using Python or similar programming languages.

The following may be considered as Assets:

• Experience with Oxygen XML Editor and plug-in development.
• Experience with structured content publishing frameworks and automated output generation workflows.
• Experience with digital publishing and document formatting tools.
• Experience with graph databases, semantic data models, and related formats such as RDF, TTL, and JSON-LD.
• Experience with modern data storage and analytics platforms, including data warehouse, data lake/lakehouse, and/or vector databases.
• Experience working with Cloud platforms, databases, DevOps tools, and CI/CD pipelines to support application development, deployment and data management.

Condition of employment

Reliability Status

For a Reliability Status, verification of background information over a period of 5 years is required.

Candidates will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

• Advanced knowledge of XML, DITA-XML, structured content modelling, schema design, validation, transformation, data conversion, and publishing workflows, including integration with relational and JSON-based data structures.
• Advanced knowledge of relational databases, SQL, data modelling, schema design, and data integration practices.
• Knowledge of CMS/CCMS solutions, and structured content management workflows.
• Knowledge and proficiency in Python to automate workflows, process structured data, and support system integration.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms, data services, and modern application architectures.
• Knowledge of semantic data technologies, graph databases, and AI-related data management practices.
• Ability to plan and execute data migrations from legacy systems to modern commercial or in-house applications and platforms.
• Proficiency with Azure DevOps, version control, and CI/CD pipelines
• Technology support - Conceptual and analytical ability (Level 3)
• Technology support - Results orientation (Level 3)

Competency Profile(s)

For this position, the NRC will evaluate candidates using the following competency profile(s): Technology Support

NRC employees enjoy a wide-range of competitive benefits including a robust pension plan, comprehensive health and dental coverage, disability and life insurance, office closure at the end of December, and additional supports to enhance your well-being throughout your career and beyond.

Notes

• In 2026, the NRC was chosen as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People, a National Capital Region Top Employer and Forbes Canada’s Best Employer.
• Relocation assistance will be determined in accordance with the NRC's directives.
• A pre-qualified list may be established for similar positions for a one-year period.
• Preference will be given to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada. Please include citizenship information in your application.
• The incumbent must adhere to safe workplace practices at all times.
• We thank all those who apply, however only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Closing Date: 30 October 2026 - 23:59 Eastern Time