Senior Technical Architect & Team Lead - Defence Analytics

RealDecoy; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A technology consulting firm in Ottawa is seeking a Senior Technical Architect & Team Lead for a defense analytics project. This pivotal role demands strong leadership, technical mastery, and public sector experience. Ideal candidates will have substantial experience in business intelligence solutions and team management within government environments. Benefits include comprehensive insurance, paid leave, and allowances for wellness and learning. This is a full-time, on-site position with significant responsibilities and growth opportunities.

Benefits

Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Life Insurance

15+ days of paid leave

Learning allowance

Wellness allowance

Internet service allowance

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in the public sector, focused on military, safety, research, or finance.
• At least 10 years of experience in conceiving and delivering BI solutions for large organizations.
• Strong background in team leadership and translating business needs into system requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of embedded contractors as the Engagement Lead.
• Provide technical vision and mentor the team.
• Manage the client relationship and drive innovation.

Skills

Technical mastery

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate in Computer Science or Engineering

Job description

Overview

Senior Technical Architect & Team Lead - Defence Analytics

The Engagement: A Trusted Partner to Canada's National Defence

RealDecoy has worked closely with the Department of National Defence (DND) since 2009. Beginning in 2012, we have had a team embedded full-time on-site. Over this time, we have built a huge amount of trust with the client; maintaining and growing that trust is our highest priority.

Our mission is to support senior decision-makers at DND and within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) with data-driven analysis and insights. We help them make crucial investment, divestment, and sustainment decisions for the CAF, looking 5 to 25 years into the future. Recently announced growth in the CAF promises interesting challenges ahead. Delivering value every day requires us to deeply understand our client's business, goals, and organization to the point where we can anticipate their needs and provide solutions without needing to be told what to do.

Why You'll Love This Role

• Unmatched Work-Life Balance: The secure work means you cannot take it home with you, leading to an excellent work-life balance with no overtime required.
• Incredible Career Experience: You will gain invaluable experience across a wide spectrum of roles: from software development and data analysis to business analysis, solution architecture, and change management.
• Direct Impact & High-Level Exposure: You will have rare opportunities for direct interaction with senior DND decision-makers and high-ranking military officers, seeing the impact of your work firsthand.

The Role

More Than a Technical Architect

This is a multifaceted leadership role that goes far beyond a standard Technical Architect position. You will be the linchpin for a team of other embedded contractors, acting as the Engagement Lead, Team Leader, and People Manager. We are looking for someone to not only provide technical vision but also to mentor a team, manage the client relationship, and drive innovation.

A Day in the Life

To Ensure You Have a Clear Picture, It's Important To Understand The Realities Of Working Within a Secure Government Facility

• Secure Environment: This role is on-site in a secure area. Personal electronic devices (phones, smartwatches, laptops, etc.) must be stored outside the workspace but are readily accessible if required.
• Connectivity: While you will have access to the internet for research on sites like StackOverflow, some websites (like streaming services) are often blocked, and all activity is monitored. Large language models are accessible, but the content that can be sent is (understandably) quite limited.
• Bureaucracy & Complexity: DND is a large organization with significant governance and many processes. This role comes with a steep learning curve to understand the unique business processes and terminology. Success requires patience and the ability to navigate a complex enterprise environment.
• Team Integration: While you are a valued member of RealDecoy, the on-site nature of this role means you will be quite isolated from the rest of the company's day-to-day activities.

Who You Are

The ideal candidate profile combines technical mastery, strategic thinking, and exceptional leadership. This is a full-time, on-site role in Ottawa-Gatineau at the DND Carling Campus on Moodie Drive; remote work is not possible.

Mandatory Qualifications

• Citizenship & Security: You must be a Canadian Citizen and must have or be eligible to obtain a Government of Canada Secret Level security clearance.
• Educational Background: You must have a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in Computer Science or Engineering.
• Public Sector Exposure: You must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in the public sector, focused on military, safety, research, global affairs, or finance.
• Experience in BI Solutions: A minimum of 10 years of cumulative experience within the last 15 years conceiving, designing, and implementing Business Intelligence (BI) solutions for large organizations (over 250 employees).
• Team Leadership: A minimum of 5 years of cumulative experience in the last 10 years leading a team of at least three (3) Architects or Developers.
• Business to System Translation: A minimum of 5 years of cumulative experience in the last 10 years translating Business Analysis needs into system / functional requirements.
• Solution Delivery: A minimum of 5 years of cumulative experience in the last 10 years coordinating the development and delivery of BI solutions.

Why You Might Not Be a Good Fit

We believe in transparency. This role is not for everyone. This may not be the right fit if you :

• Are not comfortable being disconnected from your personal phone or devices for large portions of the day.
• Prefer to work remotely or require a flexible hybrid schedule.
• Thrive in a start-up-like environment and are frustrated by large-scale enterprise bureaucracy.
• Prefer being told what to do. We need a leader who can immerse themselves in the client's world to identify and deliver value proactively.

Our People & Culture

RealDecoy is a professional services firm dedicated to creating meaningful experiences for our clients. Engineering is central to our work, and we channel that passion to craft truly personalized, transformative experiences that help our customers achieve their goals. We maintain consistency by fostering a culture of openness: embracing the best ideas, respecting everyone's voice, and exemplifying our core values – We Care, We Lead, We Learn – in everything we do. Here, diversity is an organic part of who we are because we believe our individual differences help us stay fresh, inclusive, and impactful.

Our Benefits

• Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Life Insurance
• 15+ days of paid leave
• Learning allowance
• Wellness allowance
• Internet service allowance

Position Details

• Seniority level: Director
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Design, Art / Creative, and Information Technology
• Industries: Technology, Information and Internet