Software Development Team Lead Digital Experience

Okanagan College; Kelowna; On-site; CAD 81,724 - 119,862; Full time

Job summary

Okanagan College is seeking a Software Development Team Lead to guide design, development, and delivery of software powering the college's digital ecosystem. You will lead a team of developers, set technical direction, ensure reliable, scalable applications, and integrate AI-powered features into solutions that add real value.

Reporting to the Manager, Digital Experience, you will collaborate with Senior Product Coordinators to translate priorities into delivery-ready software, maintain quality,

Qualifications

• Demonstrated senior-level experience designing, building, and supporting software systems in production environments.
• Proven experience leading or coordinating technical teams, setting direction and mentoring developers.
• Strong knowledge of modern software practices, cloud platforms, DevOps, CI/CD, and architecture patterns.

Responsibilities

• Lead the full software delivery lifecycle, including architecture, development, integration, testing, deployment, and ongoing support.
• Set and maintain development standards, coding practices, and architectural patterns.
• Drive proof-of-concept initiatives and rapid prototyping to validate new approaches.
• Build software that integrates AI and automation capabilities where they add real value.
• Ensure AI-integrated features are well-engineered, tested, and maintainable.

Skills

Senior-level software design

Technical leadership

Cloud platforms

DevOps

AI integration

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science / Software Engineering or related

Tools

Cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)

CI/CD

APIs

Automation frameworks

Job description

When you join Okanagan College, you1re joining a team that9s transforming lives and communities.

Every course you create, every student you support and every connection you build, it all matters.

Be a part of a vibrant campus community, where the work you do every day truly makes a difference.

Desired Start Date: August 24, 2026

Appointment End Date: August 24, 2027
Salary Range: $81,724 -$119,862 annually (Typical hiring range $98,070 - $108,966 annually)
Appointment Type: Administrator Term Full-Time

Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 - 4:30 (negotiable)
Posting Closing Date: August 4, 2026

Position Summary

The Software Development Team Lead leads the design, development, and delivery of software solutions that power Okanagan College's digital ecosystem. Building with AI, this role brings that capability naturally integrating AI-powered features, automation, and intelligent services into software solutions where they add real value. This role is hands-on and technically deeply responsible for guiding a team of developers, setting technical direction, and ensuring the College's applications, integrations, and automated services are reliable, scalable, and built to last.

Reporting to the Manager, Digital Experience, the Software Development Team Lead works closely with Senior Product Coordinators to translate product priorities into technical sound, delivery-ready solutions keeping quality high, delivery moving, and the team growing.

Function & Duties

• Lead the full software delivery lifecycle, including architecture, development, integration, testing, deployment, and ongoing support, and serve as the technical authority for applications, APIs, and systems.
• Set and maintain development standards, coding practices, and architectural patterns that keep the codebase clean, maintainable, and scalable.
• Oversee and approve changes to production environments, including applications, integrations, configurations, and platform updates.
• Drive proof-of-concept initiatives and rapid prototyping to validate new approaches and advance the team's technical capabilities.
• Build software that integrates AI and automation capabilities, including generative AI, APIs, and intelligent workflows, where they meaningfully improve the product.
• Evaluate AI tools, frameworks, and services for practical fit and implement them as part of modern software solutions, not as standalone initiatives.
• Ensure AI-integrated features are well-engineered, tested, and maintainable, held to the same standards as any other part of the codebase.
• Identify and build automation solutions that reduce manual effort, streamline institutional workflows, and improve service delivery.
• Maintain and optimize live systems through performance tuning, reliability improvements, and proactive monitoring, and leads incident response when issues arise.
• Ensure software initiatives connect directly to Okanagan College's digital strategy, advancing priorities around learner experience, operational efficiency, and innovation.
• Collaborate with Senior Product Coordinators and Digital Experience leadership to keep technical delivery and strategic direction in sync.
• Surface technical constraints, opportunities, and capability gaps that inform product and strategy decisions.
• Partner with Senior Product Coordinators to translate product vision and user needs into well-engineered, high-impact solutions, with usability and accessibility considered from the start.
• Champions software solutions that make a tangible difference in how students learn, how staff work, and how the institution delivers services.
• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of developers by setting technical direction, reviewing work, and building a strong, collaborative team culture.
• Coordinate delivery across internal developers, contractors, and technical contributors to keep work aligned and moving.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning, quality craftsmanship, and pragmatic innovation within the team.
• Elevate development capability across the team and institution through documentation, code reviews, and hands-on technical guidance.

Education & Experience

A four-year degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related discipline plus a minimum of 6 years of progressive, hands-on experience in software development, systems integration, cloud platforms, or enterprise architecture. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrated senior-level experience designing, building, and supporting software systems in production environments including applications, APIs, integrations, and automation platforms.
• Proven experience leading or coordinating technical teams setting direction, reviewing work, mentoring developers, and driving delivery in a collaborative environment.
• Strong command of modern software development practices, including cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP), DevOps, CI/CD, and contemporary architecture patterns.
• Practical experience integrating AI capabilities such as generative AI, large language models, or AI orchestration frameworks into software products as a developer and technical lead.
• A track record of translating product requirements and user needs into practical, well-engineered solutions ideally in a post-secondary, public sector, or similarly complex institutional environment (strongly preferred).
• Strong communication skills that bridge technical and non-technical audiences, with the ability to align teams around shared technical direction.

Our Values

Students first: Creating meaningful life-long educational opportunities of the highest quality for alumni, current, and future students is at the heart of everything we do.

Community: We are one College. We enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to work with, learn from, and support everyone we encounter collaboratively and collegially.

Respect: We welcome, embrace, and celebrate that which make us unique in creating an environment in which every individual is valued, affirming our commitment to human dignity for all.

Courage: We are courageous in our actions in areas that contribute to positive change in our communities and beyond. We have the courage to be vulnerable. We are truthful, sincere, and act ethically with honesty and fairness.

Relationships: We steward meaningful relationships built on a foundation of reciprocity. We are compassionate, empathic, and care for the holistic well-being of students, employees, community members, and the land.

Distinction: We choose activities in which we can achieve excellence and positively impact society.

Okanagan College is committed to increasing the equitable and inclusive participation of marginalized people in all aspects of college life. We welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black People, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, people with disabilities and people with diverse gender identities or expressions. People with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, [e-mail].