Technical Director

Thrillworks; Toronto; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Dental & vision coverage

Wellness spending account

Paid time off

GRSP plan

Job summary

Thrillworks in Toronto, Canada is seeking a Technical Director who merges strategy with hands-on execution. You will shape the tech stack with the Principal of Engineering, mentor a high-performing team, and serve as the technical North Star for key client engagements.

You will own end-to-end architecture, guide Next.js and Contentful implementations, and ensure security, scalability, and production reliability within client SLAs.

Qualifications

• 7+ years actively building backend development, not just supervision.
• 5+ years mastering architecture patterns (Microservices, SOA).
• 3+ years hands-on Next.js experience and Contentful or similar headless CMS.
• Architect for cloud-native deployments on Azure, AWS, or GCP.
• 3+ years leading technical strategy directly with clients and writing SOWs.

Responsibilities

• Architecture Ownership: end-to-end architecture ownership with hands-on coding as needed.
• Team Evolution: mentor direct reports with measurable skill growth.
• Client Strategy: lead Innovation Roadmaps translating needs into technical blueprints.
• Technical Excellence: own debt management and production issue resolution within SLAs.

Skills

Backend development

Architecture patterns

Next.js

Contentful

Cloud platforms

Client-facing strategy

Pre-Sales

Job description

What is the opportunity?

WearelookingforaTechnicalDirector who lives at the intersection of high-level strategy and deep-stack execution. You aren't here to just manage tickets or delegate from the sidelines — you are here to get your hands dirty alongside the team, partner with the Principal of Engineering to define our tech stack, mentor a team of high-performers, and serve as the "Technical North Star" for our most ambitious clients.

What will you achieve?

• ArchitectureOwnership:Takefull,hands-onownershipoftheend-to-endarchitectureforkeyclientproducts,ensuring100%alignmentwithsecurityandscalabilitybestpractices—andwritingcodewhenitmatters.
• TeamEvolution:Establishamentorshipframeworkthatresultsinmeasurableskillgrowthforyourdirectreports,specificallyinNext.jsandCloudNativearchitecture—leadingbyexample,notjustbyinstruction.
• ClientStrategy:Successfullyleadthree"InnovationRoadmaps"forclients,translatingcomplexbusinessneedsintotechnicalblueprintsthatyouhelptheengineeringteamexecute—notjusthandoff.
• TechnicalExcellence: Act as the final point of escalation, rolling up your sleeves to ensure all technical debt is managed and all production issues are resolved within client SLAs.

Whatdoyouneedforthisrole?

• The Foundation: You've spent at least 7 years actively building in backend development — not just overseeing it — and 5+ years mastering architecture patterns (Microservices, SOA).
• The Modern Stack: You are an expert practitioner in Next.js (3+ years) and have deep, hands-on experience with Contentful (or similar headless CMS).
• Cloud Native: You don't just "use" the cloud; you architect and build for it (Azure, AWS, or GCP).
• Client-Facing Grit: You have at least 3 years of experience leading technical strategy directly with clients — and can back every recommendation with code.
• Pre-Sales Experience: The ability to assist the Account/Sales team in scoping new projects and writing technical SOWs, grounded in real implementation experience.

BonusPoints:

• Mobile Proficiency: Hands-on experience shipping production applications using React Nativeor Flutter.
• AI/ML Integration: Familiarity with implementing LLMs, vector databases, or machine learning models into modern web architectures.

Who are you?

• Humble: You are a servant leader. You take more than your share of the blame and less than your share of the credit. You believe "the best idea wins," regardless of who it came from.
• Hungry: You have an internal fire to stay ahead of the curve. You don’t wait to be told what technology to explore; you’re already prototyping it.
• Smart (People Smart): You are a master of the "Consultant’s Pivot." You can explain Microservices to a CEO and API design to a Junior Dev without losing either of them.
• A "Commitment to Perfection" Mindset: You understand that in a remote, collaborative environment, clarity is kindness and sloppy code is a communication failure.

What does the hiring process look like?

1. Screening Interview. This initial discussion with HR covers your background and salary expectations, while specifically assessing your communication style and self-discipline for an environment like ours.
2. Hiring Manager Interview. This step digs into the core capabilities of the role to ensure you have the required experience, and may include specific technical questions depending on the position.
3. Team & Values Interview. You will meet with potential cross-functional colleagues to assess your collaborative style and ensure you align with the team's values.
4. Background & Reference Checks. We verify employment history and performance with your provided references after a successful final interview, as well as a Criminal Background Check and Global Sanctions Check.

What do we offer?

We support our team with a robust total rewards package that prioritizes your health, future, and work-life balance starting on your very first day.

• 100% Employer-Paid Premiums. We cover the full cost of your Health and Dental premiums (Long Term Disability premiums are employee-paid).
• Comprehensive Health Benefits (Day 1). Full coverage starts immediately, including 100% Prescription Drug Coverage and Extended Healthcare, 80% Dental, Vision Care, Life Insurance, AD&D, and Critical Illness.
• Paramedical Support. We cover up to $500 per practitioner, per person (e.g., Massage, Physio, Chiro).
• Flexible Wellness. A $1,200 annual Health/Wellness Spending Account (HSA/WSA) to support your specific needs.
• Time Off. 3 weeks vacation (minimum), 5 paid sick days, and paid leave for bereavement and jury duty.
• Financial Future. Competitive pay and a Group RRSP (GRSP) with 2.5% employer matching (1-year vesting schedule).

Why join?

At Thrillworks, we are partners in digital acceleration. In essence, we work together to accelerate the journey toward a competitive advantage for our clients and ourselves by solving the right problems. Regardless of the department you belong to at Thrillworks, you will have a hand in the vision and realization of innovative ideas and high-quality outputs.

Clarityandautonomy. We want all of our employees to feel involved. That means ensuring everyone knows what we are working on and why; creating space for idea-sharing and creativity, and allowing people to make decisions without the constant need for approval.

Challengesandgrowth. At Thrillworks, we know our people are our biggest asset, and we do everything we can to make them feel recognized, heard and appreciated. Under the guidance of a supportive and patient manager, you will have the chance to build out your insights, gain exposure internally and externally, and grow your expertise.

Witheverythingwedo,theseareourguidingvalues:

Teamwork:Weareheadinginthesamedirection,actingandworkingasONE.

Curiosity:Weareopen-mindedandhungrytoimprove.

Courage:Wearen’tafraidtotakechancesortoadmit(andlearnfrom)mistakes.

Passion: We care about challenges, the outcomes, and our contributions to meeting them. What we do is the product of who we are and how we think.

Thrillworks is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, as we believe in Diversity & Inclusion as a way to build stronger and successful teams. Accommodation is offered to all candidates upon request.