Location: Preference to have candidates based in Toronto, next best, candidates would be located in Vancouver. Hybrid work environment of 1 - 2 days onsite.On behalf of our client, Affinity is seeking a Principal Engineer, Data Solutions who will hold a senior technical leadership position, responsible for ensuring the quality, scalability, and effectiveness of data and analytics solutions within Enterprise Data & Analytics function. This role serves as the technical right-hand. You will set standards, mentor team members, evaluate complex solutions, and deliver hands‐on technical work for the organization's most challenging data problems.Individual contributor roleKey ResponsibilitiesTechnical Leadership & Standards (40%)Set the Technical Bar: Define and enforce standards for data modeling, analytics engineering, and BI development across all Data Solutions squadsSolution Evaluation: Review and validate technical designs for major initiatives, ensuring architectural soundness and alignment with enterprise patternsVendor Management: Evaluate proposals from consulting partners and technology vendors; hold vendors accountable for quality and deliveryQuality Assurance: Conduct code reviews, model reviews, and technical assessments to maintain high standards in alignment with governance best practicesHands‐On Technical Delivery (35%)Build Reference Implementations: Create exemplary data models, dbt projects, and BI dashboards that serve as templates for the organizationSolve Complex Problems: Tackle technical challenges beyond current team capabilities, from advanced SQL optimization to complex dimensional modelingDevelop Data Models: Design and implement scalable, well‐documented data models using dbt, Snowflake/Fabric, and modern analytics engineering practicesHands‐On Coding: Write production SQL, Python, and data transformation logic daily (60%+ hands‐on work)Upskill Data Analysts/Product Managers: Teach effective due diligence, solution design, and technical requirement translationMentor Analytics Engineers:



Provide structured guidance on data modeling patterns, dbt best practices, and analytical thinkingConduct Training: Lead technical workshops, lunch‐and‐learns, and documentation initiativesFoster Technical Culture: Build a culture of engineering excellence, continuous learning, and quality‐first thinkingQualifications6-8+ years in analytics engineering, data engineering, business intelligence, or related technical rolesVendor/partner management experience evaluating and holding consulting firms or technology vendors accountableMentorship experience upleveling junior and mid‐level data professionalsCore Technical ExpertiseExpert‐level SQL (complex queries, optimization, window functions, CTEs)Data modeling and dimensional design (star schema, snowflake, data vault)dbt (data build tool) or equivalent transformation frameworksModern cloud data warehouses (Fabric, Databricks)Power BI or Tableau (DAX, calculated fields, performance optimization)Python for data analysis and automationApache Airflow or similar orchestration toolsGit/version control and CI/CD practicesData quality, testing, and observability frameworksData governance and security best practicesTechnical Judgment: Can evaluate solutions and articulate trade‐offs clearly; knows when to be pragmatic vs. principledTeaching Ability: Can explain complex technical concepts to non‐technical audiences and mentor others effectivelyHands‐On Mindset: Prefers writing code to drawing diagrams; leads by exampleIntellectual Curiosity: Stays current with modern data practices; eager to learn and experimentOwnership Mentality:



Takes pride in quality; doesn't ship "good enough" when excellence is achievableEnterprise Data Architecture & Delivery Excellence7+ years of experience designing, building, and operationalizing enterprise‐scale data platforms within large, complex organizations (ideally $1B+ in annual revenue). Proven ability to translate business strategy into scalable data architectures that support analytics, reporting, and advanced use cases across multiple stakeholder groups.Advanced Data Modeling & Semantic Design Expertise7+ years of experience with modern data modeling approaches, including dimensional modeling, Data Vault, and metrics/semantic layers. Robust understanding of how to design models that balance performance, scalability, governance, and ease of consumption for downstream analytics, BI, and data science teams.Modern Data Stack Implementation Experience7+ years of production experience working with leading cloud data platforms and tools such as dbt, Snowflake, Databricks, or Microsoft Fabric (Preference given to candidates with direct Fabric and Azure ecosystem experience). Highly proficient in SQL and Python, with a proven track record of building reliable, testable, and maintainable data pipelines in production environments.Stakeholder Management & Business PartnershipStrong stakeholder management skills with the ability to translate complex business requirements into practical, scalable technical solutions. Proven experience partnering with business leaders, product owners, and engineering teams, while confidently challenging assumptions, managing expectations, and pushing back when requirements conflict with architectural standards, timelines, or long‐term platform sustainability.Salary range: $120K - $150KAffinity is an equal‐opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. #J-18808-Ljbffr

📌 Principal Engineer Data Solutions (Toronto)
🏢 Affinity
📍 Toronto