About Calian

At Calian, we help organizations overcome obstacles, manage risks, and drive progress. Since 1982, we’ve grown from a small consulting firm into a trusted global company across defence, space, health, nuclear energy, public safety, and government.

We create innovative solutions that tackle complex challenges and help organizations and communities stay resilient, informed, and connected. If you’re driven by purpose and energized by solving real-world challenges, we want you on our team.

Job Type: Full Time

Position Overview

The Senior Software Technical Lead role in our Defence and Space division offers the opportunity to shape mission‑critical systems for some of the world’s leading satellite operators. You will work closely with a multidisciplinary team of software developers and systems engineers to set the technical direction of complex projects and ensure the delivery of robust, high‑quality solutions.

As a Technical Lead, you will define software architectures, guide technical decision‑making, resolve disagreements, and maintain engineering excellence across your team’s deliverables. Partnering with a people‑manager Team Lead, you will help drive alignment, mentor developers, and support a focused team of 5–7 engineers within a larger 100+ person engineering organization.

This position can be 100% remote from anywhere in Canada.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

Partner with the Team Lead (people manager) to drive successful technical outcomes across assigned projects.

Provide hands‑on leadership across the full software lifecycle: requirements shaping, design, implementation, testing, and delivery.

Spend ~25% of your time coding to model best practices, contribute to complex components, and remove technical blockers.

Architecture & Design

Define, document, and communicate software architectures; ensure architectural decisions are consistently implemented.

Evaluate and recommend tools, technologies, and engineering practices to improve productivity and technical quality.

Quality & Delivery

Guide developers in adhering to design principles, coding standards, and project scope.

Conduct code and design reviews that raise technical quality and ensure consistency across the team.

Collaborate with system engineers and customers to clarify technical requirements and shape solutions.

Mentorship & Team Capability

Provide technical coaching to developers, helping grow capability across the team and elevating engineering standards.

Help cultivate an engineering culture focused on clarity, predictability, and sustainable solutions.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Engineering Physics, or a related technical field

Minimum 7 years of experience designing and building complex backend systems

Proficiency in Java, Kotlin, or C++

Demonstrated experience leading technical direction or acting as a senior technical authority

Additional requirements

Experience designing distributed or mission‑critical systems

Exposure to container orchestration (Kubernetes) and modern CI/CD practices

Experience with observability tooling (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, etc.)

Familiarity with infrastructure automation (Ansible)

Experience in aerospace, satellite communications, or defence engineering environments

Compensation

$110,000 – $160,000

Vacancy

We have 1 available role

#LI-AS1# #SF#

AI Usage Disclosure

At Calian, we do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to screen or evaluate candidates. AI tools may support backend administrative tasks, but they do not influence hiring decisions. All evaluations and decisions are made by real people on our recruitment team and hiring managers. All applicants are reviewed and only those chosen for an interview will be contacted by our recruiting team.

How we hire

  • Our hiring process is designed to help us get to know you and discover if you are the best fit for our team. It’s also an opportunity for you to gauge if a role at Calian is the right fit for you.

    Throughout the process, we’ll share details of the kind of work you’ll be doing, the projects you’ll be working on, the team you’ll be joining, and what it’s like working at Calian. Our biggest tip throughout the process is to  just be your authentic self! 
  • Our commitment to diverse, yet highly specialized solutions require many different skills and abilities. We look for the best talent that can contribute to Calian’s success as well as enhance our  culture. We encourage you to apply to a role or join our talent community and sign up for job alerts that match your area of expertise and what you are looking for in your next opportunity.  

    During the recruiting process, you’re encouraged to notify us of any accommodations you may require. We’ll be happy to help. 

  • We give the same time and consideration to everyone who applies. Here are a few things you can do to ensure your application shines: 

    • Do your research on Calian, the department, and team you are looking to join 
    • Add a cover letter that explains why you are a good fit for this position  
    • Share a portfolio, personal websites, or links to your professional social media 
    • In your CV, highlight your key achievements – this is your time to brag 
    • Include dates! Share the timeline of your experience 
    • Stand out by tailoring your resume to each position you apply to  
    • Only apply to roles you’re genuinely interested in and that align to your experience 
    • Be prepared! Do your research on Calian, the department, and team you are looking to join
    • View the responsibilities for the role and find examples that demonstrate how you’ve completed these in your previous work  experience 
    • Prepare a list of questions to ask us 
    • Dress business casual for your interview (virtual and in person) 
    • We assess your skills and fit, you assess our fit for you 
    • We keep you updated and share expectations as we make progress in the recruiting cycle  
    • Feel free to reach out to your Talent Acquisition Specialist at any time during the hiring process