Principal Developer and Architect

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL • Toronto, ON

11d • Hybrid

About The Position

TIFF is a charitable, cultural organization dedicated to presenting the best of international and Canadian cinema and creating transformational experiences for film lovers and creators of all ages and backgrounds in their home – TIFF Lightbox. Their mission is to transform the way people see the world, through film. TIFF is committed to embracing diversity and treating all individuals with respect, dignity and fairness by removing physical, social and economic barriers to participation. The organization acknowledges its location on the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit and the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, the Wendat, and the Haudenosaunee. TIFF is hiring its first Principal Developer & Architect, a senior individual contributor who will establish the enterprise architecture practice while remaining a hands-on contributor to engineering and data delivery. Reporting to the VP, Digital Transformation, this role involves setting architecture standards, leading solution design on complex initiatives, and writing production code alongside the team. It is explicitly stated that this is not an advisory-only role, and candidates uncomfortable with writing production code should not apply.

Requirements

• 8+ years of progressive software engineering experience, with at least 3 years in a senior or lead technical architecture capacity.
• Demonstrated track record of both defining architecture and personally contributing to engineering delivery – this is not an advisory-only role.
• Hands-on proficiency in Python, Java, .NET, or an equivalent language; ability to write and review production-quality code.
• Experience with data engineering, data platform design, and enterprise integration patterns.
• Strong technical governance skills: code quality standards, documentation practices, and security review.
• Adaptable to a flexible work schedule including some evenings and weekends.
• This position requires being in office on a regular basis.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain TIFF’s enterprise architecture – setting integration patterns, platform standards, security architecture, and data architecture principles to guide coherent, scalable technical evolution.
• Lead solution architecture for major implementations and integrations, producing technical designs that delivery teams and vendor partners build to with confidence.
• Contribute directly to software development and data engineering – writing production code alongside the team and building internal capability rather than external dependency.
• Establish technical governance: code review standards, AI code validation, and security review criteria that hold TIFF’s technology delivery to a consistent, auditable quality bar.
• Serve as the primary technical advisor to both the Digital Transformation & Data and IT Operations pillars on architecture, platform selection, and vendor capability assessment.
• Provide formal dotted-line mentorship to the Digital Technology Analyst, including code review and professional development, to grow TIFF’s internal engineering capability over time.

Benefits

• flexible work schedule
• professional development
• fostering an inclusive and accessible environment where employees feel valued and respected, and where every employee has the opportunity to realize their potential

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees