[Hiring] Technical Lead @The Descartes

Role Description

This role exists to ensure our product teams build systems that are not only functional, but scalable, secure, and built to last. As a Technical Lead, you will set the technical direction and elevate engineering standards by translating complex product needs into well-architected solutions that balance immediate delivery with long-term platform health.

Outcomes

• Architect scalable, resilient Java-based systems that support current product requirements while enabling future growth, with clear documentation of key design decisions and trade-offs.
• Improve engineering quality and consistency across the team, evidenced by reduced defects, stronger code standards, and adoption of best practices in testing, observability, and security.
• Accelerate delivery predictability by providing accurate technical input into planning, breaking down complex initiatives into actionable milestones, and reducing rework.
• Strengthen technical capability of the team through mentorship, resulting in measurable growth in engineer autonomy and technical decision-making.
• Ensure production readiness and reliability, with systems meeting defined SLAs and improved incident response practices and observability.
• Drive effective cross-functional collaboration with Product, Design, and other technical leaders, resulting in well-defined, feasible solutions and fewer late-stage changes.
• Contribute to organization-wide technical alignment, ensuring consistency in architecture and shared standards across teams.

Qualifications

• Strong software architecture and system design skills, with experience building scalable, secure, mission-critical Java-based systems.
• Deep hands-on expertise in Java 8 and the Spring ecosystem (Spring Framework 4.3, Spring Security, Spring Integration).
• Experience with Hibernate 5.6 and enterprise-grade data access patterns.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft SQL Server, including T-SQL, performance tuning, and database design.
• Experience with caching and scheduling frameworks (EhCache 3.x, Quartz Scheduler) to support performance and reliability.
• Proven experience deploying and operating applications in AWS, with Docker (Linux containers) and Apache Tomcat.
• Frontend development experience with JavaScript, jQuery, JQWidgets, and Velocity templating engine.
• Experience with DevOps and engineering tools including Azure DevOps, GitHub, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong testing discipline using JUnit 5 and Mockito, with a focus on maintainability and code quality.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Co-Pilot) to improve developer productivity.

Requirements

• Ability to lead through hands-on contribution, design leadership, and technical credibility—not authority.
• Skilled in code reviews, design reviews, and setting engineering standards.
• Proven ability to mentor and develop engineers through practical, real-time coaching.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly explain complex technical concepts and trade-offs.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Product, Design, QA, DevOps, and Security.
• Ability to translate product requirements into actionable technical solutions.

Culture Add: TEAM Values

• Communicate with transparency, sharing information openly and building trust across functions.
• Bring excellence and expertise to your craft, holding a high bar for quality while continuously improving your skills.
• Demonstrate accountability by owning outcomes, following through on commitments, and taking responsibility for results.
• Driven by metrics, using data and experimentation to inform decisions and deliver measurable impact.

Aptitudes

• Smart: Able to quickly understand complex systems, connect ideas, and make sound judgments.
• Curious: Actively seeks to understand customer problems, emerging technologies, and better ways of working.
• Coachable: Open to feedback, willing to adapt, and continuously improving through learning.

Benefits

• Opportunity to shape the technical foundation of critical Java-based platforms while staying deeply hands-on.
• Significant influence over architecture and engineering practices, with visibility across teams and leadership.
• Collaborative environment alongside experienced product managers, designers, and engineers.
• Chance to grow your impact beyond a single team, contributing to broader platform strategy and mentoring future technical leaders.
• Access to modern tools, cloud technologies, and evolving architecture challenges.

Location & Salary Range

This is a remote position within Canada, and the salary range for this role is $100,000–$120,000 CAD. Compensation information provided is a good faith estimate for this position only. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include your specific skills as well as the years of experience you have.

Join Us

As we scale, we’re looking for new doers, collaborators, and innovators to join Descartes in uniting the people and technology that move the world as the Global Leader in Logistics and Supply Chain Technology. We prioritize work-life balance and foster an environment with the space to take ownership, to be heard, and to carve a path for your individual accomplishments to help drive our success.