Join us in enabling trade through Canada's largest port
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is an arm’s-length federal agency responsible for the shared stewardship of the lands and waters that make up the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port. Our mandate, as outlined in the Canada Marine Act , is to enable Canada’s trade objectives on behalf of all Canadians, ensuring the safe movement of goods through the Port of Vancouver while protecting the environment and considering local communities.
As an organization with a significant impact on communities and businesses across Canada, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is dedicated to diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. We strive to create a workplace that mirrors the richness of our community, empowering all employees to achieve their full potential.
The Technical Architect works closely with IS teams and stakeholders to define and govern information technology architecture standards and decisions for applications, integrations and digital platforms. This position works closely with Manager, IT Platform Engineering to drive the definition and maintenance of architecture designs, integration patterns, and technical standards, translating project and platform requirements into clear, implementable technical direction. As a key technical resource, the Technical Architect owns architecture decisions across platforms and the integration lifecycle, including defining technical requirements, producing architecture decision records and specifications, and providing implementation oversight and ongoing stewardship.
What you do:
Conduct research and analysis to evaluate technologies, platforms and integration approaches against IS architecture standards and project requirements
- Explore and recommend frameworks, platforms and technical stacks; assess fit against technical architecture standards and IS platform portfolio
- Acts as a primary owner in the Information Services team for technology planning and participates in the internal projects planning process
- Identifies and implements improvements to address technical debt, enhance integrations, and improve platform reliability through effective leadership and collaboration
- Leads the identification and validation of business and technical needs with internal and external stakeholders, and owns the creation of technology specifications and requirements
- Translates business and project requirements into implementable technical specification, converting objectives into concrete architecture designs and specifications for delivery teams
- Ensures platform coherence across IS-governed environments by designing solutions that are connected, reusable, and integrated into the broader VFPA technology ecosystem, avoiding isolated point solutions
- Provides architecture oversight across the full scope of IS-governed technology work: enterprise application implementations, IT infrastructure and field technology projects (IoT, cameras, gate control, OT/IT systems), data integration initiatives, platform version upgrades (e.g. major platform releases and service changes), and custom development projects
- Produces and maintains architecture decision records (ADRs), solution design documents, and integration diagrams that serve as the authoritative technical reference for IS platforms and projects; uses these artifacts to drive alignment sessions across IS teams
- Provide technical leadership as it relates to developing strategy, scalability, performance, architecture and overall high-level design to ensure solution quality
- Technology solution owner during the implementation phase
- Champion the adoption of reusable architecture assets to improve efficiency
- Owns the roadmap for AI infrastructure, tools, and platforms (in coordination with other IS teams for AI productivity and governance); defines technical standards for safe and consistent AI adoption across IS
- Architects and coordinates implementation of purpose-built AI products, integrations, and complex agent-based solutions
- Owns agent orchestration, runtime environments, deployment pipelines, CI/CD for agents, and API patterns
- Enforces runtime safety controls: sandboxing, rate limiting, human-in-loop escalation, and rollback procedures
- Defines and enforces integration and identity standards for AI systems: secure APIs, authentication and authorization controls, tenancy guardrails, and data flow controls
- Defines and maintains technical guardrails for AI: standard libraries, vetted model endpoints, cost controls, and vendor constraints to limit platform lock-in
- Identifies integration opportunities and overlaps among VFPA systems and infrastructure; maintains the integration pattern library and resolves application and data integration issues as required
- Owns and maintains the IS API catalog; defines API design, versioning, and integration standards to enable consistent and reusable connections across VFPA platforms and systems
What you bring:
A post-secondary degree in computer science, information systems, engineering or another acceptable area, along with a minimum of five years related experience, including recent proven leadership on enterprise platform architecture, cross-system integration design, and technical standards ownership environments.
Experience working with both agile and waterfall delivery methodologies is required, and well as proficiency in tools like Visio, draw.io, Jira, and SharePoint. Strong preference for those with a passion and dedication to ongoing professional development. Must value maintaining their technology skills and act proactively to stay abreast of advances in their areas of expertise.
Must have demonstrated experience with the following:
- Proficiency in tools like Visio, draw.io, Jira, and SharePoint
- Cloud data platforms (Azure and AWS) along with on-premises data integration
- Understanding of on-premises and on cloud technology deployments
- Experience working as a technology solution owner
- Complex technical and architectural documentation skills
- Conceptual understanding of and exposure to modern programming languages, data management, analysis and reporting tools
- Development and programming hands-on experience
What we offer:
Market-competitive base salaries and variable incentive plan
Flexible remote work program
Earned time off program
Paid vacation and personal care leave
Learning, development, and advancement opportunities
Onsite gym with towel service in a national landmark in the heart of Vancouver’s waterfront
Friendly, unique, and respectful workplace
Generous and inclusive benefits offering including retirement benefits plan
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Job type: Bargaining Unit, Full-Time, Permanent, Hybrid
Working environment: Normal office conditions.
MARINE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY CLEARANCE
The incumbent must obtain and maintain a valid Marine Transportation Security Clearance as this position is required to access restricted areas/information as defined by the Marine Transportation Security Regulations.
This is Canadian-based employment, and all employees are expected to maintain legal eligibility to work in Canada. Applicants advancing in the hiring process may be subject to technical assignments, psychometric assessments, and/or background checks, including but not limited to criminal record, credit, and/or reference checks.
At the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, we are dedicated to employment equity and a workplace reflective of the diversity of our port community. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates including women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and members of visible minorities. Reasonable accommodation can be provided in the selection process and while working with the port authority. If you require assistance with applying to our openings or are seeking accommodations to apply in an alternative format, please contact us at [email protected] . We are committed to supporting your needs and will do our best to provide the necessary assistance.
We recognize and acknowledge that we are located on the traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. To learn more about our First Nation relations and commitment to reconciliation, please visit our website .
