Open positions

Job Title: Backend Developer

Location: University of Guelph (Hybrid/Remote options available)
Organization: Agri-food Data Canada (ADC)
Contract:  February 2 – November 30, 2026

About Agri-food Data Canada

Agri-food Data Canada is building a data ecosystem to support agri-food sustainability. Through investments in technology, infrastructure, and culture, we help researchers and the broader research community unlock more value from the data they already collect.

Our mission is to make it easier for participants in the agri-food research ecosystem—universities, government institutions, producer organizations, businesses, and citizen scientists—to share, connect, and reuse data. By improving interoperability and creating tools and protocols, we aim to address complex, cross-domain challenges such as the impact of agriculture on climate change.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Backend Developer to join our team and help build infrastructure that connects researcher-generated data documentation into a searchable database. This role will focus on designing and implementing backend services that enable data integration, storage, and retrieval in a secure and scalable manner.

Responsibilities

Working under the supervision of the Manager, Agri-food Data Strategy, you will collaborate with our technical team to design and implement backend services that support a searchable database for researcher-generated data documentation.

Your main tasks will include:

• Developing RESTful APIs using Node.js/Express to enable secure and efficient data exchange.
• Implementing user authentication and authorization workflows (JWT, OAuth, cookies) to protect sensitive data.
• Designing and optimizing PostgreSQL schemas, managing migrations, and enabling advanced querying of JSONB fields for flexible metadata storage.
• Integrating cloud object storage solutions to manage CSV files and other research data assets.
• Documenting your work in a GitHub repository, including setup instructions, code documentation, and developer guides to support adoption by other institutions.
• Collaborating with the team to ensure smooth integration with frontend components and data pipelines.
• Assisting in writing and executing test scripts and documenting workflows to maintain reliability and scalability.

You will gain hands-on experience with backend development for research data infrastructure, relational and non-relational databases, and cloud-based storage solutions.

Required Skills & Experience

• Backend development: experience building REST APIs with Node.js/Express (or similar)
• Familiarity with user authentication (JWT, OAuth, cookies)
• PostgreSQL (or any relational database): Schema design, data modeling, entity relationships, migrations, JSONB querying, manipulating JSON data, and optimization
• File storage: Experience with cloud object storage for CSV file management
• Version control: Git workflows and collaborative development
• Nice-to-have: React/TypeScript familiarity, Material UI experience, experience with any cloud provider (Azure, AWS, GCP), non-relational database (MongoDB)

 To apply

Send cover letter and resumé to Dr. Michelle Edwards, Director, Agri-food Data Strategy at edwardsm@uoguelph.ca

Deadline for applications: January 23, 2026