Software Developer - Data Acquisition and Automation

The Canadian Light Source Inc. (CLSI) is a national research facility of the University of Saskatchewan. CLS produces very bright light to explore the nature and structure of molecules, and serves national and international users from academia, industry, and government institutions. 

CLSI is now accepting applications for a Software Developer in our Data Acquisition team. As a member of the team, the incumbent will participate in the design and development of a replacement data acquisition system for our current beamlines with a particular focus towards automating processes. As a member of the Data Acquisition team, you will be developing in-house systems with custom and community tools (such as Bluesky) as part of the team’s mandate to make beamlines more efficient and effective. The new centralized system will provide many interesting and challenging opportunities for professional growth. There will be opportunities to participate and contribute to synchrotron community projects as our own maturity grows in this new space. 

Responsibilities 

• Actively develop standard aspects supporting data acquisition: frontend, device coordination, data pipelines, service communication, and API development.
• Work with teammates and stakeholders to identify automation opportunities and lead those projects.
• Possess knowledge of connections and dependencies for deployed systems, including databases, scheduled tasks, logging, caches, etc.
• Understanding of system architecture and knowledge of dependencies between interconnected systems.
• Architects, designs, implements, and maintains data acquisition software.  
• Undertakes software development projects in a team environment working closely with other developers, clients, other community members, and end-users when applicable.  
• Troubleshoots and resolves complex problems and incidents for applicable systems while working with other staff and end users to determine the root causes of failure.  
• Gathers functional requirements in collaboration with external stakeholders. Assists in identifying impacted processes and stakeholders considering existing eco-systems and their strategic roadmap. Refines functional requirements into technical requirements considering the needs for performance, scalability, and usability. 

Required Qualifications: 

• A relevant undergraduate degree or diploma and a minimum of three years of relevant experience is required.
• Proven ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks with changing priorities.
• Strong Python skills 

Listed below are skills and experiences that would be considered an asset but are not required.  

• Experience with databases (relational and/or document based)
• Interfacing with SCADA systems (preferably EPICS)
• Communication paradigms for service ecosystems (e.g.: REST, gRPC, webhooks, etc.)
• Automation experience (e.g.: custom workflows, ansible, etc.)
• AI/Machine Learning paradigms or tools (e.g.: neural networks, supervised learning, pyTorch, scikit-learn, etc.)
• Experience leveraging AI techniques and practices to optimize programming and automation workflows
• Experience in code management including tools, tracking, and customization (e.g.: git, GitHub, Gitlab, etc.)
• Approaches in agile systems and project forecasting (e.g.: Scrum, Kanban, etc.)
• Software testing paradigms (e.g.: unit testing, integration testing, regression testing, etc.) 

Salary Range: The salary range is $69,880 - $94,544. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. 

Remuneration: A comprehensive benefits package, including supplemental health & dental, life insurance, pension plan, and four weeks’ vacation is part of a competitive compensation package. 

To Apply: Submit a cover letter and resume along with references, in confidence, online at www.lightsource.ca/careers. Applications will be considered as of August 4, 2025. While all applicants are thanked for their interest, only short-listed candidates will be contacted. 

Canadian Light Source Inc. (CLSI) is an equal opportunities employer and encourages members of designated groups (women, Indigenous people, people with disabilities and visible minorities) to self-identify on their applications. One of our values is Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and we strive to create a workforce that reflects our users and the community in which we live. We welcome all qualified candidates to apply, and we hope you will choose CLSI as your employer of choice. If you have any questions or concerns about accessible employment at CLSI, or to begin a confidential conversation about your individual accessibility or accommodation needs through our recruitment process, please contact us at jobs@lightsource.ca.