App/AI Engineer (R&D)

Position Title: App/AI Engineer (R&D)
Position Type: Temporary - Full-Time
Grade: Grade 05
Requisition ID: 42629
In every role, McCainers are ambitious, curious, and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences - together. With a customer-first mindset, we make doing business with McCain easy.
About the role.
McCain Foods is seeking an experienced contract App / AI Engineer to support the design, development, and delivery of AI‑enabled data solutions within Research & Development (R&D). This is a highly hands‑on role focused on building production‑grade data applications and analytics that directly enable R&D decision‑making. This is an 8-month contract position.
You will work closely with R&D stakeholders and McCain's Digital, Data, and AI partners to translate real business needs into scalable, secure, and maintainable data products. This role is ideal for an engineer who codes daily, leverages AI‑assisted development tools effectively, and sets a high bar for technical quality through strong code review and engineering standards.
What you'll be doing.

• Design, build, and maintain scalable R&D data capture, ingestion, and analytics systems supporting structured and semi‑structured data across the R&D lifecycle
• Develop production‑grade Python and SQL code for data pipelines, AI‑enabled analytics, and automation with a strong focus on performance, reliability, and maintainability
• Leverage AI‑assisted coding tools to accelerate delivery while ensuring solutions meet McCain's security, data privacy, and quality standards
• Translate R&D and business requirements into fully functional data products and applications, not just proofs of concept
• Create interactive front‑end prototypes (wireframes, lightweight apps, or functional mock‑ups) to validate user workflows and reduce delivery risk
• Provide technical leadership through architecture input, code‑level guidance, and rigorous peer and AI‑generated code reviews
• Lead end‑to‑end User Acceptance Testing (UAT), including scenario design, edge‑case validation, and production readiness sign‑off
• Provide post‑deployment hypercare and aftercare, including monitoring, issue triage, bug fixes, access management, and data quality checks
• Evaluate third‑party AI platforms and tools, assessing technical fit, scalability, cost, and alignment with McCain IT and AI governance standards
• Communicate progress, risks, and design decisions clearly to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders

What you'll need to be successful.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, or a related field
• Strong, hands‑on experience with Python for data engineering and analytics, including modular design, logging, configuration management, and automation
• Advanced SQL expertise, including query optimization and working with large, complex datasets
• Proven experience designing and optimizing data models that balance performance, usability, and analytics needs
• Experience with cloud‑based data platforms such as Databricks, Delta Lake, or equivalent technologies, including performance and cost optimization
• Demonstrated success building and launching applications or data products using AI‑assisted coding tools
• Ability to critically assess, refactor, test, and productionize AI‑generated code to enterprise standards
• Extensive experience with Git‑based workflows, including branching strategies, pull requests, and peer code reviews
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts and AI outcomes into clear, actionable insights
• Highly self‑directed, delivery‑focused, and comfortable working in fast‑moving, evolving data and AI environments

Nice to have:

• Experience supporting R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, or scientific data environments
• Exposure to statistics, Design of Experiments (DOE), or advanced analytics workflows
• Experience building internal data tools or reusable analytics frameworks

About the team.
You will be part of McCain's R&D digital ecosystem, partnering closely with R&D stakeholders as well as Digital, Data, and AI teams. This role works across functions and geographies, contributing hands‑on engineering expertise while helping shape technical standards and delivery practices for AI‑enabled R&D solutions.
About McCain.
Click Here to learn more about McCain and how we provide opportunities to make an impact that matters.
Leadership principles.
At McCain, our work is guided by four core leadership principles:

• Understanding customer needs
• Driving innovation
• Empowering people
• Taking ownership to deliver results

The McCain experience.
At McCain, you'll join a collaborative, values‑driven organization where curiosity, continuous learning, and practical innovation are encouraged. We offer an inclusive and supportive environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and where you can make a meaningful impact through hands‑on work. Our hybrid work model supports flexibility while fostering strong team connection and accountability.
Compensation Package : $85,500.00 - $114,000.00 . CAD annual base salary equivalency, paid in alignment to contract term
The above reflects the target compensation range for the position at the time of posting. Hiring compensation will be determined based on experience, skill set, education and training, and other organizational needs. This posting is for an existing vacancy.
Benefits: At McCain, we're on a mission to create a winning culture that puts employee safety and well-being at the heart of what we do, every day. We understand and appreciate that each person's needs are unique and ensure our benefits & well-being programs reflect that. Should this role hold a duration 12 months or longer, you will be eligible for our full benefits suite. This includes the following benefits: health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription drug), retirement savings benefits, and leave support including medical, family and bereavement. Well-being programs include vacation and holidays, company-supported volunteering time, and mental health resources. Coverages are aligned with country, provincial and state governing plans and can vary by work level, location and nature of the role. Additional benefit detail available during the application process.
Your well-being matters to us, and we're here to provide you with the necessary resources to support you in being your best self at work - and at home.
McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know , and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.
Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with McCain's Global Privacy Policy and Global Employee Privacy Policy , as applicable. McCain leverages AI in the hiring process, though all final decisions are made by humans. You can understand our approach to AI and how your personal information is being handled here .
Job Family: Research & Development
Location(s): CA - Canada : Ontario : Toronto
Company: McCain Foods (Canada)