As the tech sector, along with its many specialized verticals, continues to grow, so does the demand for skilled professionals to drive innovation and growth within them.
Many of these sectors are very closely interconnected, where the challenges faced by one can open new opportunities in another.
Here are the hottest areas of tech hiring in Canada right now.
Cleantech
Canada has always been known internationally for its abundance of natural resources, and is now using its tech talent to carve out a prominent space in cleantech.
The country is home to tech companies that provide emission monitoring systems that are used for environmental decision-making at industrial and governmental levels, organizations that focus on purifying waste water, and those materially reducing greenhouse gasses through carbon capture and sequestration.
With 2050’s decarbonization targets firmly in view, carbon-intensive sectors, like energy, mining, forestry, agriculture, transportation, waste and the built environment are accelerating their net-zero transitions, and clean and climate tech companies are at the forefront of this change.
Cleantech roles currently hiring on the BetaKit Job Board include, energy casualty underwriting specialists, solar engineering specialists, client solutions specialists, as well as a number of roles available at GHGSat in Montréal and Calgary, like backend developer, customer success manager, operations technician, and PR and communications manager.
AI
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most exciting–and best-paid–tech sectors to work in right now. Both Canadian companies and multinationals are actively seeking individuals skilled in machine learning and natural language processing, and many of these opportunities are in research and development (R&D).
There is a huge skills gap in machine learning and AI, so those who have the educational chops, and––even more rare––the professional experience, can make big gains here. But not all roles in this sector are purely technical; there are also support roles in sales and business development on offer.
Recently advertised AI jobs include calls for AI sales specialists, AI backend developers, enterprise AI and research managers, R&D AI engineers, and many more. Many of these are based in Toronto and Richmond Hill specifically, but there are also AI positions in Markham and Montréal, with remote roles available too.
SaaS
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) has transformed the way businesses across the world operate, by offering scalable solutions accessible through the cloud.
As even the most traditional of industries and organizations pivot to cloud-based technology, the companies providing the tech require talent to develop the products, and help guide customers towards success. SaaS providers rely heavily on customer relationship management, as well as providing well-designed and easy-to-use services.
Recent SaaS-related roles on offer in Canada, include sales and account executives, customer service managers, technology architects, senior software developers, product managers and technical support specialists. These roles are spread across Surrey, Burnaby, Vancouver, Toronto and Richmond Hill, with a couple of remote options advertised too.
Cybersecurity
While AI and cloud services are in high demand, both have clear security-based downsides. Cloud computing has revolutionized the way businesses manage data and scale operations, but it has also increased the complexity and vulnerability of networks, compared to previously isolated industrial control systems and operational technology networks.
The drawback of all the advancements in AI technology is that mass deception and impersonations online are now simpler than ever. Phishing attempts can be endlessly automated, and deepfakes can evade access barriers based on voice and facial recognition.
Alongside this demand to protect companies, organizations and individuals, new cybersecurity products and services are also in development, and these are creating even more roles. Gartner’s Market Guide for Operational Technology Security, which was released in November 2023, says that “by 2027, 75 percent of security teams will have onboarded at least five tools to manage cyber-physical systems security in operational, production or mission-critical environments, which is a major increase compared with one or two they might use today”.
Enter the cybersecurity professionals, who are high-demand and compensated accordingly. Cybersecurity roles recently advertised on the BetaKit Job Board are positions in Markham, Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal and Ottawa, and titles on offer include: cybersecurity architects, cybersecurity analysts, cybersecurity sales consultants, cybersecurity and privacy director, cybersecurity and privacy consulting intern, and principal software developers—the latter boldly exclaiming “WE CATCH BAD GUYS WITH MATH!!!”
Canada’s top tech companies are hiring talent today, visit our job board.