Software Engineer, Applied AI

About SJC

SJC stands as Canada’s largest privately owned communications company, distinguished by its portfolio of leading media brands, including Toronto Life, Chatelaine, and Maclean’s. A dynamic and influential organization within the industry, SJC excels in the creation, publication, and production of best-in-class content through its comprehensive content and creative studios, advanced advertising technology, and state-of-the-art print facilities. We collaborate with clients across North America to deliver innovative marketing solutions that effectively inform, inspire, and empower audiences across all platforms. With significant reach and influence, SJC has proudly been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for 22 consecutive years, a testament to our commitment to excellence. To learn more about our organization, please visit

About the Role

SJC Media is building the AI layer for its Digital Operations. As the founding Software Engineer, Applied AI, you own that layer end-to-end: from agentic workflows, CRM integrations, tooling and production systems our team relies on daily.

When this role is working well, our GTM teams spend more time on client calls and less on cumbersome manual processes. You will build workflows, develop AI agents & tools that give our teams more opportunities to grow win-rate, increase rep effectiveness and grow average deal-size. Ultimately, you will work across all Media teams to enable AI-native capabilities.

Recognizing that data foundations are a cornerstone of effective Applied AI projects, this role sits within the CoE's Data function to ensure our AI capabilities leverage robust and trusted data sources.

“Being AI-native means embedding AI and automation into how we work, across workflows, systems and decision-making. It’s about using AI intentionally to improve how we operate and how our audiences experience our content.”

— Tony Gagliano, Chairman & CEO

What you’ll do

• Discover & scope: Embed into Sales, GTM, Marketing, and Editorial functions to understand workflows firsthand, identify high-value agentic/automation opportunities, and develop scope & requirements specifications.
• Build & ship: Design and ship internal tools, AI native systems and production-grade AI agents and solutions that scale revenue, content volume and connect with our internal editorial systems, proposals, pipeline generation, and client retention — from rapid prototype to working system in production.
• Architect well: Evaluate and select the right tools, LLMs, and platforms (Claude, Bedrock, OpenAI, n8n, Zapier, etc.) for each use case within budget, and design agent systems that are reliable, secure, and auditable.
• Senior engineering ability: Write clean, documented code (Python, Go, JavaScript, etc.) and use agentic coding tools (Claude Code, Codex etc) as a core part of your development workflow — not just as shortcuts, but as a force multiplier on quality and throughput.
• Learn & document: Stay ahead of the fast-moving LLM/AI landscape and document what works, what fails, and why — building memory layers, and knowledge our teams can act on.
• Measure & collaborate: Track pipeline and adoption impact of deployed solutions, iterate based on real usage, contribute to architecture peer reviews, and present findings to revenue leadership alongside the team lead.

Success Milestones

• 1-month: Complete onboarding and ship/extend first GTM agentic solution.
• 3-month: Grow adoption from existing solutions. Ship multiple working systems that demonstrate end-to-end pipeline or revenue value. Contributing to the Applied AI team's prioritization roadmap.
• 6-month: 3-month milestone plus: production-grade AI agents actively used by multiple teams, with a measurement plan tied to pipeline or revenue metrics. Developed a case study for scaling shipped solutions.
• 12-month: 6-month milestone plus: AI systems in production across at least two business functions. Growing AI adoption across the org — solutions cited in at least one quarterly business review.

Who You Are

• 5+ years of software engineering, applied AI, full-stack developing experience, with a track record of shipping production systems end-to-end.
• Proficient in Python or similar; you write code that team members can read and maintain
• Hands-on experience building with LLM APIs, frameworks and orchestration tools (LangChain, LangGraph or similar)
• Comfortable with agentic system design. You know when to reach for a single LLM call vs. a multi-agent pipeline
• Comfortable with GTM/sales workflows — how pipeline moves, what reps and media buyers do at each stage, and where automation removes real friction
• Background in fast-moving environments — media, advertising, tech, or startups. With a bias toward shipping versus having a perfect spec
• Self-directed: you've scoped and delivered your own projects without a fully structured backlog handed to you
• Strong communicator — you can explain a technical decision to a non-technical stakeholder without losing the nuance
• Familiar with data concepts (data modeling, data pipelines, SQL) — enough to work fluidly alongside a data team
• You've adopted agentic coding tools (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) as a genuine part of your workflow, not just a novelty

What Motivates You

• Ownership & collaboration in ambiguity: You run toward undefined problems and take full ownership once you're in — from scoping to production and beyond.
• Mission: The idea of keeping independent Canadian journalism alive through better technology actually means something to you. Mission-driven work isn't a perk, it's a filter.
• Learning velocity: The AI landscape changes weekly. You find that energizing, not exhausting, and you bring what you learn back to the team.

Benefits at SJC:

SJC is committed to the well-being and professional development of its employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

Health and Dental Benefits

• Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP) and access to online health & wellness resources through Homewood Health.
• Scholarship program available for employees’ children.
• Exclusive employee subscription rates for SJC publications.
• A complimentary 1-year Toronto Life Insider membership.
• Discounted annual GoodLife membership.
• Participation in the Perkopolis Perk Program, offering employee pricing at a wide range of retailers.
• A Workplace Built for Everyone:

SJC Values

• Amaze our customers: We put our customers’ evolving needs at the heart of the business and inspire through our ideas, quality and service.
• Be relentlessly curious: We take the initiative to learn, try new things and brainstorm the next big idea.
• Respect every individual as equal: We value diversity as the means to creativity and cultivate a collaborative environment where everyone belongs.
• Innovate and adapt with urgency: Forward-thinking and flexible, we react quickly and boldly to change.
• Contribute to our community: We apply our resources and passions to make a difference – for people and our planet

Accommodations at SJC

SJC is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer, where everyone feels welcome and has the opportunity to thrive. We're committed to creating inclusive and barrier-free recruitment processes and work environments. If you're contacted for an interview and require any accommodations to ensure a fair and equitable experience, please let our Human Resources team know. We'll handle any information you share with complete confidentiality.

Inclusion at SJC

Equality and respect for all is one of our founding values and core beliefs at SJC. We are a diverse group with associates of all ages, orientations, races and talents. We celebrate this diversity and we draw strength from it. Inclusivity at SJC means fostering a culture that welcomes and respects each individual as equal – both inside our walls and within the larger community.

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