Lead AI Engineer, GFT

Location: TORONTO, Ontario, Canada

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

Lead AI Engineer

What is the opportunity?

Global Functions Technology (GFT) is part of RBC’s Technology and Operations division. GFT’s impact is far-reaching as we collaborate with partners from across the company to deliver innovative and transformative IT solutions. Our clients represent Risk, Finance, HR, CAO, Audit, Legal, Compliance, Financial Crime, Capital Markets, Personal and Commercial Banking and Wealth Management. We also lead the development of digital tools and platforms to enhance collaboration.

We’re seeking a Lead AI Engineer focused on building and scaling data-driven systems that enable advanced analytics, machine learning, agentic AI  - and deliver impactful business decisions. You will play a key role in shaping our next-generation trading decisioning and risk management platform, and lead by example in applying sound architectural thinking, engineering rigor, and technical mentorship.

What will you do?

• Be the rockstar: Design, build, and review scalable AI/ML systems. This is a hands-on role with end-to-end ownership.
• Set Technical Direction: Define and promote best practices in data and ML engineering. Evaluate emerging technologies and guide adoption to drive innovation.
• Partner Cross-Functionally: Work closely with other member of development teams, business leaders, and IT teams to understand needs and translate them into technical solutions.
• Deliver at Scale: Ensure projects are executed with high quality, on time, and aligned with business goals. Proactively identify risks and enforce compliance standards, especially around data governance and security.

What do you need to succeed?

Must Have:

• Expert knowledge of Python
• 3+ years of hands-on development experience in LLMs, prompt engineering, Agent frameworks (Langchain, Crew AI), multi-agent orchestration, memory management, context handling, vector databases (Opensearch, PGVector)
• Deep expertise in ML lifecycle and MLOps practices, including model tuning, model deployment, monitoring, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong grasp of modern data engineering tools and languages (e.g., Python, Java/Scala, Spark, Pyspark, Kafka, SQL, Airflow).
• Proven experience in cloud platforms like AWS or Azure, with knowledge of scalable architecture patterns.
• Excellent communication skills—able to clearly explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related field; Master's or PhD preferred.

Nice to Have:

• 3-5 years of experience in building and deploying ML models using frameworks/libraries like Keras, Pytorch, Scikit-Learn etc.
• Hands-on experience with Snowflake, AWS SageMaker, AWS Bedrock, LLM deployments
• Background in enterprise-level data governance, privacy, and security practices.

What’s in it for you?

We thrive on the challenge to be our best, progressive thinking to keep growing, and working together to deliver trusted advice to help our clients thrive and communities prosper. We care about each other, reaching our potential, making a difference to our communities, and achieving success that is mutual.

• A comprehensive Total Rewards Program including bonuses and flexible benefits, competitive compensation, commissions, and stock where applicable
• Leaders who support your development through coaching and managing opportunities
• Ability to make a difference and lasting impact
• Work in a dynamic, collaborative, progressive, and high-performing team
• Flexible work/life balance options
• Opportunities to do challenging work and take on progressively greater accountabilities 
• Access to a variety of job opportunities across business and geographies

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Job Skills

Big Data Management, Data Modeling, Data Science, Decision Making, Deep Learning, Machine Learning (ML), Predictive Analytics, Programming Languages, Relationship Building

Additional Job Details

RBC CENTRE, 155 WELLINGTON ST W:TORONTOTorontoCanada37.5Full timeTECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONSRegularSalaried2025-12-012026-03-23

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the application deadline date above

Our Employment Opportunities

At RBC, we are guided by living shared values of Client First, Integrity, Collaboration, Respect and Excellence and winning together as One RBC. We believe an inclusive workplace that has diverse perspectives is core to our continued growth as one of the largest and most successful banks in the world. Maintaining a workplace where our employees feel supported to perform at their best, effectively collaborate, drive innovation, and grow professionally helps to bring our Purpose to life and create value for our clients and communities. RBC strives to deliver this through policies and programs intended to foster a workplace based on respect, belonging and opportunity for all.

RBC is presently inviting candidates to apply for this existing vacancy. Applying to this posting allows you to express your interest in this current career opportunity at RBC. Qualified applicants may be contacted to review their resume in more detail.