Lead AI/ML Engineer

Location: TORONTO, Ontario, Canada

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

What’s the Opportunity?

Are you a seasoned AI professional passionate about building cutting-edge AI solutions while establishing best-in-class development practices? Join our collaborative and innovative team within Global Payments Technology, where you'll lead the charge in delivering high-performing AI agents and shaping how we build them.

Global Payments Technology is part of RBC's Technology and Operations division, collaborating with partners across the company to deliver innovative IT solutions. Our clients span various departments, including Risk, Finance, HR, and more. We lead the development of digital tools and platforms to enhance collaboration and are known for our culture of innovation, inclusivity, and collaboration.

This role is part of the Global Payments Technology team, focusing on building LLM-powered AI agents for the Global Payments domain while establishing robust AI Development Lifecycle (SDLC) practices using Spec-Driven Development methodologies.

What Will You Do?

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of AI agents powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) for payment processing and automation use cases
• Establish and champion AI Development Lifecycle (AI SDLC) best practices using Spec-Driven Development approaches
• Architect and implement MLOps pipelines for model training, evaluation, deployment, and monitoring
• Design and enforce standards for AI model specification, documentation, and versioning
• Evaluate, select, and integrate tools and technologies that enhance AI development efficiency and quality
• Mentor team members on AI development best practices, LLM frameworks, and modern ML engineering techniques
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define requirements and deliver scalable AI solutions
• Drive continuous improvement in development processes, code quality, and team productivity
• Stay current with emerging AI technologies and assess their applicability to payment systems

What Do You Need to Succeed?

Must-Have Skills:

• 5+ years of experience in software development with 3+ years focused on machine learning and AI solutions
• Expert proficiency in Python with deep experience in ML libraries (TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn)
• Proven experience building production-grade applications using Large Language Models (LLMs) and frameworks such as LangChain, Langraph, or similar
• Strong understanding of Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and experience implementing development best practices
• Hands-on experience with MLOps tools and practices (model versioning, CI/CD for ML, monitoring, A/B testing)
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or OpenShift) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Demonstrated ability to architect scalable, maintainable AI systems
• Strong leadership and mentorship capabilities with excellent communication skills
• Experience with Spec-Driven Development, API design, or technical documentation standards

Nice-to-Have Skills:

• Experience in financial services or payment processing systems
• Knowledge of LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
• Familiarity with model governance, compliance, and responsible AI practices
• Experience with data engineering and building data pipelines
• Background in natural language processing (NLP) research or advanced AI techniques
• Contributions to open-source AI/ML projects
• Certifications in cloud platforms or AI/ML specializations

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
• Opportunities to do challenging work
• Opportunities to take on progressively greater accountabilities
• Access to a variety of job opportunities across business

#LI-POST

#TechPJ

Job Skills

Big Data Management, Data Mining, Data Science, Deep Learning, Machine Learning (ML), Predictive Analytics, Programming Languages

Additional Job Details

180 WELLINGTON ST W:TORONTOTorontoCanada37.5Full timeTECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONSRegularSalaried2026-08-242026-09-25

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.