Associate Director, Lead Fullstack Developer (React/Node.js)

RBC; Toronto; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Total rewards program

Coaching and development

Flexible work options

Stock where applicable

Job summary

RBC is seeking an Associate Director of Full Stack Engineering in Toronto to lead a team delivering enterprise-scale web platforms. You will drive architectural decisions, own end-to-end delivery across the organization, and mentor engineers to uphold code quality and design systems.

You will guide modern tech stacks (MERN, Next.js, NestJS) and containerization with Docker and Kubernetes, partnering across product and design.

Qualifications

• Over 10+ years in software engineering with at least 3 years in leadership.
• Deep proficiency in React.js, Node.js, Express.js, and TypeScript.
• Strong experience with Next.js and NestJS for scalable applications.
• Proven ability to define and maintain design systems and component libraries.
• Extensive Docker and Kubernetes experience in production.
• Experience designing distributed architectures (microservices, API gateways).
• Knowledge of REST, GraphQL, WebSockets.
• Experience with MongoDB and at least one relational DB.
• Cloud exposure (AWS, Azure, or GCP) with IaC tooling.
• CI/CD, automated testing, and DevOps practices.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of full stack engineers, fostering technical excellence.
• Partner with product, design, and business to align technical strategy with goals.
• Define and evolve scalable architecture for distributed systems.
• Oversee MERN stack development, Next.js, and NestJS implementations.
• Drive Docker containerization and Kubernetes orchestration in production.
• Collaborate with DevOps to design robust CI/CD and IaC practices.
• Ensure non-functional requirements like performance and security are met.

Skills

React.js

Node.js

Express.js

TypeScript

Next.js

NestJS

Docker

Kubernetes

Design systems

Team leadership

Architectural design

RESTful APIs

GraphQL

WebSockets

MongoDB

Relational databases

AWS

Terraform

CI/CD

DevOps practices

Communication

Tools

Terraform

Job description

What is the opportunity?

We are seeking an accomplished Associate Director of Full Stack Engineering with 10+ years of progressive experience in designing and delivering enterprise-scale web platforms. The ideal candidate will combine deep technical expertise across the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js), Next.js, NestJS, Docker, and Kubernetes with proven leadership in people management, software architecture, and design systems. You will lead a team of engineers, drive architectural decisions, and own the end-to-end delivery of mission-critical applications across the organization.

Job Description

We are seeking an accomplished Associate Director of Full Stack Engineering with 10+ years of progressive experience in designing and delivering enterprise-scale web platforms. The ideal candidate will combine deep technical expertise across the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js), Next.js, NestJS, Docker, and Kubernetes with proven leadership in people management, software architecture, and design systems. You will lead a team of engineers, drive architectural decisions, and own the end-to-end delivery of mission-critical applications across the organization. If you are a technical leader who is passionate about building high-performing teams and architecting cutting-edge platforms, we would love to hear from you!

What will you do?

Leadership & People Management

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of full stack engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct performance reviews, career development planning, and hiring for engineering talent.
• Champion engineering best practices, code quality standards, and knowledge-sharing across teams.
• Partner with product, design, and business stakeholders to align technical strategy with organizational goals.

Architecture & Design

• Define and evolve the overall application architecture for scalable, resilient, and secure distributed systems.
• Establish and govern design system standards, component libraries, and UI patterns to ensure consistency and reusability across products.
• Lead architectural reviews, technical design discussions, and proof-of-concept efforts for new capabilities.
• Make build-vs-buy decisions and evaluate emerging technologies for strategic adoption.

Engineering & Delivery

• Oversee the design, development, and maintenance of enterprise web applications using the MERN stack, Next.js, and NestJS
• Drive containerization strategies using Docker and orchestrate production workloads with Kubernetes.
• Collaborate with DevOps and platform teams to design robust CI/CD pipelines, observability, and infrastructure-as-code practices.
• Ensure applications meet non-functional requirements including performance, scalability, security, and accessibility.
• Own technical debt management and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

What do you need to succeed?

Must have:

• 10+ years of professional experience in software engineering, with at least 3 years in a people management or technical leadership role
• Deep proficiency in React.js, Node.js, Express.js, and TypeScript
• Strong hands-on experience with Next.js (server-side rendering, static generation, API routes) and NestJS for building scalable server-side applications.
• Proven experience defining and maintaining design systems and component libraries at scale (e.g., MUI, Storybook, custom design tokens).
• Extensive experience with Docker containerization and Kubernetes orchestration in production environments.
• Demonstrated ability to design distributed system architectures, including microservices, event-driven patterns, and API gateway strategies.
• Strong knowledge of RESTful APIs, GraphQL, and real-time communication patterns (WebSockets, message brokers).
• Experience with MongoDB and at least one relational database (e.g., SQL Server, PostgreSQL).
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and infrastructure-as-code tools (Helm, Terraform).
• Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines, automated testing strategies, and DevOps practices.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Nx monorepo tooling and large-scale codebase management.
• Knowledge of caching strategies (Redis, KeyDB) and performance optimization techniques.
• Experience with real-time streaming platforms (e.g., Solace, Kafka).
• Background in Capital Markets, FinTech, or regulated financial environments.
• Familiarity with accessibility standards (WCAG) and internationalization.
• Experience driving agile delivery at scale (SAFe, Scrum of Scrums).

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
• A world-class training program in financial services
• Flexible work/life balance options
• Opportunities to do challenging work

Job Skills

Application Development, Application Integrations, Application Maintenance, Applications Architecture, Detail-Oriented, Enterprise Application Delivery, Group Problem Solving, Programming Languages, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), System Applications

Additional Job Details

Address: RBC CENTRE, 155 WELLINGTON ST W:TORONTO

City: Toronto

Country: Canada

Work hours/week: 37.5

Employment Type: Full time

Platform: CAPITAL MARKETS

Job Type: Regular

Pay Type: Salaried

Posted Date: 2026-06-12

Application Deadline: 2026-08-28

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.