Director AI Program Management

ODAIA; Toronto; On-site; CAD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm in Toronto is seeking a Director of AI Program Management to lead innovative AI efforts and shape transformation strategies. This role involves working with diverse teams to deliver AI solutions that create value across the bank, requiring at least 8 years of program management experience, including AI initiatives. You'll champion best practices in AI and ensure alignment with business objectives while fostering collaboration among stakeholders.

Benefits

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive benefits

Diversity and inclusion culture

Qualifications

• 8+ years managing programs and products, with 3+ years in AI/ML.
• Experience delivering complex tech programs in enterprises.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and ability to influence.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of AI solutions from conception to deployment.
• Maintain a strategic roadmap balancing business needs and technical feasibility.
• Establish success metrics and accountability for AI initiatives.

Skills

Program and product management

AI/ML technologies

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in relevant field

Job description

Job Description

What's the opportunity?

RBC Borealis is seeking an experienced Director of AI Program Management to lead one of RBC Borealis' AI and Digital transformation programs focused on a single line of business. This strategic leadership role will bridge cutting‑edge AI research and practical business application, driving the delivery of innovative AI solutions that create measurable value for internal partners across the bank.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Research, GRM at RBC Borealis, you will work with a team of approximately 10 researchers, research engineers, and engineers to execute on an ambitious AI transformation agenda while maintaining alignment with both partner needs and technical realities.

Your responsibilities include:

Program Leadership & Execution

• Lead end‑to‑end delivery of AI solutions from conception through production deployment.
• Develop and maintain a strategic roadmap that balances partner business needs with technical feasibility and research innovation.
• Drive execution excellence through agile program management practices, ensuring on‑time, on‑budget delivery.
• Establish clear success metrics and accountability frameworks for AI initiatives.
• Champion best practices in AI development, deployment, and governance.

Stakeholder Management & Communication

• Build and maintain strong relationships with business partners across the Line of Business.
• Translate complex technical concepts into business value propositions for executive stakeholders.
• Coordinate cross‑functional dependencies with enterprise architecture, data, risk, and compliance teams.
• Facilitate alignment between research objectives and business priorities.
• Present program updates, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership.

Team Leadership

• Provide strategic direction and prioritization to the R&D team.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Communicate priorities clearly and ensure team understanding of the "why" behind initiatives.

Strategy & Planning

• Identify opportunities for AI‑driven business transformation within the LoB.
• Conduct discovery and scoping for new AI use cases.
• Manage program risks, issues, and dependencies proactively.
• Ensure alignment with enterprise AI strategy and governance frameworks.
• Drive adoption and change management for delivered AI solutions.

You're our ideal candidate if you have:

Must have

• 8+ years of progressive program/product management experience, with at least 3 years leading AI/ML initiatives.
• Proven track record delivering complex technology programs in enterprise environments, preferably financial services.
• Strong understanding of AI/ML technologies, development lifecycle, and productionisation challenges.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills with experience influencing senior executives.
• Demonstrated ability to translate between technical and business contexts.
• Experience managing cross‑functional teams and navigating matrixed organisations.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Nice to have

• Experience in banking, financial services, or regulated industries.
• Background in data science, machine learning, or software engineering.
• Familiarity with responsible AI principles and governance frameworks.
• PMP, Agile/Scrum certifications, or equivalent.
• MBA or advanced degree in a relevant field.

What's in it for you?

RBC is committed to being a leader in AI innovation within financial services. You'll have the opportunity to shape how AI transforms our business, work with world‑class talent, and deliver solutions that impact millions of customers. We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a culture that values diversity, inclusion, and continuous learning.

About RBC Borealis

RBC Borealis is the driving force behind Royal Bank of Canada’s AI and data innovation. As part of Canada’s largest financial institution, we bring together a team of architects, engineers, scientists, and product experts on a mission to revolutionise finance through world‑class research, solutions, and a resilient data platform. With locations across Toronto, Waterloo, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver, we’re at the forefront of AI research and platform development. With a focus on cutting‑edge research in areas like time‑series forecasting, causal machine learning, and responsible AI, we are seamlessly integrating AI research and data engineering to solve critical challenges in the financial industry. We are building intelligent, scalable, data‑driven solutions that will help communities thrive and drive innovation for our customers across the bank.

Inclusion and Equal Opportunity Employment

RBC is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We are pleased to consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veterans status, Aboriginal/Native American status or any other legally‑protected factors. Disability‑related accommodations during the application process are available upon request.

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

Job Details

• Address: RBC WATERPARK PLACE, 88 QUEENS QUAY W:TORONTO
• City: Toronto
• Country: Canada
• Work hours/week: 37.5
• Employment Type: Full time
• Platform: TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS
• Job Type: Regular
• Pay Type: Salaried
• Posted Date: 2026‑02‑11
• Application Deadline: 2026‑03‑31

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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.