Director - Communication Surveillance Technology

RBC; Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading capital markets firm in Toronto is looking for a Technology Lead for its Communication Surveillance Platform. This pivotal role entails shaping the technological vision and architecture for surveillance capabilities using AI/ML innovations. You will lead teams to design enterprise-grade solutions while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Ideal candidates will have significant experience in financial services technology and expertise in surveillance platforms.

Benefits

Comprehensive Total Rewards Program

Flexible work/life balance options

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• 10+ years of technology experience in financial services with 5 years in compliance technology teams.
• Hands-on experience architecting enterprise communication surveillance platforms.
• Demonstrated expertise implementing machine learning for text analytics and anomaly detection.

Responsibilities

• Lead technology vision and architectural roadmap for surveillance capabilities.
• Design scalable architecture for processing millions of communications.
• Oversee vendor platform ecosystems and ensure regulatory compliance.

Skills

Applications Architecture

Critical Thinking

Data Architecture

Decision Making

Enterprise IT Architecture

Information Technology Consulting

IT Architecture

Multi‑Level Communication

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)

Target Architecture

Education

Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field

Tools

Smarsh

Behavox

Shield

Proofpoint

Bvault

AWS

Azure

Job description

What is the opportunity?

Shape the future of financial compliance technology at one of the world's leading capital markets firms. RBC Capital Markets is seeking an exceptional Technology Lead for Communication Surveillance Platform to join our Global Communication Surveillance Technology team in Toronto. This rare opportunity will drive the technological vision and architecture for enterprise-wide surveillance capabilities that protect our firm, clients, and the integrity of global markets. You will lead the evolution of sophisticated systems that process millions of communications daily, harnessing cutting‑edge AI/ML innovations to set new standards in regulatory compliance and risk detection.

What will you do?

• Define and execute the technology vision – Provide strategic leadership for the communication surveillance platform, establishing a multi‑year technology roadmap and architectural vision that drives innovation through AI/ML models, Large Language Models (LLMs), and emerging technologies like natural language processing, sentiment analysis, and behavioral analytics to enhance detection capabilities and operational efficiency.
• Design enterprise‑grade surveillance architecture – Architect and maintain robust, scalable solutions capable of ingesting, processing, and analyzing millions of daily communications with high availability and low latency, while establishing architectural standards, design patterns, and technical governance frameworks across the surveillance technology stack.
• Engineer seamless data integration frameworks – Design and implement integration architectures connecting surveillance platforms with diverse communication channels including email, Teams, Bloomberg, Webex, Exchange, voice, mobile, and social media, while establishing data quality control frameworks to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency across multi‑layered systems.
• Lead and develop high‑performing technical teams – Build, mentor, and inspire a team of engineers, architects, and technical specialists, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement while managing resource allocation, capacity planning, and talent development initiatives in partnership with HR and recruiting.
• Drive strategic stakeholder partnerships – Serve as the primary technology partner to Surveillance Business, Compliance, Legal, and Risk functions, translating complex technical concepts into business value for executive stakeholders and representing surveillance technology in enterprise forums and steering committees.
• Manage vendor platform ecosystems – Oversee the configuration, optimization, and enhancement of surveillance platforms (Smarsh, Behavox, Shield, Proofpoint, Bvault), driving platform upgrades, feature releases, and integration enhancements while ensuring multi‑jurisdictional regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate on enterprise technology initiatives – Partner with senior technology leaders across RBC on enterprise architecture, data strategy, and infrastructure initiatives, ensuring alignment with bank‑wide technology standards and strategic objectives.
• Optimize vendor relationships and technology investments – Manage strategic relationships with technology vendors and service providers, ensuring optimal platform performance, value delivery, and continuous innovation in surveillance capabilities.

What do you need to succeed?

• Extensive financial services technology leadership – 10+ years of technology experience in financial services with at least 5 years leading communication surveillance or compliance technology teams, including a proven track record of designing and delivering enterprise‑scale systems processing millions of daily transactions with high reliability and performance.
• Deep surveillance platform expertise – Hands‑on experience architecting and managing enterprise communication surveillance platforms such as Smarsh, Behavox, Shield, Proofpoint, or Bvault, with the ability to optimize configurations and drive platform innovation across multi‑jurisdictional regulatory environments.
• Advanced AI/ML and LLM capabilities – Demonstrated expertise implementing machine learning solutions for text analytics, natural language processing, anomaly detection, and pattern recognition, with strategic vision for integrating Large Language Models and generative AI capabilities into enterprise surveillance systems.
• Enterprise architecture and integration mastery – Strong solution architecture experience integrating complex, heterogeneous systems across multiple platforms, protocols, and data formats, with proficiency in modern technology stacks including cloud platforms (AWS, Azure), microservices, APIs, event‑driven systems, and data engineering technologies.
• Data quality and governance excellence – Deep understanding of data quality management frameworks including data lineage, validation, reconciliation, and monitoring across multi‑layered architectures, ensuring accuracy and consistency in surveillance operations.
• Regulatory and domain knowledge – Strong understanding of regulatory requirements for communication surveillance in capital markets (FINRA 3110, MiFID II, MAR, IIROC), communication channels, protocols, and surveillance detection methodologies including lexicon‑based detection, behavioral analytics, and network analysis.
• Exceptional leadership and stakeholder influence – Outstanding executive presence and communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non‑technical audiences, lead geographically distributed teams, and build strong cross‑functional partnerships with business leaders, compliance professionals, and technology executives.

Nice‑to‑have

• Advanced technical degree – Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related technical field demonstrating deep theoretical and practical knowledge.
• Proven vendor and contract negotiation success – Track record of successful vendor management, contract negotiations, and optimizing technology partnerships to deliver business value.
• Agile transformation experience – Experience leading Agile/Scrum teams and driving organizational transformation through modern development methodologies and change management initiatives.
• Security and DevOps expertise – Knowledge of cybersecurity principles, secure software development practices, DevOps methodologies, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure‑as‑code.

What’s in it for you?

• 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.
• Flexible work/life balance options.
• Work in a dynamic, collaborative, progressive, and high‑performing team.
• Ability to make a difference and lasting impact.

Job Skills

• Applications Architecture, Critical Thinking, Data Architecture, Decision Making, Enterprise IT Architecture, Information Technology Consulting, IT Architecture, Multi‑Level Communication, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Target Architecture

EEO Statement

At 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.