Director / Principal Engineer - Data Intensive Solutions, GFT

RBC; Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial institution is seeking a Principal Engineer, Data Intensive Solutions to lead and mentor a team while building scalable data-driven systems. This hands-on role involves direct coding and architectural decision-making in cloud and on-prem environments. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience, deep technical expertise, and excellent communication skills. They will shape innovative platforms that enable analytics and machine learning, driving impactful solutions for the organization.

Benefits

Comprehensive Total Rewards Program

Flexible work/life balance options

World-class training program in financial services

Opportunities to do challenging work

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in designing and building data-intensive applications.
• 3+ years in a senior technical leadership role.
• Deep expertise in modern distributed data processing.
• Strong understanding of ML lifecycle and MLOps practices.
• Excellent communication skills for technical concepts.
• Proven experience in cloud platforms like AWS or Azure.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and review scalable data pipelines and analytics platforms.
• Define and promote best practices in data and ML engineering.
• Work closely with data scientists and business leaders.
• Coach engineers and foster a high-performing culture.
• Ensure projects meet high-quality standards and compliance.

Skills

Big Data Management

Cloud Computing

Database Development

Data Mining

Data Warehousing (DW)

ETL Processing

Quality Management

Requirements Analysis

Software Product Management

Waterfall Model

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

Python

Java/Scala

PySpark/Spark

Kafka

SQL

Terraform

Job description

Job Description

Are you a talented, creative, and results-driven professional who thrives on delivering high-performing applications? Come join us! 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.

What is the opportunity?

We’re seeking a Principal Engineer, Data Intensive Solutions who brings a unique blend of deep technical expertise and strategic leadership. This is a hands‑on engineering leadership role focused on building and scaling data‑driven systems in both on‑prem and cloud environments that enable advanced analytics, machine learning, and impactful business decisions. You will play a key role in shaping our next‑generation credit decisioning and risk management platform, and lead by example in applying sound architectural thinking, engineering rigor, and technical mentorship.

What will you do?

• Lead by Doing: Design, build, and review scalable data pipelines, analytics platforms, and ML systems. This is a hands‑on role with end‑to‑end ownership, with significant time doing coding.
• 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 data scientists, business leaders, and IT teams to understand needs and translate them into technical solutions.
• Mentor and Inspire: Coach engineers and foster a high‑performing, collaborative culture. Champion engineering excellence and team growth.
• 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:

• 10+ years of experience in designing and building data‑intensive applications, with 3+ years in a senior technical leadership role.
• Deep expertise in modern distributed data processing and ML engineering tools and languages (e.g., Python, Java/Scala, PySpark/Spark, Kafka, SQL, orchestration frameworks).
• Strong understanding of the ML lifecycle and MLOps practices, including model deployment, monitoring, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Proven experience in cloud platforms like AWS or Azure, with knowledge of scalable architecture patterns, and proficient in IaC (SDK, Terraform).
• Excellent communication skills—able to clearly explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Demonstrated success in leading engineering teams and delivering high‑impact platforms or products.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; Master's or PhD preferred.

Nice to Have:

• Hands‑on experience with AWS SageMaker and related services (Glue, EMR, Lambda, Step Functions, Airflow, CloudWatch).
• 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.
• A world‑class training program in financial services.
• Flexible work/life balance options.
• Opportunities to do challenging work.

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Job Skills

Big Data Management, Cloud Computing, Database Development, Data Mining, Data Warehousing (DW), ETL Processing, Quality Management, Requirements Analysis, Software Product Management, Waterfall Model

Additional 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: 2025-07-11

Application Deadline: 2026-01-31

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

Inclusion and Equal Opportunity Employment

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.

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