Forward Deployed AI Engineer New Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Banyan Software; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 145,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Banyan Software in Toronto, Ontario, is seeking a Forward Deployed AI Engineer to apply AI across operations, finance, HR, and legal. You will map workflows, build high-value AI tools, and drive adoption that makes teams faster, sharper, and more cost-efficient.

You will prototype quickly, work with Claude Code and other AI tools, evaluate build-vs-buy decisions, and translate business needs into scalable technical solutions that deliver measurable impact across the organization.

Qualifications

• 6–10 years of experience across software engineering, analytics, strategy, finance, or product with 3+ years in AI.
• Experience shipping production AI tools including LLMs, retrieval systems, or agentic workflows.
• Hands-on with automation/orchestration platforms such as n8n and AWS.
• Strong SQL and data modeling, Excel, and BI tools (Looker/Power BI/Tableau).
• AI-native development with Claude Code and modern AI technologies.
• Strong business case and ability to communicate with non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Embed and own the AI integration across functions; understand KPIs and pain points.
• Identify high-value AI opportunities across functions and sequence work by impact, effort, and risk.
• Turn ambiguous business problems into working AI solutions and prototype quickly.
• Build AI-native tools using LLMs, retrieval, and agentic workflows.
• Make build-versus-buy decisions with a clear ROI perspective.
• Define success metrics and translate requirements back to the team.
• Drive adoption, train teams, and share learnings across the Technology & Data Strategy team.

Skills

AI/ML engineering

SQL & data modeling

BI tools

Cloud / AWS

Finance / business acumen

Stakeholder communication

Forward deployment / consulting

Education

Bachelor's degree in quantitative, business, or technical field

Master's degree (plus)

Tools

n8n

GitHub

Claude Code

Looker

Power BI

Tableau

AWS

Job description

Banyan Software is the best permanent home for software businesses that serve specialized industries, their employees, and their customers. With a buy-grow-and-hold-for-life approach and a permanent capital base, Banyan acquires and grows companies worldwide, honoring founder legacies and helping portfolio companies modernize through shared AI expertise and operational discipline. Founded in 2016, Banyan operates more than 120 portfolio companies across North and South America, Europe, and APAC, and has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list for six consecutive years. The Banyan Software Foundation, endowed with $100 million in Banyan stock, leverages technology to build a greener and more equitable world.

Banyan Software is the best permanent home for software businesses that serve specialized industries, their employees, and their customers. We are on a mission to acquire, build, and grow great companies worldwide, helping them modernize through shared AI expertise and operational discipline. The Banyan Software Foundation, endowed with $100 million in Banyan stock, leverages technology to build a greener and more equitable world. Banyan is Great Place to Work Certified, a five-time Inc. 5000 honoree, and a top 10 company on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Atlanta, Banyan operates more than 100 portfolio companies across North America, the UK, EU, and APAC.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — Hybrid (3 days/week in office)

The Role:

The Forward Deployed AI Engineer plays a critical role in how Banyan applies AI across our internal business functions — Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, and beyond. You will understand how our teams work, reimagine the workflows behind them, and build the high-value AI tools that make our functions faster, sharper, and smarter: automating triage and reporting, forecasting demand and capacity, surfacing risk and cost insights, and streamlining the repetitive work behind each function. The common thread across every function is the same thing: get close to the work, find the problem worth solving, and build something that materially changes how the team operates.

• Embed and own the process. Learn the systems, KPIs, and pain points well enough that the teams you support treat you as one of their own.
• Find where AI can most change how work gets done. Identify high-value opportunities across functions, then sequence the work by impact, effort, and risk.
• Turn ambiguous business problems into working solutions. Understand what stakeholders are trying to achieve, prototype quickly, and build successful solutions to scale.
• Build AI-native tools. Prototype and ship applications using LLMs, retrieval, and agentic workflows, using AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code as part of how you work
• Make the build-versus-buy call. Bring a clear point of view on the trade-offs, with an expectation that many of our highest-value solutions will be built internally.
• Make the ROI case and translate in both directions. Define what success looks like, then turn business problems into scoped technical requirements and technical decisions back into language the team can act on.
• Drive adoption and set the patterns. Train teams, measure real impact after launch, and share what works across the wider Technology & Data Strategy team.

Qualifications for success:

• 6 to 10 years of experience across software engineering, analytics, strategy, finance, or product, including at least 3 years hands-on in AI or building AI-enabled applications. Bachelor's degree in a quantitative, business, or technical field required; master's a plus
• Demonstrated experience shipping production AI tools, including LLM applications, retrieval systems, or agentic workflows, from prototype to real users.
• Hands-on experience building with automation/orchestration platforms such as n8n (or a comparable platform) and designing and shipping bespoke applications on AWS. Able to evaluate the trade-off between the two and choose deliberately.
• Solid engineering practice: code in GitHub with reviewed pull requests, tests, and secrets handled properly, and infrastructure defined as code. Working knowledge of CI/CD, environment separation, staged rollout, monitoring, and rollback.
• Strong SQL and solid data modelling instincts, command of Excel, and working knowledge of modern BI tools such as Looker, Power BI, or Tableau. Demonstrated ability to work with messy, real-world data.
• Working command of modern AI technologies, including LLMs, retrieval, agentic workflows, model evaluation, data quality, and the practical limits of AI.
• AI-native approach to development. Comfortable using AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code as part of your day-to-day workflow to prototype, build, test, and iterate effectively.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, with the ability to build a credible business case and communicate it clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
• Forward-deployed or production AI experience is a plus — time in a Forward Deployed Engineer, Solutions Engineer, or hands-on consulting role, or experience shipping LLM applications, retrieval systems, or agentic workflows in real business environments.

The expected base salary for this position is: CAD $145,000 – $170,000 excluding annual bonus and equity (when applicable). Salary is based on a number of factors including market conditions, location and may vary depending on job-related skills and experience.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Equal Employment Opportunity at Banyan: Banyan affirms that inequality is detrimental to our Global Teams, associates, our Operating Companies, and the communities we serve. As a collective, our goal is to impact lasting change through our actions. Together, we unite for equality and equity. Banyan is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of any protected characteristic, including race, color, genetic information, creed, national origin, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, lawful alien status, ancestry, age, marital status, or protected veteran status and will not discriminate against anyone on the basis of a disability. We support an inclusive workplace where associates excel based on personal merit, qualifications, experience, ability, and job performance.