Lead AI Engineer

PensionID Inc.; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A pioneering pension-tech company in Toronto is seeking a Lead AI Engineer to shape their AI strategy and mentor a growing team. This role offers autonomy, the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies, and the chance to make a significant impact on the future of pension administration.

Benefits

Competitive salary, equity, and benefits

Flexible remote/hybrid options

Conference travel and training budget

Qualifications

• 5+ years in AI engineering or data science.
• Experience with Hugging Face, PyTorch, or TensorFlow.
• Strong background in deploying LLMs and MLOps.

Responsibilities

• Define AI vision with CTO & product leads.
• Prototype, train, and optimize AI models.
• Build CI/CD pipelines for model lifecycle.

Skills

Python

AI Engineering

MLOps

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Hugging Face Transformers

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

Job description

Submit your application for the Lead AI Engineer position

Full-time

About Us

At PensionID, we're rewriting the rules of pension and benefits software, making it as modular and customizable as LEGO blocks. In an industry entrenched in legacy systems and outdated processes, we've emerged as pioneers of modernization. Our cutting-edge, AI-enabled pension administration system seamlessly blends innovation with efficiency, providing a breath of fresh air to pension management.

Just as we're revolutionizing pension administration with our modular, intuitive platform, we're building our team with the same innovative spirit. Our "Swiss Army Knives" approach to talent means every team member brings multiple dimensions of expertise and creativity to the table. We're not just streamlining pension administration - we're creating an environment where exceptional talent can thrive and innovate.

By harnessing cutting-edge technology throughout our entire software development lifecycle, we're enabling our clients to stay ahead of the curve while building a workplace that empowers our team to push boundaries and redefine excellence. Our AI-Enabled solutions don't just reduce overhead costs and minimize risk - they create opportunities for our team to solve complex challenges in creative ways.

The Opportunity

We're hiring two Lead AI Engineers to own our AI roadmap—everything from fine-tuning Llama/GPT models and building RAG pipelines, to embedding predictive insights and automating workflows across our .NET/React solution. You'll collaborate directly under the CTO, set standards (including Model Context Protocol), and mentor a growing AI team.

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of AI in pension administration. You'll have the autonomy to choose tools, define standards, and architect solutions that push the boundaries of what's possible in our industry. Working directly with our CTO, you'll help establish best practices and build a world-class AI team while making a real impact on how pension administration works.

Key Responsibilities

AI Strategy & Architecture:

• Define and evolve our AI vision in partnership with CTO & product leads
• Prototype, train, fine-tune, and optimize transformer models (Llama, GPT family)
• Integrate AI services into our ASP .NET Core back-end and React/Next.js front-end
• Design prompt-engineering frameworks and retrieval-augmented generation pipelines

MLOps & Automation:

• Build CI/CD pipelines for model lifecycle (training, evaluation, deployment)
• Containerize with Docker and orchestrate on Kubernetes; manage infra as code (Terraform/ARM)
• Automate internal processes—ticket triage, document parsing, business-rule workflows
• Mentor AI engineers and data scientists; establish code review, testing, and documentation standards
• Work cross-functionally with product, design, and client teams to translate needs into scalable AI solutions
• Present prototypes and technical roadmaps to stakeholders and clients

Required Technical Skills

AI/ML Expertise:

• 5+ years in AI engineering or data science, with strong Python skills
• Deep experience with Hugging Face Transformers, PyTorch or TensorFlow
• Production deployment of LLMs (prompt engineering, fine-tuning, inference optimization)

MLOps & Infrastructure:

• CI/CD for ML workflows (GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or equivalent)
• Terraform or Azure ARM templates for infra as code

Data & Integration:

• ETL pipelines, vector databases (e.g., Pinecone, Weaviate), and data security best practices
• RESTful API integration within an ASP .NET Core ecosystem
• Hands-on experience or strong interest in implementing MCP standards

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

Domain Expertise:

• Familiarity with pension/benefits domains and compliance

Conversational AI:

• Conversational-AI frameworks (Rasa, Dialogflow, Botpress)

Contributions:

• Open-source AI/ML contributions or MCP publications

Certifications:

• Cloud AI certifications (AWS SageMaker, Azure AI, Google Vertex AI)

Soft Skills

• Clear communicator who can demystify AI for non-technical audiences
• Proactive, collaborative, and continuously learning mindset
• Proven leadership and mentorship track record

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years in ML/AI engineering, with at least 2 in a senior or lead capacity
• Demonstrated success in delivering complex AI solutions

What We Offer

• Lead AI for a pioneering pension-tech platform
• Autonomy to choose tools, define standards, and shape architecture
• Competitive salary, equity, and benefits
• Flexible remote/hybrid options with a Toronto hub
• Conference travel, training budget, and professional growth
• Direct collaboration with CTO and leadership team
• Opportunity to build and mentor a growing AI team
• Work on cutting-edge AI technologies in a meaningful domain

Location & Work Culture

True to our innovative spirit, we embrace flexible work arrangements that empower peak performance. Our approach includes:
- Remote work flexibility
- Hybrid office/home arrangements
- Collaborative virtual workspace
- Toronto office hub for key meetings and team collaboration
- Occasional travel may be required for client consultations and team events

We believe great work can happen anywhere – our focus is on impact, not location. While Toronto is our home base, we've built our culture around enabling our team to work where they're most effective.

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