Lead AI/ML Software Engineer

RBC; Toronto; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Total rewards program

Coaching & development

Cross‑geography opportunities

Job summary

RBC is seeking a Lead AI/ML Software Engineer to own end‑to‑end projects at the intersection of AI/ML and financial services. You will design, develop, test, and deploy backend components and ML models powering Online Banking and digital channels.

The role requires leading ML pipelines, data pre-processing, and deployment of production systems, with strong collaboration across technology and business teams in Toronto. This is a full‑time position with a focus on innovation and scalable solutions.

Qualifications

• PhD or MSc in Computer Science, ML, or equivalent hands‑on experience.
• Five+ years building and deploying ML models in production for real business problems.
• Advanced proficiency in Java/Python with production‑grade code and documentation.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend components and ML models for Online Banking and digital channels.
• Participate in code reviews, testing, and documentation to ensure best practices and code quality.
• Architect robust, scalable machine learning systems and deploy to production with observability.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues in a timely manner.
• Work in an agile environment with sprint planning, stand-ups, and retrospectives.
• Communicate effectively across business, engineering, and risk teams.

Skills

Python

Java

ML deployment

RESTful APIs

MLOps

OpenShift/Kubernetes

GitHub Copilot

Team collaboration

Education

PhD or MSc in CS/ML

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

FastAPI

Flask

OpenShift

Kubernetes

Terraform

Job description

What is the opportunity?

We’re looking a Lead AI/ML Software Engineer to drive innovation at the intersection of AI / Machine Learning and financial services. You’ll be responsible for owning and delivering projects end to end – from design, development, testing and release of the product to production. In addition to software development tasks, the role will also include machine learning tasks such as data pre-processing and exploration, building and scaling ML algorithms and pipelines and deployment and monitoring of production systems. At RBC Digital, you’ll be joining a team that works on world class digital experiences and has access to rich and massive datasets and offers the computational resources to support cutting‑edge machine learning development.

Job Description

We’re looking a Lead AI/ML Software Engineer to drive innovation at the intersection of AI / Machine Learning and financial services. You’ll be responsible for owning and delivering projects end to end – from design, development, testing and release of the product to production. In addition to software development tasks, the role will also include machine learning tasks such as data pre-processing and exploration, building and scaling ML algorithms and pipelines and deployment and monitoring of production systems.

What will you do?

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend components and ML models in support of Online Banking and digital channel applications.
• Participate in code reviews, testing, and documentation to ensure best practices and code quality.
• Apply software engineering and ML best practices architect robust, scalable machine learning systems.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues in a timely manner.
• Work in an agile environment, actively participating in sprint planning, stand-ups, and retrospectives.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work cross‑functionally and influence stakeholders.

What do you need to succeed?

Must Have:

• PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or equivalent hands‑on experience.
• Five or more years building and deploying Machine Learning models in production for real business problems.
• Advanced proficiency in Java/Python, with demonstrated ability to write production‑grade code and documentation.
• Advanced proficiency with large language model architectures, including inference (Tensorflow or Pytorch), fine‑toning, and model deployment.
• Strong understanding and work experience with retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) systems, agentic systems, orchestration frameworks, context and memory management, and tool/skills integration patterns.
• In‑depth knowledge of embeddings, re‑rankers, and vector databasese.
• Expertise in ML experimentation, model evaluation, and production observability.
• Proven experience building and deploying RESTful APIs for ML model serving (FastAPI, Flask).
• Demonstrated proficiency with MLOps practices, including model serving, monitoring, CI/CD pipelines for ML systems, and containerized workload deployment (OpenShift Container Platform / OCP4 or Kubernetes)
• Proficiency with AI‑assisted software development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Windsurf AI, Anthropic Claude Code).
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with proven ability to collaborate effectively across cross‑functional teams (business, engineering, model risk management).

Nice to Have:

• Experience with Small Language Models (SLMs) for on‑device inference, domain specialization through fine‑toning, or Reinforcement Learning applications.
• Track record of adopting and leveraging AI‑driven solutions to enhance productivity, automate routine tasks, and drive efficiency.
• Demonstrates curiosity about emerging AI capabilities and a thoughtful approach to applying them for enhanced client outcomes.
• Experience in managing, mentoring, or coaching team members and empowering junior engineers to grow and succeed.

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
• 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
• Access to a variety of job opportunities across business and geographies

Job Skills

Active Learning, Agile Methodology, Application Integrations, Detail‑Oriented, Enterprise Application Delivery, Group Problem Solving, Programming Languages, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

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: 2026-07-20

Application Deadline: 2026-08-20

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

Our Employment Opportunities

At RBC, we are guided by living shared values of Client First, Integrity, Collaboration, Respect and Excellence and winning together as One 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.