Lead Software Engineer - MLOps

Sun Life Financial; Toronto; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellness programs supporting mental, physical, and financial health

Career path opportunities

Recognition as a top workplace in Canada

Job summary

Sun Life Financial in Toronto is seeking a highly experienced Principal Software Engineer to lead their MLOps team. This role emphasizes the use of AWS cloud services and machine learning operations, requiring strong technical and problem-solving skills. You will design and enhance production-grade MLOps capabilities while collaborating with multiple teams on AWS-based ML platforms.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in software engineering, particularly in large-scale systems. This position also offers flexibility in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Deep software engineering background, with experience in large‑scale production systems.
• Hands-on experience with AWS, focusing on infrastructure design and deployment.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, and Scala.

Responsibilities

• Provide Principal-level technical leadership for the MLOps squad.
• Design, build, and evolve production‑grade MLOps capabilities.
• Act as a technical authority for AWS‑based ML platforms.

Skills

Software engineering background

AWS experience

Distributed systems

CI/CD pipelines

MLOps/ML platforms

Python, Java, Scala

Exceptional communication skills

Tools

Terraform

CloudFormation

Job description

You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do. Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

Job Description

About the role

The Enterprise Data & Analytics Enablement team is looking for a highly experienced, hands‑on Principal Software Engineer to lead our MLOps team within an Analytics Platform, emphasizing AWS cloud services and machine learning operations. The successful candidate will have strong technical and problem‑solving skills and the ability to lead a team of MLOps Engineers. This unique opportunity offers a dynamic space and a chance to collaborate with multiple technical and business teams.

What you will do

• Provide Principal‑level technical leadership for the MLOps squad within the Analytics Platform, influencing architecture and standards across multiple teams
• Design, build, and evolve production‑grade MLOps and ML platform capabilities, including model lifecycle management, CI/CD, evaluation, monitoring, and governance
• Spend ~60% hands‑on in software engineering, building high‑quality, testable, maintainable services, frameworks, APIs, and shared libraries that enable ML and GenAI at scale
• Spend ~40% on platform, cloud, and MLOps enablement, ensuring solutions are secure, scalable, observable, and cost‑effective
• Act as a technical authority for AWS‑based ML platforms, leading design decisions and guiding adoption of new cloud and GenAI services
• Establish and evolve engineering and MLOps standards, patterns, and best practices across squads
• Partner closely with Architecture, Security, Risk, and Product teams to reduce delivery, operational, and model governance risk
• Lead by example through code reviews, design reviews, incident analysis, and operational improvements
• Mentor senior and intermediate engineers, raising the overall technical bar without direct people management

What you need to succeed

• A deep software engineering background, with a strong track record of building and operating large‑scale, production systems
• Extensive hands‑on experience with AWS in production, including infrastructure design, deployment, and optimization
• Strong experience with
  • Distributed systems and cloud‑native architectures
  • CI/CD pipelines and automation
  • Observability, reliability, and incident response
  • Practical experience with MLOps, ModelOps, ML platforms, or LLMOps in enterprise environments
• Proficiency in one or more of: Python, Java, Scala, and Infrastructure‑as‑Code tooling (Terraform / CloudFormation)
• Ability to operate at Principal scope, influencing architecture and decisions across multiple teams and domains
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders

Preferred skills

• Deep familiarity with AWS analytics, ML, and GenAI services, including evaluation and monitoring tooling
• Experience designing or supporting enterprise MLOps / ML platform frameworks used by multiple teams
• Strong understanding of security‑first design, governance, and compliance in regulated environments
• Experience balancing innovation with operational supportability in platform teams
• Proven ability to mentor and influence without formal authority
• Strong product and business awareness, enabling pragmatic technical trade‑offs
• We value analytical thinking and continuous learning. Through training and coaching, you can improve your data literacy and apply insights in meaningful ways, regardless of experience level.

What’s in it for you

• We’re honoured to be recognized as a 2026 Best Workplaces in Canada by Great Place to Work® Canada.
• We are thrilled to be recognized by Excellence Canada with their top‑level certification, the Canada Order of Excellence for Mental Health at Work®, for prioritizing employee well‑being, fostering a positive work culture, and achieving excellence in mental health.
• Wellness programs that support the three pillars of your health – mental, physical, and financial
• The opportunity to move along a variety of career paths with amazing networking potential.
• As a hybrid organization, you and your leader use business and Client need to choose where you work, at home or in the office

As a condition of the role, the successful candidate must obtain a Government of Canada Reliability Status security clearance through Sun Life in advance of the start date.

Must be able to satisfactorily complete applicable background checks prior to the start date and during employment, in accordance with Sun Life’s policies and practices.

Salary Range: 90,000 – 140,000

Job Category: IT - Technology Services

Posting End Date: 22/04/2026

Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e‑mail a request to [e-mail].