Principal Engineer, AI & Emerging Technology

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board; Toronto; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) is seeking a Principal Engineer, AI & Emerging Technology to lead enterprise-scale AI initiatives. You will shape architecture, set standards, and drive governance and security across AI lifecycles.

You will mentor engineers, collaborate with stakeholders, and translate strategic priorities into scalable, resilient AI solutions that contribute to long-term value.

Qualifications

• University degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive software engineering experience including leading AI initiatives.
• Deep expertise in production-grade AI/GenAI solutions and frameworks (e.g., OpenAI, LangChain, RAG).
• Strong software engineering and cloud expertise: distributed systems, APIs, Python, AWS, Kubernetes, IaC, DevSecOps.
• Experience implementing AI governance, security, and operational excellence in enterprise environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end architecture, design, and delivery of enterprise-scale AI/GenAI solutions.
• Define scalable architectures and technical standards aligned with objectives and emerging tech.
• Drive engineering best practices, reusable patterns, automation, and operation readiness.
• Champion responsible AI with governance, security, explainability, and risk management.

Skills

10+ years of software engineering

Enterprise-scale architecture

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Python

AWS

Kubernetes

Infrastructure as Code

DevSecOps

Job description

Purpose. Performance. People.

Joining CPP Investments means joining one of the world’s most admired and respected institutional investors to drive a single mandate: to deliver strong, sustainable returns for generations of Canadians. With a long-term horizon and global reach, we deploy capital at scale across public and private markets. Our size, stability, and disciplined investment philosophy allow us to pursue complex opportunities and build enduring partnerships worldwide. For our people, this means meaningful work with tangible impact, real opportunity, and collaboration with exceptional colleagues who value partnership and performance. Here, you’ll contribute to outcomes that matter alongside team members committed to excellence and shared success.

The Role

As Principal Engineer, AI & Emerging Technology, you will provide technical leadership in designing, developing, and deploying enterprise-scale AI and GenAI solutions that advance CPP Investments' strategic priorities. Reporting to the Director, AI & Emerging Technology, you will shape technical architecture, establish engineering best practices, and guide the responsible adoption of emerging technologies while collaborating with stakeholders across Technology, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Product, and Operations. You will help drive innovation from experimentation through production deployment, ensuring AI solutions are scalable, secure, and operationally resilient.

Accountabilities

• Lead the end-to-end architecture, design, and delivery of enterprise-scale AI and GenAI solutions, from proof of concept through production deployment.
• Define scalable solution architectures and technical standards that align with enterprise capabilities, business objectives, and emerging technologies.
• Drive technical excellence by establishing engineering best practices, reusable patterns, automation, and operational readiness across AI platforms.
• Champion responsible AI by embedding governance, security, explainability, risk management, and regulatory considerations throughout the AI lifecycle.
• Mentor and develop engineers while fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and engineering excellence.
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies, frameworks, and architectural patterns to identify opportunities that strengthen enterprise capabilities and accelerate innovation.
• Partner with senior business and technology stakeholders to align AI initiatives with strategic priorities and communicate technical direction, risks, and recommendations.

What You Bring

• University degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline; advanced degrees and relevant AI or cloud certifications are considered an asset.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive software engineering experience, including leading the design and delivery of enterprise-scale technology solutions and AI initiatives from concept through production.
• Deep expertise designing, developing, and operating production‑grade AI and GenAI solutions, including large language models (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, Google), prompt engineering, agentic AI architectures, retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG), and modern AI development frameworks such as LangChain, LlamaIndex, and Amazon Bedrock.
• Strong software engineering and cloud expertise, including distributed systems, APIs, event‑driven architecture, Python, AWS, Kubernetes, Infrastructure as Code, DevSecOps, and modern engineering practices.
• Experience implementing AI governance, model evaluation, testing, security, scalability, and operational excellence within enterprise environments; knowledge of financial services or investment management is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross‑functional teams, develop technical strategy, mentor engineers, and build alignment across technical and business stakeholders.
• Exceptional analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills, with a collaborative mindset and passion for innovation, continuous improvement, and emerging technologies.
• You are motivated to contribute to something larger than yourself, approach complex challenges with rigor, and hold yourself to high standards in a collaborative, performance‑driven environment.
• We provide colleagues with cutting‑edge AI tools, dedicated learning time, and practical support to help them deliver with greater impact.

Inclusion & Accessibility

CPP Investments is committed to equitable access to employment and building a workforce that reflects diverse talent and perspectives. If you require accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.

About Us

For 25 years, we've proudly invested the Canada Pension Plan Fund, helping to secure retirement for more than 22 million Canadians. We invest for the long term - and that includes our people. Here, you'll work alongside high-calibre colleagues on meaningful challenges that have real-world impact. Our purpose drives us, our performance sets us apart, and our people make it possible.

Our Guiding Principles

Integrity, Partnership and High Performance.

Our Impact

We invest globally across public and private markets, managing capital on behalf of millions of contributors and beneficiaries. We focus on long-term value creation and responsible investing, with offices in major financial centres around the world.

What You Can Expect

• Meaningful work with measurable impact
• Exposure to complex, global challenges
• Opportunities for learning and growth
• Competitive total rewards and benefits
• Comprehensive wellness programs
• Inclusive and respectful of diverse perspectives