Staff Technical Lead – AI & Platform

RBC; Toronto; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Total rewards program

Hybrid/Flexible work options

Industry training & development

Job summary

RBC is seeking a Principal Technical Lead – AI & Platform Modernization to steer a strategic modernization of ClientLink. You will set the technical vision, lead engineering teams, and drive AI-enabled software engineering practices to improve delivery velocity, quality, and productivity.

You will champion API-first, event-driven, and cloud-native patterns, guide architecture standards, and balance innovation with stability while reducing technical debt.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive software engineering experience in large-scale enterprise apps.
• 5+ years in technical leadership guiding engineering teams and strategic technology initiatives.
• Proven success modernizing complex enterprise platforms with modern patterns.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in Agile environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic technical leadership to execute ClientLink modernization roadmap.
• Govern AI Engineering Platform adoption with standardized skills, plugins, workflows, and guardrails.
• Establish architecture standards and modernization practices across workstreams.
• Build and mentor high-performing engineering teams and reduce technical debt.
• Lead modernization of legacy apps into scalable, resilient solutions.
• Define governance for AI adoption and secure engineering practices.

Skills

Java

Spring Boot

Event-driven architecture

Apache Kafka

Microservices

Distributed systems

Oracle

SQL Server

PostgreSQL

MongoDB

Docker

Kubernetes

GitHub Enterprise

Source control

CI/CD

DevSecOps

Tools

Java tooling

Job description

Job Description

ClientLink is a mission-critical wealth management platform that supports portfolio accounting, investment operations, and client servicing across the enterprise. As part of our strategic modernization journey, we are transforming the platform using modern architecture, event-driven integration, cloud-native technologies, and an enterprise AI Engineering Platform that accelerates software delivery through reusable AI capabilities, standardized engineering workflows, and governance.

We are seeking an experienced Principal Technical Lead – AI & Platform Modernization to lead this transformation. This role combines deep technical expertise, people leadership, software architecture, and AI-enabled engineering to deliver the next generation of ClientLink.

As the senior technical leader, you will define the technical vision, lead an engineering team, establish engineering standards, and drive the adoption of AI-enabled software engineering practices that improve delivery velocity, software quality, and developer productivity.

What will you do?

• Provide strategic technical leadership to successfully execute the ClientLink modernization roadmap and ensure alignment with the organization’s long-term technology strategy.
• Lead the adoption and governance of the organization’s AI Engineering Platform, establishing a new AI-enabled software engineering model through standardized skills, plugins, workflows, and engineering guardrails.
• Establish consistent architecture, engineering standards, and modernization practices across multiple workstreams to improve software quality, scalability, security, and maintainability.
• Build and mentor high-performing engineering teams while driving the adoption of modern software engineering practices, accelerating delivery, and reducing technical debt.
• Maximize the return on investment in the ClientLink modernization initiative by providing dedicated technical leadership that enables faster delivery, sustainable engineering practices, and long-term platform transformation.
• Define and execute the technical strategy for the modernization of the ClientLink platform.
• Lead the transformation of legacy applications into modern, scalable, resilient, and maintainable solutions.
• Establish architecture principles, engineering standards, and modernization roadmaps aligned with enterprise technology strategies.
• Drive the adoption of API-first, event-driven, and cloud-native architectural patterns.
• Balance innovation with operational stability by reducing technical debt while delivering business value.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend strategic investments that strengthen the platform and improve engineering effectiveness.
• Lead the evolution and adoption of the enterprise AI Engineering Platform to modernize the software development lifecycle.
• Drive the use of AI-enabled capabilities across requirements analysis, solution architecture, software design, code generation, testing, documentation, and platform modernization.
• Define reusable AI capabilities, including domain-specific skills, plugins, workflows, prompts, and engineering guardrails that enable secure, consistent, and high-quality software delivery.
• Establish governance and best practices for responsible AI adoption, ensuring compliance with enterprise security, risk management, and software engineering standards.
• Champion AI-enabled developer productivity while maintaining human oversight, technical accountability, and engineering excellence.
• Continuously evaluate emerging AI technologies and identify opportunities to improve software quality, accelerate delivery, and modernize legacy platforms.

What you need to succeed? Must have’s:

• 10+ years of progressive software engineering experience, including the design and delivery of large-scale enterprise applications.
• 5+ years of technical leadership experience leading engineering teams and strategic technology initiatives.
• Proven success modernizing complex enterprise platforms using modern architectural patterns.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in Agile software delivery environments.
• Strong hands-on experience with several of the following technologies and practices: Java and Spring Boot, Event-driven architecture and Apache Kafka, Microservices and distributed systems, Oracle, SQL Server , PostgreSQL, and MongoDB, Docker and Kubernetes, GitHub Enterprise and modern source control practices, CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps.

Nice to have’s:

• Experience within financial services, wealth management, capital markets, or enterprise banking platforms.
• Experience modernizing mission-critical legacy applications.
• Knowledge of portfolio accounting, investment operations, or securities processing.
• Experience implementing enterprise AI platforms and modern engineering productivity solutions.
• Experience leading cloud transformation and enterprise integration initiatives.

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, competitive compensation, commissions, and stock where applicable.
• 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.
• A world-class training program in financial services.
• Flexible work/life balance options.
• Opportunities to do challenging work.

Job Skills

Active Learning, Active Learning, Agile Methodology, Application Integrations, Application Performance Engineering, Artificial Intelligence Software, CI/CD, Cloud Platform, Detail-Oriented, Docker Kubernetes Design, Emerging Technologies, Engineering Leadership, Engineering Practices, Enterprise Application Delivery, Enterprise Integration Patterns, Event Driven Architecture (EDA), Git Flow, GitHub, GitHub Copilot, Group Problem Solving, Infrastructure As Code (IaC), Large Language Models (LLMs), Leadership, Microservices Architecture, Microsoft SQL Server {+ 12 more}

Additional Job Details

Address: RBC CENTRE, 155 WELLINGTON ST 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: 2026-08-28

Application Deadline: 2026-09-11

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.

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