Staff AI Engineer

Job Description

What's the opportunity?We're looking for an experienced AI Engineering Lead who will bring focus and subject-matter expertise around designing and implementing agentic AI systems and Large Language Model (LLM) applications. This is a unique opportunity to lead the development of next-generation AI technologies and work with a team of passionate individuals committed to the mission of bringing advanced AI to enterprise.At RBC Borealis, you'll be joining a team that works directly with leading researchers in AI and machine learning, has access to rich and massive datasets, and offers the computational resources to support ongoing development in areas such as agentic AI systems, LLM applications, and responsible AI. You can find out more about our research areas at rbcborealis.com.Your responsibilities include:

• Designing, building, and optimizing agentic AI systems and LLM-powered applications that drive business value at scale;

• Designing and implementing best practices and standards for AI systems architecture, including agent frameworks and LLM integration pipelines across the organization;

• Collaborating with engineers and AI researchers to architect, build, integrate and deploy AI applications at scale;

• Supporting applications and projects with infrastructure design decisions, optimization, and monitoring solutions;

• Building highly scalable, resilient cloud and on-premise systems for hosting AI and LLM systems using state-of-the-art technologies;

• Translating business requirements into viable solutions through relationship-building, cross-functional collaboration, and navigating complex enterprise environments.

You're our ideal candidate if you have:

• Strong expertise with agentic AI frameworks (LangChain/LangGraph are ideal);

• Deep knowledge of AI systems design and LLM architectures;

• Professional software development experience with advanced proficiency in Python;

• Experience designing and implementing distributed systems at scale;

• Hands-on experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) and orchestration tools;

• Strong knowledge of event streaming platforms such as Kafka;

• Experience with DevOps pipelines such as GitHub/GitHub Actions

• UI development expertise with React and JavaScript (a plus);

• Background in data engineering or data infrastructure;

• Engineering optimization skills to maximize performance from existing infrastructure;

• Hands-on experience building and deploying hybrid environments on-prem and major cloud environments, such as AWS and Azure;

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with the ability to independently navigate enterprise complexity, develop cross-functional relationships, uncover tribal knowledge, and drive solutions forward;

• Self-directed problem-solving mindset with the ability to figure out solutions and chart paths forward in complex organizational settings.

What's in it for you?

• Become part of a team that thinks progressively and works collaboratively. We care about seeing each other reach full potential;

• A comprehensive Total Rewards Program including bonuses and flexible benefits, competitive compensation, commissions, and stock options where applicable;

• Leaders who support your development through coaching and managing opportunities;

• Ability to make a difference and lasting impact from a local-to-global scale.

About RBC BorealisRBC Borealis is the driving force behind Royal Bank of Canada’s AI and data innovation. As part of Canada’s largest financial institution, we bring together a team of architects, engineers, scientists, and product experts on a mission to revolutionize finance through world-class research, solutions, and a resilient data platform. With locations across Toronto, Waterloo, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver, we’re at the forefront of AI research and platform development. With a focus on cutting-edge research in areas like time series forecasting, causal machine learning, and responsible AI, we are seamlessly integrating AI research and data engineering, to solve critical challenges in the financial industry. We are building intelligent, and scalable, data-driven solutions that will help communities thrive and drive innovation for our customers across the bank.