Royal Bank of Canada

Director, Applied AI Research

Royal Bank of Canada • $130K — $180K *
Toronto, ON M3C 0E3In-Person
Finance & Insurance
8 - 10 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's or Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, NLP, or equivalent.
  • 10+ years of experience in leading machine learning solutions in a product-centric environment.
  • 5+ years of experience managing teams of researchers and engineers in machine learning.
  • Proven experience in the full R&D lifecycle for LLM systems, from prototyping to production.
  • Published research at top-tier conferences or equivalent expertise in agentic systems.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and productize innovative generative AI approaches for business impact.
  • Lead a high-performing team to deliver AI solutions across business initiatives.
  • Engage with business partners to define and develop generative AI solutions.
  • Provide technical leadership on applied research projects advancing LLM capabilities.
  • Establish Borealis as a thought leader through publications and industry engagement.

Benefits

  • Collaborative team culture focused on individual potential.
  • Lead innovative work with access to significant computational resources.
  • Comprehensive Total Rewards Program including bonuses and flexible benefits.
  • Opportunity to make a global impact within the financial services industry.
Full Job Description
Job Description

RBC Borealis is looking for a Director to lead an applied AI group of machine learning researchers and research engineers in delivering cutting-edge generative AI solutions for the financial services industry. This team specializes in advanced LLM capabilities, including fine-tuning foundation models and frontier agentic system engineering. As a key member of our organization, you will provide strategic leadership and direction to drive the effectiveness of your team, enabling them to deliver high-value business outcomes through the application of state-of-the-art generative AI and LLM technologies.

Your responsibilities include:
  • Develop and productize innovative generative AI approaches and novel intellectual property, driving business impact through applied research in LLM fine-tuning, agentic harness engineering, and advanced system architectures;
  • Lead a team of researchers and research engineers who contribute to high-value AI solutions across multiple business initiatives, ensuring technical excellence and successful delivery;
  • Engage with business partners to define generative AI solutions that meet business needs, working closely with stakeholders to understand requirements and develop effective solutions leveraging large language models;
  • Provide technical leadership and scientific guidance to applied research projects focused on advancing LLM capabilities, collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive innovation in areas such as agentic system design, model fine-tuning and optimization, scalable deployment architectures, and performance optimization for latency, cost, and quality trade-offs;
  • Establish and promote Borealis as a thought leader in the field of generative AI and large language models, contributing to the company's reputation and visibility through publications, talks, and industry engagement.


You're our ideal candidate if you have:
  • A Master's or Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, or a related technical field, or equivalent qualifications;
  • 10+ years of experience in leading high-impact machine learning solutions in a product-centric environment, with demonstrated expertise in generative AI and LLM applications;
  • 5+ years of experience managing high-performing teams of researchers, data scientists, and engineers to deliver machine learning projects and solutions;
  • Proven experience across the entire research and development lifecycle for LLM-based systems, from concept prototyping to production-ready solutions, with a strong ability to engage with stakeholders to understand business needs and develop tailored solutions;
  • At least one of the following:
    • Published research on large language models, generative AI, or related topics at top-tier conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, EMNLP, or equivalent);
    • Experience architecting and deploying production-grade agentic systems at scale, including sophisticated multi-agent orchestration, tool-use frameworks, and complex reasoning pipelines in enterprise environments;
    • Equivalent demonstrable expertise in advancing the state-of-the-art in LLM capabilities through industry innovation;
  • Exceptional communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences;
  • Strong foundation in machine learning and NLP concepts, including deep understanding of transformer architectures, fine-tuning methodologies (LoRA, QLoRA, RLHF, etc.), prompt engineering, and agentic design patterns.


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;
  • Lead cutting-edge work in generative AI and LLMs with access to significant computational resources and the opportunity to shape the future of AI in financial services;
  • A comprehensive Total Rewards Program including bonuses and flexible benefits, competitive compensation, commissions, and stock options where applicable;
  • Ability to make a difference and lasting impact from a local-to-global scale.


Job Skills

Additional Job Details

Address:

777 BAY ST, TH 27: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:

2026-07-05

Application Deadline:

2026-07-11
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the application deadline date above

RBC is presently inviting candidates to apply for this existing vacancy. Applying to this posting allows you to express your interest in this current career opportunity at RBC. Qualified applicants may be contacted to review their resume in more detail.

About Royal Bank of Canada

Royal Bank of Canada Careers

Join the dynamic team at Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), a global leader in financial services and a company committed to excellence and innovation. At RBC, we offer a wide range of job opportunities that empower professionals to shape their career paths with leadership, diversity training, and continuous growth.

Work You’ll Do

At Royal Bank of Canada, we are not just hiring; we are building a culture of innovation and leadership. Our team members are at the forefront of the financial industry, driving transformation and delivering targeted solutions that meet the evolving needs of our clients and communities.

Explore Job Opportunities and Employment at RBC

Whether you are starting your career or looking to take it to the next level, RBC offers positions that challenge your skills and fuel your ambition. From entry-level positions to leadership roles, our job opportunities span across various functions and regions. Join us and be part of a team that values professional growth and diversity.

Internship and Professional Development

Kickstart your career with an internship at Royal Bank of Canada. Our internships provide invaluable hands-on experience, networking opportunities, and insights into the financial services industry. Interns at RBC gain the skills necessary to excel and are often considered for full-time positions within the company.

Benefits and Culture

At RBC, we prioritize the well-being and satisfaction of our employees. Our benefits package is designed to support our team members at every stage of their life and career. RBC’s culture is built on a foundation of respect, integrity, and responsibility, fostering an environment where everyone can thrive.

Career Growth and Innovation

We believe in nurturing the potential of our employees through continuous learning and career development programs. At RBC, you will find endless opportunities to grow professionally through on-the-job experiences, formal training programs, and leadership development initiatives. Our commitment to innovation means we are constantly seeking out new ideas and perspectives, making RBC a perfect place for those who aim to lead and innovate.

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity is our strength. At Royal Bank of Canada, we are committed to building an inclusive workplace where every employee feels valued and respected. Our diversity training programs are designed to educate and inspire, creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

Join Our Team

Search open positions that match your skills and interests. We look for passionate, curious, creative, and solution-driven team players. Start your journey with RBC today and be part of a world-class team known for its commitment to client service, community involvement, and innovation.

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Personalize your subscription to receive job alerts, latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Discover the exciting and rewarding career opportunities awaiting you at RBC. Explore the possibilities with Royal Bank of Canada, where your future is filled with potential and the path to success is paved with countless opportunities for professional and personal growth. Join us and shape not just your career but the future of the financial industry.
Learn more about Royal Bank of Canada
Size
86,007 employees
Market Cap
$130.3 billion
Industry
Finance & Insurance
5 Year Trend
+8.7%
NASDAQ
RY
* Ladders Estimates

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