Senior Director, AI Research

Royal Bank of Canada · Montréal

Apply on the company website

What is the opportunity?

RBC's AI Group is building the future of AI-powered banking, and our research teams are at the forefront of this transformation. Reporting to the VP, Applied AI Research & Solutions, the Senior Director, AI Research will lead a team of world-class machine learning researchers and research engineers to develop cutting-edge AI algorithms that directly power RBC's products and services.

This is a unique opportunity to bridge frontier AI research with real-world business impact. You'll work at the intersection of innovation and application by translating the latest advances in machine learning into production-ready solutions that serve millions of clients across credit, fraud detection, market intelligence, pricing optimization, and generative AI applications.

As a member of RBC Borealis AI, you'll leverage RBC's unique data assets and strategic partnerships to push the boundaries of what's possible in AI, while ensuring your work delivers measurable business value aligned with RBC's $1 billion AI ambition.

What will you do?

AI Research Leadership:

• Lead and mentor a high-performing team of AI researchers and research engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and impact-driven solutions.
• Direct the development of novel machine learning algorithms and models across one or more domains: credit risk, fraud detection, market prediction, pricing & optimization, or generative/agentic AI. Leverage RBC and external data to deliver differentiating solutions and intellectual property to the business.
• Define AI roadmaps with ML models that balance advancing the state-of-the-art with delivering tangible business outcomes aligned to RBC's strategic priorities.
• Build and retain top-tier AI talent by creating an environment that attracts leading researchers from both academia and industry.
• Act as a thought leader and partner to RBC businesses and functions and advise on the art of the possible for AI in these domains.
• Evaluate new areas for AI investment, complete proof of concept testing and evaluation.

Applied Research & Business Impact:

• Partner closely with the VP, AI Research and Innovation team to operationalize frontier research and translate breakthroughs into applied solutions.
• Collaborate with VP, Solutions Engineering & Delivery to ensure AI algorithms are production-ready, scalable, and integrated seamlessly into RBC's enterprise platforms.
• Drive rapid experimentation and iteration to test and validate models against real-world business problems, ensuring measurable ROI.
• Develop intellectual property and publish research findings that position RBC as a thought leader in AI innovation.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Act as a trusted technical advisor to business partners across RBC's lines of business, translating complex AI concepts into actionable insights.
• Work with platform teams to leverage RBC's AI & data infrastructure (Lumina) for model development, training, and deployment.
• Partner with AI Governance & Evaluation teams to ensure all models meet regulatory, ethical, and compliance standards.
• Engage with external research communities, academic institutions, and industry partners to stay ahead of emerging AI trends and technologies.

• Champion responsible AI practices, embedding fairness, transparency, and bias mitigation into the research lifecycle.
• Identify opportunities to advance RBC's AI capabilities through experimentation with emerging technologies (e.g., foundation models, multimodal AI, reinforcement learning).
• Contribute to RBC's AI thought leadership through publications, patents, conference presentations, and community engagement.
• In this role, you will communicate and interact frequently with RBC partners and/or employees located across Canada and/or worldwide.

What do you need to succeed?

Must Have:

• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• 10+ years of experience developing and deploying machine learning models in industry settings, with at least 3-5 years in leadership roles and people management.
• Experience translating research prototypes into production-grade solutions at scale, preferably in regulated industries (financial services, healthcare, etc.).
• Strong publication record and recognized thought leadership in AI/ML (conference papers, patents, technical blogs, or open-source contributions).
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical stakeholders, communicating complex concepts clearly to senior leadership.

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.

• Work at the cutting edge of AI: Access to RBC's unique data assets, world-class compute infrastructure, and strategic partnerships with leading AI research institutions.
• Industry-leading research environment: Publish your work, attend top-tier conferences, and collaborate with renowned researchers from RBC Borealis and beyond.
• Real-world impact: Your research will directly power products and services used by millions of clients across Canada and globally.
• Comprehensive Total Rewards Program including competitive compensation, bonuses, flexible benefits, and stock options.
• Talent development: Leaders who support your growth through coaching, mentorship, and opportunities to shape RBC's AI strategy.
• Dynamic, high-performing team: Work alongside some of the brightest minds in AI, machine learning, and financial services.
• Opportunities for progressively greater impact: Shape the future of AI at one of the world's leading financial institutions.

#LI-POST

#TecPJ

Job Skills

Additional Job Details

More jobs at Royal Bank of Canada · Data & Analytics jobs in Montreal