Principal Engineer, Data & ML Solutions, GFT

What is the opportunity?

Are you a talented, creative, and results-driven professional who thrives on delivering high-performing applications? Come join us!

Global Functions Technology (GFT) is part of RBC’s Technology and Operations division. GFT’s impact is far-reaching as we collaborate with partners from across the company to deliver innovative and transformative IT solutions. Our clients represent Risk, Finance, HR, CAO, Audit, Legal, Compliance, Financial Crime, Capital Markets, Personal and Commercial Banking and Wealth Management. We also lead the development of digital tools and platforms to enhance collaboration.

We’re seeking a Principal Engineer, Data & ML Solutions who brings a unique blend of deep technical expertise and strategic leadership. This is a hands-on engineering leadership role focused on building and scaling data-driven systems that enable advanced analytics, machine learning, and impactful business decisions. You will play a key role in shaping our next-generation credit decisioning and risk management platform, and lead by example in applying sound architectural thinking, engineering rigor, and technical mentorship.

What will you do?
• Lead by Doing: Design, build, and review scalable data pipelines, analytics platforms, and ML systems. This is a hands-on role with end-to-end ownership, with significant time doing coding.
• Set Technical Direction: Define and promote best practices in data and ML engineering. Evaluate emerging technologies and guide adoption to drive innovation.
• Partner Cross-Functionally: Work closely with data scientists, business leaders, and IT teams to understand needs and translate them into technical solutions.
• Mentor and Inspire: Coach engineers and foster a high-performing, collaborative culture. Champion engineering excellence and team growth.
• Deliver at Scale: Ensure projects are executed with high quality, on time, and aligned with business goals. Proactively identify risks and enforce compliance standards, especially around data governance and security.

What do you need to succeed?

Must Have:
• 10+ years of experience in architecting and building data-intensive and machine learning applications, with 3+ years in a senior technical leadership role.
• Expertise in Big Data technologies (Spark, Databricks, Kafka, Flink, Airflow etc.), data modelling, ETL/ELT and data warehousing (Snowflake).
• Strong programming skills in Python, Java, or Scala.
• Strong understanding of the ML lifecycle and MLOps practices, including model deployment, monitoring, and CI/CD pipelines. Experience with ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn).
• Demonstrated ability to lead data engineering and architecture initiatives, mentor team members, and collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to translate business needs into technical solutions.
• Excellent communication skills—able to clearly explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; Master's or PhD preferred.

Nice to Have:
• Background in enterprise-level data governance, privacy, and security practices.

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
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data Management, Business Intelligence Systems, Cloud Data Storage, Critical Thinking, Data Controls, Data Management, Data Modeling, Data Virtualization, People Management, Planning, Repository Tools