Director, AI Program Management

Job Description
What's the opportunity?

RBC Borealis is seeking an experienced Director of AI Program Management to lead one of RBC Borealis' AI and Digital transformation programs focused on a single line of business. This strategic leadership role will bridge cutting‑edge AI research and practical business application, driving the delivery of innovative AI solutions that create measurable value for internal partners across the bank.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Research, GRM at RBC Borealis, you will work with a team of approximately 10 researchers, research engineers, and engineers to execute on an ambitious AI transformation agenda while maintaining alignment with both partner needs and technical realities.

• Lead end‑to‑end delivery of AI solutions from conception through production deployment.
• Develop and maintain a strategic roadmap that balances partner business needs with technical feasibility and research innovation.
• Drive execution excellence through agile program management practices, ensuring on‑time, on‑budget delivery.
• Establish clear success metrics and accountability frameworks for AI initiatives.
• Champion best practices in AI development, deployment, and governance.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with business partners across the Line of Business.
• Translate complex technical concepts into business value propositions for executive stakeholders.
• Coordinate cross‑functional dependencies with enterprise architecture, data, risk, and compliance teams.
• Facilitate alignment between research objectives and business priorities.
• Present program updates, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership.

• Provide strategic direction and prioritization to the R&D team.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Communicate priorities clearly and ensure team understanding of the "why" behind initiatives.

• Identify opportunities for AI‑driven business transformation within the LoB.
• Conduct discovery and scoping for new AI use cases.
• Manage program risks, issues, and dependencies proactively.
• Ensure alignment with enterprise AI strategy and governance frameworks.
• Drive adoption and change management for delivered AI solutions.

• 8+ years of progressive program/product management experience, with at least 3 years leading AI/ML initiatives.
• Proven track record delivering complex technology programs in enterprise environments, preferably financial services.
• Strong understanding of AI/ML technologies, development lifecycle, and productionisation challenges.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills with experience influencing senior executives.
• Demonstrated ability to translate between technical and business contexts.
• Experience managing cross‑functional teams and navigating matrixed organisations.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Experience in banking, financial services, or regulated industries.
• Background in data science, machine learning, or software engineering.
• Familiarity with responsible AI principles and governance frameworks.
• PMP, Agile/Scrum certifications, or equivalent.
• MBA or advanced degree in a relevant field.

RBC is committed to being a leader in AI innovation within financial services. You'll have the opportunity to shape how AI transforms our business, work with world‑class talent, and deliver solutions that impact millions of customers. We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a culture that values diversity, inclusion, and continuous learning.

RBC 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 revolutionise finance through world‑class research, solutions, and a resilient data platform. With locations across Toronto, Waterloo, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver,…