Associate Director, Lead Fullstack Developer (React/Node.js)

RBC • Toronto, ON

5d • Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an accomplished Associate Director of Full Stack Engineering with 10+ years of progressive experience in designing and delivering enterprise-scale web platforms. The ideal candidate will combine deep technical expertise across the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js), Next.js, NestJS, Docker, and Kubernetes with proven leadership in people management, software architecture, and design systems. You will lead a team of engineers, drive architectural decisions, and own the end-to-end delivery of mission-critical applications across the organization. If you are a technical leader who is passionate about building high-performing teams and architecting cutting-edge platforms, we would love to hear from you!

Requirements

• 10+ years of professional experience in software engineering, with at least 3 years in a people management or technical leadership role.
• Deep proficiency in React.js, Node.js, Express.js, and TypeScript.
• Strong hands-on experience with Next.js (server-side rendering, static generation, API routes) and NestJS for building scalable server-side applications.
• Proven experience defining and maintaining design systems and component libraries at scale (e.g., MUI, Storybook, custom design tokens).
• Extensive experience with Docker containerization and Kubernetes orchestration in production environments.
• Demonstrated ability to design distributed system architectures, including microservices, event-driven patterns, and API gateway strategies.
• Strong knowledge of RESTful APIs, GraphQL, and real-time communication patterns (WebSockets, message brokers).
• Experience with MongoDB and at least one relational database (e.g., SQL Server, PostgreSQL).
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and infrastructure-as-code tools (Helm, Terraform).
• Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines, automated testing strategies, and DevOps practices.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Nx monorepo tooling and large-scale codebase management.
• Knowledge of caching strategies (Redis, KeyDB) and performance optimization techniques.
• Experience with real-time streaming platforms (e.g., Solace, Kafka).
• Background in Capital Markets, FinTech, or regulated financial environments.
• Familiarity with accessibility standards (WCAG) and internationalization.
• Experience driving agile delivery at scale (SAFe, Scrum of Scrums).

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of full stack engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct performance reviews, career development planning, and hiring for engineering talent.
• Champion engineering best practices, code quality standards, and knowledge-sharing across teams.
• Partner with product, design, and business stakeholders to align technical strategy with organizational goals.
• Define and evolve the overall application architecture for scalable, resilient, and secure distributed systems.
• Establish and govern design system standards, component libraries, and UI patterns to ensure consistency and reusability across products.
• Lead architectural reviews, technical design discussions, and proof-of-concept efforts for new capabilities.
• Make build-vs-buy decisions and evaluate emerging technologies for strategic adoption.
• Oversee the design, development, and maintenance of enterprise web applications using the MERN stack, Next.js, and NestJS.
• Drive containerization strategies using Docker and orchestrate production workloads with Kubernetes.
• Collaborate with DevOps and platform teams to design robust CI/CD pipelines, observability, and infrastructure-as-code practices.
• Ensure applications meet non-functional requirements including performance, scalability, security, and accessibility.
• Own technical debt management and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Benefits

• bonuses
• flexible benefits
• competitive compensation
• commissions
• 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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed