Research Director, Machine Learning

Royal Bank of Canada•Toronto, ON

1d•Onsite

About The Position

RBC Borealis is looking for an experienced Director to lead a team of machine learning researchers and research engineers delivering cutting-edge applied AI solutions for the financial services industry. As a Director of Machine Learning Research, you'll provide strategic leadership and direction to drive the effectiveness of your team, enabling them to deliver high-value business outcomes through advanced machine learning, statistical modeling, and data-driven innovation. You'll be part of a collaborative organization working directly with leading researchers in machine learning, with access to rich and massive datasets and computational resources that support cutting-edge ML R&D.

Requirements

A Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Machine Learning, or a related technical field.
10+ years of experience leading high-impact machine learning solutions in a product-centric environment.
5+ years of experience managing high-performing teams of researchers, data scientists, and engineers.
Proven expertise across the research and development lifecycle, from prototyping to production, with strong ability to engage stakeholders.
Deep expertise in machine learning, statistics, and data science with experience in optimization, A/B testing, and causal inference.
A history of high-quality academic publications at top-tier conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, etc.).
Exceptional communication skills and ability to translate complex concepts to diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

Develop and productize innovative machine learning approaches and novel intellectual property, driving business impact through applied research in optimization, causal inference, and advanced statistical methods.
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 machine learning solutions that meet business needs, working closely with stakeholders to understand requirements and develop effective solutions.
Provide technical leadership and scientific guidance to applied research projects, collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive innovation in areas such as A/B testing, causal inference, model optimization, and performance trade-offs.
Establish RBC Borealis as a thought leader in applied machine learning research, contributing to the company's reputation through publications, talks, and industry engagement.