Senior Manager, AI Engineering Operations in Toronto

Fairstone Bank and its family of brands are united in delivering innovative, accessible and reliable financial solutions that enable Canadians to reach their goals. Together, we are the leading alternative lending bank in Canada, offering a diverse suite of products including residential and commercial mortgages, consumer deposits and GICs, credit cards, retail and automobile financing, personal loans, and digital lending.

The Senior Manager of AI Engineering Operations is a strategic and hands-on role responsible for overseeing the deployment, integration, and ongoing operational management of AI technologies across the organization. This role blends technical insight with strong operational management to ensure AI systems run efficiently, remain aligned with evolving business goals, and consistently meet compliance and ethical standards.

The main goal is to create scalable and highly reliable software systems to support AI development and production operations in a multi-cloud environment. You will guide the full lifecycle of AI initiatives—from initial deployment through optimization and continuous improvement—and work cross-functionally to ensure AI capabilities deliver measurable business value.

Operational Strategy & Governance

• Develop and execute operational strategies for managing and enhancing enterprise AI systems.
• Establish frameworks, best practices, and governance models to ensure consistent, ethical, and compliant AI operations.
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with AI deployment, model behavior, and system dependencies.
• Ensure AI systems comply with evolving policies and guidelines.

AI System Management

• Oversee installation, configuration, maintenance, and performance optimization of AI models and applications.
• Manage the rollout of AI system updates, model retraining cycles, and platform upgrades.
• Ensure high availability, reliability, and scalability of AI systems across business units.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with IT, data science, engineering, cybersecurity, compliance, data governance and business stakeholders to ensure seamless AI integration.
• Collaborate with the AI Business Strategy team to estimate, track and expand business value.
• Coordinate with data teams to ensure proper data pipelines, quality standards, and infrastructure readiness.
• Partner with business leaders to align AI capabilities with organizational goals and operational needs.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and mentor cross-functional teams involved in AI operations, engineering, and support.
• Champion adoption of AI operational best practices across the organization.
• Foster a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and responsible AI use.

Key Success Metrics

• Production model uptime and reliability.
• Time to deploy and rollback models.
• Reduction in model incidents and failures.

What we’re looking for:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 5-7 years of proven experience managing complex systems or large-scale operations in a corporate environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of AI trends, industry leading practices and pitfalls.
• Deep understanding of AI/ML models, deployment pipelines, monitoring tools, and operational infrastructure.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms, MLOps workflows, data engineering practices, and system integration.
• Demonstrated leadership ability with experience managing multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to juggle multiple priorities and deliver results.
• Excellent communication skills with an ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams.
• Strong stakeholder management capabilities and a strategic mindset.

What you’ll love about working here:

• Award-Winning Culture: Recognized as a Great Place to Work Canada 2025 and one of Montreal’s Top Employers 2025.
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy flexibility with our hybrid work model designed to support your lifestyle.
• Time to Recharge: Generous vacation based on your role, statutory holidays, plus 6 wellness days.
• Compensation Package: Competitive base salary plus an annual incentive bonus tied to performance.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Robust health and dental coverage, as well as virtual healthcare.
• Future-Ready Savings: Group Retirement Savings Plan with up to 7% employer match.
• Exclusive Perks: Discounts from top retailers and location-based perks.
• On-Site Fitness: Gym access at our London and Montreal offices.
• Continuous Growth: Education Assistance Program and Fairstone Academy for training and skill development.
• Family Support: Parental leave top-up program.
• Community Impact: One paid volunteer day to give back to causes that matter to you.

Expected base salary range: $130,000 - $140,000, plus the opportunity to earn an annual incentive bonus tied to performance.

All candidates considered for hire must successfully pass a criminal background check, credit check, and validation of their work experience to qualify for hire. Fairstone is an equal opportunity employer and will make reasonable accommodations to respond to the needs of people with disabilities.