Senior Manager, Generative AI

About Vancity

We’re Vancity, a member‑owned credit union built on the principles of inclusion and social justice. Since 1946, our relentless commitment to these values has helped us challenge the status quo and break down barriers. We’ve made bold commitments to become net‑zero by 2040 across all mortgages and loans, and we’re actively pursuing strategies in Indigenous banking and financial resilience for our members.

We are committed to being a pioneer in Ethical AI. We design and deploy AI systems responsibly—grounded in fairness, transparency, privacy, and human‑centered values—to ensure technology benefits our members, communities, and society at large.

As the largest private‑sector Living Wage Employer in Canada, we’re proud to be consistently recognized as one of the country’s Top Employers. Join a team of 2,300 diverse individuals and access competitive rewards and benefits.

Role Overview

We are establishing a GenAI & Cognitive AI Pod and are seeking a Senior Manager, Generative AI to lead this team. This role is both people‑leader and technical‑leader, responsible for shaping GenAI architecture, driving delivery, and building a high‑performing team. The position is full‑time, permanent, reports to the Director, AI Centre of Excellence, and offers a hybrid work arrangement (head office in Vancouver; candidates in BC and Ontario considered).

Responsibilities

Lead GenAI & Cognitive AI Delivery

• Design, develop, and deploy Generative AI and agentic AI solutions
• Own end‑to‑end delivery of LLM use cases, from feasibility and PoC through production
• Oversee RAG architectures, GenAI APIs, agent orchestration, and cognitive automation patterns
• Build and operationalize experimentation and evaluation frameworks; measure accuracy, benchmark, and continuously improve GenAI, RAG, and agentic AI systems

Architecture & Platform Ownership

• Define and own GenAI reference architectures across Azure and Databricks
• Establish best practices for:
  • Azure OpenAI usage patterns
  • RAG design and vector search
  • Agent frameworks and tool‑calling architectures
  • Secure and responsible GenAI deployment
• Ensure solutions meet enterprise security, privacy, and governance requirements

People & Pod Leadership

• Build and lead the GenAI & Cognitive AI Pod, including GenAI Engineers and Cognitive UX / Conversational Designers
• Provide technical mentorship, coaching, and performance management
• Establish delivery rituals, engineering standards, and a strong culture of learning and accountability

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner with AI leadership, managers, and senior managers to shape the GenAI roadmap
• Translate business needs into scalable GenAI and cognitive automation solutions
• Communicate technical trade‑offs, risks, and recommendations to technical and non‑technical audiences

Requirements

• 9–12 years of experience in AI, ML, data, or software engineering roles
• Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
• 4+ years of hands‑on experience with Generative AI and Agentic AI concepts (LLMs, RAG, AI agents)
• 3+ years of architecture experience designing scalable, cloud‑based AI systems
• 2+ years of experience working with Azure, including Azure AI Foundry or related AI services
• Demonstrated experience deploying AI/ML models into production environments
• Strong knowledge of Generative AI and LLM ecosystems
• Experience with Databricks for data engineering, ML, or GenAI workflows
• Extensive experience with the Microsoft Azure AI ecosystem (Azure AI Services, Azure OpenAI, Copilot Studio)
• Thorough knowledge of RAG, NLP, CLU, conversational AI, and latest Agentic AI architectures
• Familiarity with:
  • RAG pipelines and vector databases
  • Agentic AI patterns (planners, tools, memory, orchestration)
  • CI/CD, MLOps, and cloud‑native deployment practices
• Proven people‑management experience, including coaching and team development
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• Ability to operate in ambiguity and lead through influence
• Results‑oriented mindset with a strong sense of ownership

Preferred Skills

• Experience integrating GenAI solutions with Robotic Process Automation (RPA) or automation platforms
• Knowledge of Responsible AI, model risk management, or AI governance
• Experience working within an AI Centre of Excellence or platform team
• Background in applied ML, decision intelligence, or cognitive systems

Desired Traits

• Hands‑On Technical Leader – Define GenAI and agentic AI technical vision, lead architecture decisions, and actively contribute to building, experimenting, and deploying LLM‑based solutions.
• Technically Fluent in Modern AI Platforms – Deep experience with Azure, Databricks, and cloud‑native AI architectures, including GenAI deployment patterns, RAG pipelines, agent frameworks, and production‑grade model lifecycle management.
• Strategic Leader – Partner effectively with engineers, designers, managers, and senior leaders; translate complex GenAI concepts, risks, and trade‑offs into clear, actionable insights that drive decisions and delivery.

We value lived experience; if you are interested in this role, we encourage you to apply even if your skills don’t perfectly align with those listed.

Compensation

• Salary range: $141,100 – $174,300 per annum (base pay may vary based on qualifications, skills, experience, and internal equity)
• Eligibility for annual incentive program, subject to program requirements

Benefits

• Living Wage Employer – Largest private‑sector Living Wage Employer in Canada; consistently ranked among Canada’s Top Employers
• Customizable Benefits – Flexible benefit packages that can be tailored annually to meet evolving needs
• Generous Vacation – 3–4 weeks of vacation per year for new employees, with additional days earned over time
• Extra Statutory Holidays – BC’s 11 statutory holidays plus 2 extra days and care days for personal or family illness
• Immediate Health Coverage – Health and dental benefits start on hire date, with three levels of coverage to choose from
• Defined Benefit Pension – Guaranteed income for life through a defined benefit retirement plan

Inclusion Commitment

Vancity supports an inclusive hiring process for candidates who self‑identify as Indigenous, Black, or Trans. This initiative provides access to career development opportunities, prioritized job screening, and feedback. Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process; please contact the Talent Acquisition team at recruitment@vancity.com for support.