Senior Director, Data Architecture & AI – RFA Bank of Canada
Date: May 27, 2026
Location: Toronto
Company: RFA Bank of Canada
Job Type: Permanent
Closing Date: June 12, 2026
About RFA
Founded in 1996, RFA (Realty Financial Advisors) is a leading Canadian-owned real estate firm. Through RFA Bank of Canada and RFA Mortgage Corporation, RFA offers mortgage brokers a complete range of Prime and Alternative mortgage solutions.
RFA Bank of Canada, a division of RFA (Realty Financial Advisors), is a federally regulated Schedule I Bank. Our goal is to be a long-term leader in the residential lending market by offering more than just competitive rates and compensation. At RFA Bank of Canada, we focus on delivering a unique value proposition in the Alternative mortgage space, committed to innovation and exceptional service to meet a diverse range of borrower needs.
The Opportunity
We’re looking to fill a Senior Director, Data Architecture & AI position at RFA Bank of Canada!
The Senior Director, Data Architecture & AI is a senior leadership role responsible for defining and executing the Bank’s Data and AI strategy. This role partners closely with business and technology leaders to build a modern, data driven, and engineering focused capability that enables advanced analytics and AI solutions. These solutions support personalized customer experiences, strengthen decision making, and improve operational efficiency across the Bank.
The Senior Director leads a team accountable for the operational reliability, governance, and full lifecycle management of the Bank’s data, AI, and Large Language Model (LLM) platforms. The role drives enterprise wide adoption of data and AI practices to enhance internal productivity and transform core business processes. As a key contributor to the Bank’s broader AI strategy, this leader provides thought leadership in data architecture, infrastructure, and technology enablement.
Success in this role requires a strong blend of technical depth, strategic vision, and the ability to influence and align cross functional teams in delivering secure, scalable, and modern data and AI enabled financial services platforms.
Core Responsibilities
As the Senior Director, Data Architecture & AI, you will:Data Strategy & Architecture:
- Responsible for defining and governing the enterprise wide data strategy to support business growth, digital transformation, analytics, AI, and regulatory requirements.
- Define and own the enterprise data architecture implementation vision, principles, capability model, and roadmap.
- Lead current-state assessments of data architecture, platforms, governance, and operating models to identify gaps, risks, and transformation opportunities.
- Provide clear architectural direction that balances innovation, resilience, security, and cost efficiency across the enterprise.
- Act as a trusted authority on how data architecture enables revenue, efficiency, and risk reduction.
- Advise leadership on data investment decisions, trade offs, and long term implications.
AI Strategy:
- Contribute to development of the enterprise AI strategy and ensure its successful implementation across the organization.
- Serve as the principal thought leader, for building, maintaining, and leading the AI Center of Excellence (COE).
- Collaborate actively with Application Development, Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity Teams to ensure all models and guardrails meet corporate standards and compliance requirements.
Data Governance:
- Ensure alignment between data governance, model risk, and AI governance requirements, including controls over critical and high risk data elements.
- Partner with Information Security to ensure data handling aligns with security, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
- Leads the development, preparation, and execution of governance and performance materials.
- Collaborates with relevant concerned parties to ensure data integrity of operations data within applicable databases for assigned account.
Data Quality & Controls:
- Define and monitor data quality metrics, thresholds, and remediation processes for critical data domains.
- Ensure data issues that may impact risk, regulatory reporting, or decision making are identified, tracked, and escalated appropriately.
- Support internal and external audits by providing evidence of data governance controls and reporting integrity.
People Management:
- Motivate and coach team members to assist them in exceeding their objectives.
- Develop staffing plans anticipating short-, medium- and long-term needs.
- Lead and participate in annual performance reviews, addressing areas of strength and improvement.
What You’ll Need to Succeed
- Bachelor’s degree in information systems, Computer Science, Data Management, or related field
- 7–10 years of progressive experience in Data Strategy, Data Architecture design, BI, Analytics, or Data Management
- Hands on understanding of analytics, cloud data platforms, and data governance
- Experience in evaluating and implementing AI tools, platforms in regulated financial institutes
- 3+ years in a people leadership or senior individual contributor role
- Strong experience with:
- Data governance frameworks and operating models
- Enterprise BI platforms (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, or similar)
- Data warehousing and reporting architectures
- Data quality management and controls
- Experience in financial services or regulated environments is strongly preferred
Our Values and What We Offer at RFA
At RFA, we live by our core values. These values guide our daily actions and shape our work culture:
- Accountability: You take ownership of your work & its consequences. You always consider risk & make informed decisions.
- Selflessness: You share info & teach others. You’re able to put your ego aside & understand that the best idea wins.
- Inclusivity: You value differing viewpoints & experiences. You understand how this can drive growth & innovation.
- Innovation: You seek opportunity & embrace change. You see tech as a way to enhance productivity & drive profitability.
- Courage: You make tough decisions in our best interest. You see opportunity when faced with challenge or adversity.
- Impact: You value results & your contributions. You rise to the occasion and never settle for sub-par.
- Performance: You embody a competitive spirit, desire to win and strive for executional excellence.
Along with a strong work culture, RFA offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:
- Health & Dental Care
- Vision Care
- RRSP Match
- Health & Wellness Spend
- Vacation & Personal Days
- Hybrid working environment
Ready to take the next step?
If this opportunity excites you and aligns with your skills and aspirations, we’d love to hear about how you can contribute to our team at RFA.
Accessibility
Accommodation is available upon request for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you are contacted for a job opportunity, please advise us of any accommodations needed to ensure you have access to a fair and equitable process. Any information received relating to accommodation will be addressed confidentially.
