Principal AI Engineer (AI)

Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; hybrid work with the option to work from home or the office according to business and client needs. Other locations: Toronto, Ontario; hirify.global Waterloo King.

Salary: CAD 100,000–143,000 per year, plus eligibility for discretionary incentive plans.

Company

hirify.global is an established insurance and financial services company founded in Canada, serving clients through offices and operations in key markets worldwide.

What you will do

• Partner with and guide the Enterprise Architect on solutions aligned with the platform capabilities roadmap.
• Define the technical vision and strategy for AI/ML initiatives and establish technical standards for excellence, security, and operational quality.
• Design, deploy, and manage AWS API infrastructure, cloud capabilities, infrastructure automation, and infrastructure-as-code practices.
• Create and maintain technical design artifacts covering application functionality, solution designs, data models, interfaces, and integrations.
• Own deployment strategy, CI/CD practices, model versioning, DevOps automation, and scalable production delivery.
• Mentor engineering squad members, collaborate across teams, evaluate emerging technologies, and provide post-production troubleshooting and performance optimization.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of engineering experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a relevant field.
• Extensive experience designing and deploying AI/ML architectures with GenAI models, agentic systems, RAG techniques, and production-scale patterns.
• Deep architectural expertise with Python, Java, and AWS services, including hands-on design of scalable solutions.
• Advanced expertise in AI/ML architecture patterns, model lifecycle management, and production-scale deployment strategies.
• Strong AWS and cloud infrastructure expertise, plus proficiency in API development and management.
• Advanced proficiency with DevOps practices, deployment automation, CI/CD pipelines, containerization, and orchestration technologies at scale.
• Ability to establish technical standards for AI/ML infrastructure, security, and operational excellence.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, stakeholder-influence, analytical, problem-solving, and risk-assessment skills, with demonstrated AI/ML thought leadership.
• Leadership experience guiding agile teams across multiple locations and coaching junior engineers in an Agile setting.
• Commitment to a collaborative, transparent, and trust-based team culture.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid work flexibility based on business, client, and individual needs.
• Wellness programs supporting mental, physical, and financial health.
• Multiple career paths and networking opportunities.
• Inclusive workplace focused on diversity, employee well-being, and mental health.