Vice President of Research & Development (AI)

TL;DR

Vice President of Research & Development (AI): Driving the AI-centric transformation of the core product suite and evolving a large engineering organization with an accent on balancing next-generation platform execution with operational stability. Focus on implementing AI-assisted development practices, managing R&D P&L, and leading a cultural shift toward pragmatic innovation.

Location: Remote (must be based in Canada or the US). Travel is required (approximately 50%) to Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean.

Salary: $91,000 - $141,000 USD / $130,000 - $200,000 CAD

Company

Cayenta, a division of hirify.global, is a leading provider of enterprise resource management solutions for local government, utility, and financial industries.

What you will do

• Own the corporate AI mandate, translating AI capabilities into measurable P&L impact and revenue-generating initiatives.
• Accelerate the CayentaOne roadmap by implementing AI-assisted development (AI-DLC) to modernize the legacy stack.
• Serve as the key technical advisor to the EVP and GM, aligning technology initiatives with executive decision-making.
• Manage the entire R&D P&L, balancing budgets between market features, technical debt, and strategic AI investments.
• Lead and mentor a 70-person organization, fostering a culture of pragmatic innovation and accountability.

Requirements

• Proven track record as a technology partner with experience moving AI initiatives from ideation to production with P&L impact.
• Deep experience leading the multi-year modernization of mature, revenue-generating enterprise software products.
• Must be based in Canada or the US.
• Must hold a valid passport and be legally eligible to travel internationally (Canada, USA, Caribbean).
• High emotional intelligence (EQ) and success in re-energizing change-resistant engineering cultures.
• Strong financial acumen and experience running R&D with P&L discipline.

Culture & Benefits

• Remote work flexibility.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits from the first day.
• Employee stock ownership and RRSP/401k matching programs.
• 3 weeks’ vacation and 5 personal days.
• Lifestyle rewards.