AI Practice Lead

AI Practice Lead

We are seeking a highly experienced AI Practice Lead to spearhead Aequilibrium's (AEQ) AI strategy, establish and oversee the AI Center of Excellence (CoE), and drive innovation across internal and client-facing projects. This role requires a visionary leader with a strong technical background in AI, exceptional client engagement skills, and the ability to align AI initiatives with business objectives.

As a key driver of AEQ's AI transformation, you will lead the development of reusable AI frameworks, deliver high-value AI solutions to clients, and foster an AI-first culture within the organization. You will work closely with financial institutions, fintech vendors, and internal teams to position AEQ as a trusted provider of AI-driven solutions.

Who you are: 

You are a seasoned AI leader with expertise in developing and executing AI strategies, delivering measurable business outcomes, and building high-performing teams. With a deep understanding of AI technologies, governance, and client engagement, you are passionate about driving innovation and creating scalable, ethical, and impactful AI solutions. Your strong leadership and communication skills make you a trusted advisor to clients and a mentor to internal teams. You thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and are excited to shape the future of AI at AEQ.

What you will be doing: 

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute AEQ's AI strategy, ensuring alignment with the company's goals of diversification, innovation, and growth.
• Establish and oversee the AI Center of Excellence (CoE) to drive innovation, scalability, and governance for AI initiatives.
• Collaborate with the executive team to define and achieve financial targets and monitor key metrics, such as the number of paid engagements and pilot success rates.

Client Engagement and Delivery

• Lead client workshops, pre-sales engagements, and AI readiness assessments to identify opportunities for AI integration.
• Provide strategic consulting to clients, helping them define and execute AI initiatives that deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Oversee the development and deployment of high-value AI projects, such as AI-powered chatbots, predictive analytics, and operational efficiency tools.
• Support the creation of reusable AI frameworks and accelerators to streamline client project delivery and reduce costs.

Internal Contributions

• Foster an AI-first culture within AEQ by leading internal training programs, workshops, and initiatives to upskill employees in AI tools and techniques.
• Drive internal AI adoption by identifying and executing pilot projects with clear business impact (e.g., HR analytics, project tracking).
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate AI into AEQ's existing solutions and processes, enhancing operational efficiency and innovation.

Team Building and Development

• Hire, mentor, and manage a team of AI specialists, including data scientists, AI engineers, and ethics specialists, to build a robust AI practice.
• Partner with universities and training programs to establish an AI talent pipeline through internships and fellowships.
• Develop and implement an onboarding curriculum for new hires to align them with AEQ's AI-supported development practices.

Thought Leadership and Marketing

• Position AEQ as a thought leader in AI by contributing to webinars, case studies, and blog posts that showcase AEQ's expertise and success stories.
• Represent AEQ at industry events, such as WCUC and AI World Summit, to promote the company's AI capabilities and attract new clients.
• Collaborate with the marketing team to develop promotional materials, including brochures, pitch decks, and targeted campaigns.

Qualifications & Requirements: 

Must-Have:

• 8+ years of experience in AI, data science, or related fields, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Proven track record of successfully delivering AI-driven solutions that generate measurable business value.
• Proven experience working for tech professional services companies. Consultative, able to come up with tailored solutions to meet customer needs. Strong client engagement skills, with the ability to lead workshops, present to executives, and build long-term client relationships.
• Deep understanding of AI technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, predictive analytics, and generative AI.
• Strong understanding of natural language processing (NLP) techniques and tools, including transformers, embeddings, and tokenization.
• Familiarity with LLM frameworks and APIs, such as OpenAI, Hugging Face, or Google AI.
• Proficiency in AI tools and platforms, such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or similar frameworks.
• Skilled in fine-tuning, deploying, and integrating LLMs into enterprise solutions to deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Hands-on experience with Large Language Models (LLMs), such as OpenAI’s GPT, Google’s Bard, or similar, and understanding their applications, limitations, and ethical considerations.
• Deep understanding of generative AI models, including their architecture, training, and deployment (e.g., GPT, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion).
• Experience in fine-tuning and customizing generative AI models for specific business use cases, such as content generation, customer engagement, or operational efficiency.
• Proficiency in building scalable data pipelines and infrastructure to support AI initiatives.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and tools like Kubernetes, Docker, and Terraform for deploying AI solutions.
• Strong predictive modeling and analytics skills, particularly for financial services (e.g., credit risk analysis and customer behavior prediction).
• Ability to leverage AI for strategic planning and decision-making through actionable insights.
• Familiarity with AI governance, ethical AI practices, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong data infrastructure knowledge, including data pipelines, cloud platforms, and big data technologies.
• Exceptional leadership and communication skills, with the ability to inspire and align cross-functional teams.
• Ability to engage with C-level executives, clients, and internal teams to align AI initiatives with business objectives.
• Strong communication skills to articulate complex AI concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Nice to Have:

• Experience in financial services, education, or digital transformation industries.
• Knowledge of AI applications in financial services, such as credit risk analysis, customer behavior prediction, and operational efficiency.
• Experience in developing LLM-powered chatbots, summarization tools, or content generation systems.
• Knowledge of ethical considerations and governance frameworks for LLMs, including bias mitigation and data privacy.
• Experience delivering AI projects in agile environments, ensuring scalability and adaptability to changing client needs.
• Familiarity with MVP (Minimum Viable Product) approaches to demonstrate quick wins and secure buy-in.
• Familiarity with digital banking platforms (e.g., Backbase, EbankIT, Veripark) and their integration with AI solutions.

About Aequilibrium

Aequilibrium is a Canadian award-winning technology consulting and implementation services company frequently ranked as one of the Top Five Digital Agencies, Fastest-Growing Tech Companies, Top Exporter, and Best Companies to Work for in BC. We help progressive companies become more resilient, differentiate, and grow. We enrich people's lives by crafting remarkable experiences, balancing Human & Digital, Experience & Tech, Craftsmanship & Speed. Winner of multiple VancouverUX awards for digital product design, Aequilibrium provides full-stack Digital Transformation services: Strategy, Experience Design, and Tech. Our Innovation business unit uses VR, AI, and the Cloud to craft immersive and personalized experiences for collaboration, education, and training. We are remote-first and focus on high-quality delivery by our employees. We welcome clients (https://aequilibrium.com/) and job applications (https://aequilibrium.com/careers/) from candidates worldwide.

Location:
This position is 100% remote; however, only candidates based in Canada and with Canadian Citizenship or PR will be considered. 

Salary:
The salary range for this position is $125,000 to $175,000 CAD per annum. Salary offered will be based on skills, experience and geographical market rates. 

Some of Our Benefits

• Fully remote work
• Competitive compensation rates
• 4 weeks of paid vacation (for employees only)
• 5 paid sick days (for employees only)
• 4 weeks sabbatical leave after three consecutive years of service (for employees only)
• Fully paid extended health benefits
• Bonus programs 
• Training and career development opportunities
• Regular in-person social events for employees/contractors based in/around Vancouver, BC, or Toronto, ON.

Please note 

At Aequilibrium, we seek candidates who will contribute to our culture of valuing, respecting, supporting, and caring for each other. Diversity of thought and perspectives is critical to our success, and all applicants are considered regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, colour, age, disability, marital status, heritage, or religious or political beliefs.

Aequilibrium is trusted with highly sensitive information. Upon joining our team, you may be asked to undergo security screenings, including a criminal record check.

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