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Senior Data Scientist, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning - Job Opportunity at BMO Financial Group

Toronto, Canada
Full-time
Senior
Posted: July 3, 2025
On-site
CAD 82,800 - 154,800 per year

Benefits

Comprehensive life insurance coverage providing financial security for family members and dependents, positioning BMO as a company that invests in long-term employee welfare
Tuition reimbursement program enabling continuous professional development and advanced education opportunities, demonstrating BMO's commitment to career growth and skill advancement
Health insurance coverage ensuring comprehensive medical care and wellness support
Accident insurance providing additional protection against unforeseen circumstances
Retirement savings plans with employer contributions supporting long-term financial planning and security

Key Responsibilities

Lead the development and implementation of cutting-edge Large Language Models and Machine Learning solutions that directly impact BMO's competitive advantage in financial services, driving innovation in predictive modeling, financial analysis, and risk management across enterprise operations
Spearhead advanced LLM adaptation initiatives including prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), quantization, and low rank adaptation (LoRA) to create custom AI solutions tailored to BMO's specific business context and regulatory requirements
Drive strategic data mining and analysis projects utilizing advanced Machine Learning techniques on large-scale structured and unstructured datasets to extract actionable business insights and develop predictive models that inform executive decision-making
Design and architect agentic AI solutions that fundamentally transform business processes, directly contributing to enhanced operational efficiency and effectiveness while strengthening BMO's balance sheet and risk management capabilities
Champion Responsible AI principles throughout the AI development lifecycle, ensuring ethical AI deployment and compliance with regulatory standards while maintaining BMO's reputation as a trusted financial institution
Collaborate with cross-functional technology teams to successfully productionize and scale AI solutions, ensuring seamless integration with existing systems and measurable business impact
Contribute to AI governance frameworks and strategic initiatives that position BMO as a leader in financial services AI adoption and innovation

Requirements

Education

Undergraduate or Master's degree in Computer Science or Data Science

Experience

2+ years of work experience

Required Skills

strong programming skills in Python ability to critically analyze large amount of data Mathematics, statistics & programming In-depth understanding of large language models In-depth understanding of supervised and unsupervised Machine learning techniques Creative thinking Critical thinking Data visualization Data wrangling Data preprocessing Data driven decision making Effective verbal & written communication skills Analytical and problem-solving skills Ability to influence and work collaboratively Able to manage ambiguity Influence skills Collaboration & team skills; with a focus on cross-group collaboration
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Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

The financial services industry is experiencing unprecedented AI transformation, with major banks investing billions in AI infrastructure and talent to maintain competitive advantage. Large language models are becoming critical for automating complex financial processes, risk assessment, and customer service operations. Regulatory pressure is increasing for responsible AI implementation in financial services, creating demand for professionals who can balance innovation with compliance. Financial institutions are prioritizing AI governance frameworks and ethical AI practices to meet regulatory requirements. The integration of advanced AI techniques like RAG and LoRA in financial services is accelerating, as institutions seek to customize large language models for specific use cases while maintaining data security and regulatory compliance. There is a significant skills shortage in AI talent within financial services, particularly for professionals who understand both advanced machine learning techniques and financial domain expertise, driving up compensation packages and career opportunities.

Salary Evaluation

The salary range of CAD 82,800 - 154,800 is competitive for the Toronto market, representing approximately USD 61,000 - 114,000. This range is appropriate for a senior data scientist role in financial services, though it may be on the conservative side compared to tech companies. The wide range suggests significant variation based on experience and performance, with total compensation likely including substantial bonuses and benefits.

Role Significance

This role likely involves leading a team of 3-5 junior data scientists and analysts, while collaborating with cross-functional teams including technology, risk management, and business stakeholders. The position requires strong mentorship capabilities and the ability to coordinate complex projects across multiple departments.
This is a senior-level position with significant strategic impact, sitting within the Chief Data and Analytics Officer organization for Risk and Finance. The role involves leading AI initiatives that directly affect BMO's competitive position and risk management capabilities, indicating high organizational importance and visibility to executive leadership.

Key Projects

Enterprise-wide AI strategy implementation for risk management and financial analysis Development of custom LLM solutions for regulatory compliance and reporting Creation of agentic AI systems for automated decision-making in credit risk assessment Implementation of advanced analytics platforms for real-time financial monitoring and fraud detection

Success Factors

Deep technical expertise in both traditional machine learning and cutting-edge LLM technologies, combined with the ability to translate complex AI concepts into business value propositions that resonate with financial services stakeholders Strong understanding of financial services regulations and risk management principles, enabling the development of AI solutions that meet strict compliance requirements while delivering business impact Exceptional communication and influence skills to drive AI adoption across traditionally conservative financial services teams, requiring the ability to build trust and demonstrate ROI for AI initiatives Strategic thinking capability to align AI development with BMO's broader digital transformation goals and competitive positioning in the Canadian financial services market

Market Demand

Demand for this role is exceptionally high, as financial institutions are aggressively competing for AI talent to drive digital transformation initiatives. The combination of LLM expertise and financial services experience makes this a highly sought-after position with strong job security and growth prospects.

Important Skills

Critical Skills

In-depth understanding of large language models is absolutely essential as this represents the core technological focus of the role, requiring expertise in transformer architectures, fine-tuning techniques, and deployment strategies for enterprise applications Advanced programming skills in Python are fundamental for implementing complex AI solutions, data processing pipelines, and integration with existing financial systems and databases Strong mathematical and statistical foundation is crucial for developing robust predictive models, understanding model performance metrics, and ensuring statistical validity of AI-driven insights Cross-functional collaboration skills are vital for success in this role, as implementing AI solutions in financial services requires coordination with risk management, compliance, technology, and business teams

Beneficial Skills

Knowledge of cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) would be valuable for scaling AI solutions and leveraging cloud-based AI services Understanding of financial regulations (Basel III, CCAR, IFRS) would enhance the ability to develop compliant AI solutions Experience with MLOps and AI governance frameworks would support the productionization and monitoring of AI systems Familiarity with alternative data sources and unstructured data processing would expand the scope of AI applications in financial services

Unique Aspects

This role offers the rare opportunity to work at the intersection of cutting-edge AI research and practical financial services application, providing exposure to both academic-level research and real-world implementation challenges
The position involves direct collaboration with BMO's Chief Data and Analytics Officer organization, offering exceptional visibility to senior leadership and influence on enterprise-wide AI strategy
Working within the Risk and Finance organization provides deep exposure to regulatory requirements and risk management frameworks that are critical for AI implementation in financial services
The role combines technical depth in LLMs with strategic business impact, offering a unique career path that bridges pure research and business leadership

Career Growth

Career progression to principal or director level typically occurs within 3-5 years for high performers, given the rapid growth in AI leadership demand. Movement to C-suite positions generally requires 7-10 years of progressive experience and demonstrated success in large-scale AI implementations.

Potential Next Roles

Principal Data Scientist or AI Research Lead roles focusing on advanced AI research and development AI Strategy Director positions involving enterprise-wide AI transformation leadership Chief Data Officer or Chief AI Officer roles at mid-size financial institutions Senior consulting roles at major consulting firms specializing in financial services AI transformation

Company Overview

BMO Financial Group

BMO Financial Group is one of Canada's Big Five banks and the eighth-largest bank in North America by assets, with over 200 years of history and operations across Canada and the United States. The bank serves over 12 million customers and has been investing heavily in digital transformation and AI capabilities to maintain its competitive position in the evolving financial services landscape.

BMO holds a strong market position as a systemically important financial institution in Canada, with significant market share in personal and commercial banking, wealth management, and capital markets. The bank is recognized for its conservative risk management approach and has been actively investing in technology modernization to compete with both traditional banks and emerging fintech companies.
This Toronto-based role positions the candidate at the heart of Canada's financial district, providing exposure to BMO's core operations and decision-making processes. Toronto offers access to a vibrant fintech ecosystem and serves as BMO's primary innovation hub for AI and advanced analytics initiatives.
BMO emphasizes a collaborative, inclusive work environment with strong focus on professional development and career growth. The bank has been modernizing its culture to attract top technology talent while maintaining its traditional values of integrity and customer focus. The organization supports work-life balance and offers comprehensive benefits packages competitive with major technology companies.
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