Director, AI Delivery & Portfolio Management – Global Payments Technology

Job Description

What is the Opportunity?

RBC's Global Payments Technology organization is modernizing international payments infrastructure across real-time payments, cross-border transactions, debit cards, ACH, and emerging payment channels. We're now scaling AI capabilities to enhance fraud detection, optimize payment routing, improve transaction monitoring, and drive operational efficiency across our global payments ecosystem.

We're seeking an exceptional delivery leader to orchestrate multiple large AI programs within Global Payments Technology while establishing AI-native delivery practices that respect the security, compliance, and reliability demands of mission-critical payments systems.

As Director, AI Delivery & Portfolio Management – Global Payments Technology, you will lead a strategic portfolio of AI initiatives across research, engineering, platform, and business teams. You will drive alignment across complex programs, champion modern AI delivery methodologies, and ensure program management evolves to embrace AI's iterative nature while maintaining stringent operational and regulatory standards.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Program Delivery, you will own end-to-end delivery accountability for this strategic AI portfolio while establishing AI SDLC standards that shape how RBC delivers AI solutions for payments at scale.

What will you do?

Program & Portfolio Leadership

• Lead delivery on multiple concurrent AI initiatives focused on payments innovation (fraud detection, payment routing optimization, transaction monitoring, operational efficiency) with high complexity, uncertainty, and strategic value

• Manage portfolio-level roadmaps, dependencies, and resource allocation across payments-focused AI programs

• Own end-to-end delivery accountability from planning through production deployment and value realization for each initiative, ensuring seamless integration with RBC's global payments infrastructure

• Develop and maintain program roadmaps, milestones, dependency plans, and execution strategies aligned with business objectives and approved timelines, budgets, and scope

• Coordinate activities across AI Research, AI Solutions Engineering, platform teams, payments operations, governance partners, and business stakeholders across international payments, debit cards, ACH, RTR, and payment channel teams

Payments Domain Expertise & AI SDLC Development

• Maintain strong understanding of Global Payments Technology domain: international payments flows, debit card processing, ACH, Real-Time Payments (RTR/FedNow), SWIFT, cross-border settlement, and emerging payment channels

• Champion the evolution and operationalization of AI-native software development lifecycle practices tailored to payments systems, where reliability, security, and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable

• Establish standards and processes that reflect the unique characteristics of AI development in payments (model development, experimentation, data pipelines, validation, monitoring, fraud pattern evolution)

• Influence engineering teams and stakeholders toward adoption of modern AI delivery practices including continuous training, model governance, MLOps, production monitoring, and explainability requirements critical to payments

• Balance traditional delivery discipline with the iterative, experimental nature of AI development; advise teams on risk-based approaches to AI model validation and deployment in payments contexts

• Drive knowledge sharing across programs on AI SDLC best practices, payments-specific lessons learned, and regulatory considerations

Cross-Functional Team Leadership

• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement across diverse technical teams (data scientists, ML engineers, platform engineers, payments domain experts, infrastructure teams, and business partners)

• Build trusted relationships across business, engineering, platform, payments operations, compliance, and governance functions; serve as the primary delivery point of contact for senior stakeholders

• Lead large cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders across business and technology organizations within Global Payments Technology

• Coach delivery leads and team members on program management best practices tailored to AI initiatives in payments; share payments domain knowledge across delivery teams

• Work effectively with Global Payments business partners, payment network providers (networks, central banks, regulators), and third-party payment solution providers

Delivery Execution & Governance

• Establish effective governance processes including status reviews, risk management, issue resolution, and executive reporting that account for payments-specific compliance and operational requirements

• Monitor initiative health through delivery metrics, OKRs, KPIs, and operational dashboards; maintain performance visibility and accountability

• Identify and proactively resolve delivery bottlenecks, technical dependencies, organizational challenges, and AI-specific risks (model performance, data quality, fairness, regulatory compliance, payment accuracy, fraud evolution)

• Anticipate and quantify tactical, operational, and strategic risks specific to payments (transaction volume spikes, regulatory changes, network disruptions); apply risk-based approaches to forecasting and mitigation

• Manage program-level communications including status reports, executive updates, steering committee materials, and regulatory/compliance reporting as required

• Ensure delivery teams maintain rigorous quality assurance and testing standards appropriate to mission-critical payments systems

Technical Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Develop strong understanding of AI solution architecture for payments, data ecosystems, platform capabilities, and operational requirements supporting payments initiatives

• Partner with engineering leaders, architects, product teams, payments domain experts, data governance partners, and compliance teams to understand technical requirements, constraints, and delivery dependencies

• Translate technical AI concepts into clear business language and payments-specific business requirements into actionable delivery plans

• Balance business priorities, technical quality, delivery timelines, and payments-specific considerations (security, compliance, SLA requirements) when supporting implementation decisions

• Manage stakeholder expectations through transparent communication and proactive management of complex, high-pressure situations inherent in payments technology

• Ensure technical risks are identified, communicated, and mitigated throughout the delivery lifecycle, with particular attention to payments system stability and data security

Resource, Risk & Financial Management

• Manage initiative budgets, forecasts, resource plans, and vendor engagements across the payments AI portfolio

• Ensure effective utilization of resources while balancing delivery commitments and organizational priorities

• Track financial performance and value realization against approved business cases; drive ROI visibility and accountability

• Identify, communicate, and mitigate risks impacting timelines, scope, quality, or business outcomes, including payments-specific operational and regulatory risks

• Drive timely issue resolution and escalation management; facilitate decision-making to maintain delivery momentum while protecting payment system integrity

What do you need to succeed?

Must have

• 10+ years of experience managing large and complex transformation programs or technology initiatives

• Strong understanding of payments domain (international payments, debit cards, ACH, RTR, cross-border settlement, or related payment channels) OR proven ability to quickly master complex domain requirements

• Strong understanding of AI/ML software delivery lifecycle, Agile methodologi