“We’re thrilled to bring on a Director of Engineering who will be pivotal in optimizing AI workflows and aligning technical strategy with our mission. I look forward to seeing their leadership drive innovation and elevate our cross-functional teams to deliver cutting-edge AI solutions.“

• Steph Enders, Chief Delivery Officer

About the Role
The Director of Engineering leads the technical direction of infrastructure and internal systems that power Amii’s machine learning (ML) research and applied AI projects. The Director is crucial in optimizing AI workflows, managing critical systems, and coaching engineering talent to ensure excellence across teams. By collaborating with cross-functional teams, you align technical solutions with organizational priorities, providing secure, scalable infrastructure that drives innovation and AI productivity.

The Director of Engineering is responsible for developing and implementing scalable infrastructure solutions, optimizing AI workflows, and fostering technical talent. This position ensures that the engineering team operates with peak efficiency, addressing high-performance computing challenges while mentoring and growing internal talent.

The role focuses on achieving excellence in four principal accountabilities:

• Infrastructure and Systems Management
• Computing Strategy & Vision Alignment
• AI Workflow Optimization
• Technical Coaching and Training

Required Skills / Expertise
Key Responsibilities:
Infrastructure and Systems Management

• Oversees the planning, building, and maintenance of secure and reliable software infrastructure required for high-performance ML computing, including GPU/TPU allocation and cloud services integration
• Defines and leads comprehensive monitoring, logging, and alerting systems to detect anomalies and maintain infrastructure performance
• Defines and leads relevant performance metrics that detect real-time anomalies and establish alerting mechanisms
• Leads compliance with cybersecurity protocols and collaborates with the Director of IT to align infrastructure strategy with organizational security goals

Computing Strategy & Vision Alignment

• Develops and implements a forward-looking computing strategy that aligns with Amii’s mission, ensuring that infrastructure and systems support the organization's long-term goals
• Collaborates with leadership to ensure that engineering projects and infrastructure investments align with the organization's strategic objectives, including research excellence and applied AI delivery
• Continuously reviews emerging technologies and industry trends to keep Amii's computing strategy innovative and future-ready
• Collaborates with academic institutions, service providers and stakeholders to align cross-functional computing plans and initiatives

AI Workflow Optimization

• Designs and implements automated pipelines to streamline the AI development lifecycle, from data ingestion to model deployment, ensuring system reliability and efficiency
• Guide the selection, development, and integration of tools to optimize AI models and ML workflows
• Collaborates with ML scientists to continuously improve model performance while optimizing computing resources

Technical Coaching and Training

• Leads technical training initiatives and develops strategies for building internal expertise in AI infrastructure and tool adoption
• Act as a mentor to engineers and ML scientists, promoting best practices in software development, infrastructure management, and ML engineering
• Leads development of one-to-many training assets to support skills development by academic researchers and graduate-level students
• Leads efforts on both open and closed-source software to amplify our research and application efforts

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Machine Learning or related field with relevant experience in Machine Learning
• 7+ years of experience in machine learning engineering practice or research in a fast-paced, innovative environment
• 5+ years of demonstrated experience in Python programming, MLOps infrastructure (eg. Pytorch, Tensorflow, distributed LLM pre-training), systems administration or software development roles in a UNIX/Linux or large-scale high-performance computing environment (experience working with GPUs preferred), and in associated cloud computing commercial systems
• 3+ years of supervisory experience (nice to have)
• Experience with and passion for designing effective learning exercises, illustrations of technical concepts, training and evaluation tools
• Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to prioritize and meet project deadlines
• Inquisitive, interested in and able to test new educational tools and technologies

Attributes and Expectations:

• Advanced critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Strong interpersonal communication skills for effective interactions with internal departments and external stakeholders. Operates with the highest standards of integrity and trust.
• Successfully manages multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrates professional maturity, resourcefulness and self-discipline in engaging in the pursuit of the organization’s goals.
• Demonstrates presence, self-confidence, sound judgment, and superior problem-solving ability
• A motivated leader who demonstrates individual drive and an uncompromising desire to achieve exceptional results
• Promotes high-level cross-functional collaboration and establishes credibility while influencing peers to achieve common goals

What you'll love about us

• A professional yet casual work environment that encourages the growth and development of your skills.
• Participate in professional development activities
• Gain access to the Amii community and events
• A chance to learn from amazing teammates who support one another to succeed.
• Competitive compensation, including paid time off and flexible health benefits.
• A modern office located in downtown Edmonton, Alberta.

About Amii
One of Canada’s three main institutes for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, our world-renowned researchers drive fundamental and applied research at the University of Alberta (and other academic institutions), training some of the world’s top scientific talent. Our cross-functional teams work collaboratively with Alberta-based businesses and organizations to build AI capacity and translate scientific advancement into industry adoption and economic impact.
How to Apply
We’re excited to add a new member to the Amii team for this role! We are keeping the door open to new applicants until we find the right fit. When sending your application, please send your resume and cover letter indicating why you think you'd be a fit for Amii. In your cover letter, please include one professional accomplishment you are most proud of and why.

Applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada at the time of application.

Amii is an equal opportunity employer and values a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability. Accommodations for disability-related needs throughout the recruitment and selection process are available upon request. Any information provided by you for accommodations will be kept confidential and won’t be used in the selection process.