Lead AI Platform Engineer

Position Description:

Work model: Hybrid, minimum 2 days onsite

Based in Montreal, we have been helping Canadian entrepreneurs manage their small and medium-sized businesses for more than 40 years. We provide all-in-one cloud solutions that simplify payroll and human capital management. Join our dynamic team and help contribute to the success of Canadian businesses.

CGI’s Payroll Services Centre (PSC) is continuing to integrate artificial intelligence across its products and operations. As part of a close-knit organization, our approach is iterative, secure and value-driven, with a focus on delivering robust, fit-for-purpose solutions rather than large-scale transformation programs.

In this context, the PSC is creating a new Lead AI Platform Engineer position. The role will be responsible for structuring and evolving our AI capabilities, both on-premises and in the cloud, while contributing to the delivery of concrete AI use cases in collaboration with IT, Data and Architecture teams.

What we offer

• Numerous career development opportunities supported by a professional development plan

• Easy access to public transportation and nearby parking options

• Rewarding relationships with clients who consistently report a high level of satisfaction

• A work environment recognized as one of the best in the country and certified as a Great Place to Work

Role Summary

The Lead AI Platform Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing and evolving a pragmatic, scalable and production-ready AI platform.

The successful candidate will act as the technical owner of the AI platform, with responsibility for architecture decisions, integrations, security, performance, cost management and reliability.

The role combines architecture, integration and production deployment responsibilities, with a strong operational and hands-on technical focus.

We are looking for a versatile professional who can work across the full lifecycle:

Design → Development → Integration → Deployment → Team Support

Roles and Responsibilities AI Platform and Standards – Implementation and Evolution

• Design, deploy and maintain AI platform components, including inference services, project templates, internal libraries and reusable components.

• Establish pragmatic standards, including conventions, documentation, best practices, and quality and security requirements.

• Ensure operational stability through logging, monitoring, version management, access management and secrets management.

• Define operational requirements and transition solutions to IT support teams in accordance with established processes. End-to-End Delivery of AI Use Cases

• Prototype and industrialize high-value AI use cases, such as assistants, document search, information extraction, classification and automation.

• Build production-oriented solutions focused on performance, reliability, maintainability and traceability.

• Work closely with stakeholders to define requirements, prioritize initiatives and deliver solutions incrementally. Integration and Operation of Cloud AI Services

• Integrate the AI platform and applications with cloud-based AI services such as Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, Azure AI Services or equivalent technologies.

• Design secure and compliant integrations, including access control, data protection and internal compliance requirements.

• Monitor and optimize usage costs through model selection, caching strategies, quotas and integration best practices. Autonomy, Technical Leadership and Coaching

• Work independently on high-impact initiatives delivered through an iterative approach.

• Provide technical leadership and contribute to technology reviews and architectural direction.

• Contribute to the AI roadmap, including platform evolution, automation and new AI use cases, in alignment with organizational capabilities and priorities.

Skills and Qualifications Behavioural Competencies

• Results-oriented, with the ability to deliver effectively in a resource-conscious environment.

• Strong autonomy, rigor and prioritization skills.

• Ability to progressively structure and standardize environments without overengineering.

• Strong communication skills and the ability to explain complex concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Collaborative mindset and ability to work across multiple teams, including IT, Data, Security and Architecture. Technical Qualifications

• Intermediate to senior profile, ideally with 5+ years of experience in software development or engineering, including significant hands-on AI experience in production environments.

• A more junior profile may be considered only if the candidate has already delivered and deployed AI solutions in real-world environments, demonstrates a high level of autonomy, and has a strong ability to learn quickly.

• Advanced proficiency in spoken and written French. English, both spoken and written, is considered an asset.

• Strong expertise in software development and systems integration, including APIs, services and data processing.

• Strong proficiency in Python.

• Practical experience with AI solutions, including significant exposure to several of the following:

  • Large Language Models (LLMs) and API-based integration, such as Azure OpenAI or OpenAI
  • Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), including embeddings, search, vector databases and pipeline design
  • AI production practices, including cost control, abuse prevention, security, testing, versioning, monitoring and performance management
  • Practical DevOps/MLOps knowledge, including CI/CD, containers such as Docker, and basic observability.

• Cloud knowledge, ideally Azure, and experience with hybrid architectures are considered assets.

Additional Assets

• Demonstrated ability to design robust, scalable and secure AI systems.

• Experience with hybrid architectures combining on-premises and cloud environments.

• Strong knowledge of APIs, microservices and containerized environments.

• Kubernetes and orchestration experience.

• Familiarity with search services and vector databases such as pgvector, Azure AI Search, Pinecone or Weaviate.

• Knowledge of applied cybersecurity concepts, including IAM, secrets management, network segmentation and compliance.

• Experience with on-premises infrastructure, including GPU environments where applicable.

Required qualifications to be successful in this role:

CGI is providing a reasonable estimate of the pay range for this role. The determination of this range includes factors such as skill set level, geographic market, experience and training, and licenses and certifications. Compensation decisions depend on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $70,000–$135.000. This role is an existing vacancy

Bilingualism (French and English) is required for this position due to the nature of the role requiring interaction with national and global clients.

Use of the term ‘engineering’ in this job posting refers to the technical sense related to Information Technology (IT) and does not imply that the individual practices engineering or possesses the requisite license as prescribed by the applicable provincial or territorial engineering regulator. We are seeking individuals with expertise in IT engineering-related functions, but licensure from an engineering regulator is not a prerequisite for this position. Engineering is a regulated profession in Canada which is restricted in terms of use of titles and designation.

Skills:

• Analytical Thinking

• Canadian Payr.Legisl. (Quebec)

• Communication

• Customer Service & Support

• French

• Problem Solving

What you can expect from us:

Together, as owners, let’s turn meaningful insights into action.

Life at CGI is rooted in ownership, teamwork, respect and belonging. Here, you’ll reach your full potential because…

You are invited to be an owner from day 1 as we work together to bring our Dream to life. That’s why we call ourselves CGI Partners rather than employees. We benefit from our collective success and actively shape our company’s strategy and direction.

Your work creates value. You’ll develop innovative solutions and build relationships with teammates and clients while accessing global capabilities to scale your ideas, embrace new opportunities, and benefit from expansive industry and technology expertise.

You’ll shape your career by joining a company built to grow and last. You’ll be supported by leaders who care about your health and well-being and provide you with opportunities to deepen your skills and broaden your horizons.

At CGI, we value the strength that diversity brings and are committed to fostering a workplace where everyone belongs. We collaborate with our clients to build more inclusive communities and empower all CGI partners to thrive. As an equal-opportunity employer, being able to perform your best during the recruitment process is important to us. If you require an accommodation, please inform your recruiter.

That same commitment to fairness extends to how we use technology. To support our recruitment team, AI tools may be used to help assess applications though they never replace human judgement. All hiring decisions remain entirely in the hands of our recruitment professionals.

To learn more about accessibility at CGI, contact us via email. Please note that this email is strictly for accessibility requests and cannot be used for application status inquiries.

Come join our team—one of the largest IT and business consulting services firms in the world.