Director of AI - Toronto - Apply Digital

Description

ABOUT APPLY DIGITAL

Apply Digital is a global experience transformation partner. We drive AI-powered change and measurable impact across complex, multi-brand ecosystems. Leveraging expertise that spans across the customer experience lifecycle from strategy, design to engineering and beyond, we enable our clients to modernize their organizations and maximize value for their business and customers.

Our 750+ team members have helped transform global companies like Kraft Heinz, NFL, Moderna, Lululemon, Dropbox, Atlassian, A+E Networks, and The Very Group.

Apply Digital was founded in 2016 in Vancouver, Canada. In the past nine years, we have grown to ten cities across North America, South America, the UK, Europe, and India.

At Apply Digital, we believe in the "One Team" approach, where we operate within a 'pod' structure. Each pod brings together senior leadership, subject matter experts, and cross-functional skill sets, all working within a common tech and delivery framework. This structure is underpinned by well-oiled scrum and sprint cadences, keeping teams in step to release often and retrospectives to ensure we progress toward the desired outcomes.

Wherever we work in the world, we envision Apply Digital as a safe, empowered, respectful and fun community for people, every single day. Together, we work to embody our SHAPE (smart, humble, active, positive, and excellent) values and make Apply Digital a space for our team to connect, grow, and support each other to make a difference.

Visit our Careers page to learn how we can unlock your potential.

LOCATION

Apply Digital is hybrid/remote friendly. The preferred candidate should be based in either the Greater Toronto Area or the Greater Vancouver Area of Canada, working in hours that align to ET (Eastern Timezone) or PT (Pacific Timezone).

THE ROLE

Are you experienced in applying AI and data science to complex, real-world business problems? Do you enjoy working closely with clients and delivery teams to design AI solutions that are robust, scalable, and aligned with enterprise requirements? Are you motivated by helping organizations responsibly adopt modern technologies, including large language models, in production environments?

Apply Digital is seeking a Director of AI (Artificial Intelligence) to serve as a senior AI, LLM, and Data Science Subject Matter Expert across client engagements. In this role, you will guide the design and implementation of AI-enabled solutions, working closely with engineering, data, product, and consulting teams to ensure AI initiatives are technically sound, operationally viable, and aligned with business objectives.

This role is client-facing and delivery-focused, supporting AI initiatives from early assessment through implementation and scale. You will contribute hands‑on expertise while helping establish consistent approaches, standards, and best practices for AI delivery across the organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Act as the AI, LLM, and Data Science SME on client engagements, supporting discovery, solution design, and delivery activities.
• Lead technical discussions with client stakeholders to assess AI readiness, data availability, architectural considerations, and feasibility.
• Design and guide AI solution approaches, including: Large language model–based applications (e.g., retrieval‑augmented generation, orchestration, evaluation). Applied machine learning and data science workflows. Integration with enterprise data platforms and digital systems.
• Collaborate with data engineers, platform engineers, and application teams to ensure AI solutions align with cloud‑native architectures and delivery standards.
• Support the progression of AI initiatives from early experimentation into implementation phases suitable for broader organizational adoption.
• Advise on evaluation, monitoring, and operational considerations for AI and machine learning solutions.
• Embed responsible AI, privacy, security, and compliance considerations into solution design and delivery.
• Partner with cross foundational teams to support proposals, discovery workshops, and active client engagements.
• Contribute to reusable AI patterns, approaches, and documentation that can be leveraged across multiple clients.
• Stay current with emerging AI, LLM, and data science techniques, applying new capabilities where they provide clear value.

REQUIREMENTS

• 8+ years of experience working with AI, data science, or machine learning in enterprise or consulting environments.
• Demonstrated experience acting as a subject matter expert on complex, client‑facing technical initiatives.
• Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Data Science, Machine Learning, or a related field is required.
• Strong understanding of modern AI approaches, including large language models and applied machine learning.
• Experience designing AI solutions that integrate with enterprise data platforms and cloud‑native architectures.
• Exposure to MLOps or LLMOps practices, including deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management.
• Familiarity with data science workflows, model evaluation, and performance trade‑offs.
• Solid understanding of data privacy, security, and compliance considerations related to AI systems.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with sound judgment in balancing innovation, risk, and practicality.

NICE TO HAVES

• Experience working in regulated or large‑scale enterprise environments.
• Experience contributing to internal standards, playbooks, or reusable delivery frameworks is a plus.
• Professional certifications in GCP, Snowflake, or Databricks are considered a plus.

LIFE AT APPLY DIGITAL

At Apply Digital, people are at the core of everything we do. We value your time, safety, and health, and strive to build a work community that can help you thrive and grow. Here are a few benefits we offer to support you:

Great projects: Broaden your skills on a range of engaging projects with international brands that have a global impact.

An inclusive and safe environment: We're truly committed to building a culture where you are celebrated and everyone feels welcome and safe.

Learning opportunities: We offer generous training budgets, including partner tech certifications, custom learning plans, workshops, mentorship, and peer support.

Generous vacation policy: Work‑life balance is key to our team's success, so we offer flexible personal time offer (PTO); allowing ample time away from work to promote overall well‑being.

Customizable benefits: Tailor your extended health and dental plan to your needs, priorities, and preferences.

Flexible work arrangements: We work in a variety of ways, from remote, to in‑office, to a blend of both.

Apply Digital is committed to building a culture where differences are celebrated and everyone feels welcome. That's why we value equal opportunity and nurture an inclusive workplace where our individual differences are recognized and valued.

For more information, visit the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) section of our website. If you have accommodation needs at this stage of the recruitment process, please inform us as soon as possible by emailing