AI Scientist & Engineer, Assurance Innovation Lab
BDO Canada · Calgary, Canada +2 · 2mo ago
Putting people first, every day
BDO is a firm built on a foundation of positive relationships with our people and our clients. Each day, our professionals provide exceptional service, helping clients with advice and insight they can trust. In turn, we offer an award-winning environment that fosters a people-first culture with a high priority on your personal and professional growth.
Your Opportunity
We are looking for an exceptionally skilled, hands-on, and innovation-minded AI Scientist & Engineer to bridge the gap between advanced data science, experimental machine learning, and scalable enterprise software engineering in our new Assurance Innovation Lab.
The Assurance Innovation Lab (ASR Labs) serves as the experimentation, innovation, and solution development engine supporting our practice. Working alongside other functions nationally - including our Innovation Operations, AI Studio – Central Lab, Central Data Team, and Innovation & Change (I&C) — you will help ideate, design, prototype, develop, and deliver scalable solutions that modernize how work gets done across our Assurance practice.
In this net new role, you will work with a team dedicated to building modern applications, intelligent workflow solutions, integrations, and AI-enabled platforms that support business transformation and operational modernization initiatives across our practice. You will be reporting to our Head of ASR Transformation, and have a dotted line to our technically astute managers in our AI Studio – Central Lab.
This hybrid role is responsible for extracting high-value insights from complex datasets, training custom large language models (LLMs), and designing, building, and deploying production-grade agentic workflows and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) solutions. Operating under enterprise governance frameworks like ISO/IEC 42001 and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF), you will deliver responsible, scalable, and highly impactful AI systems that drive true business transformation.
The ideal candidate for this role will have 3–5 years of hands-on experience building, fine-tuning, deploying, and monitoring machine learning models and Generative AI solutions in an enterprise production environment. This role rests on the ability to work cross-functionally with AI Architects, AI Studio Leads, ML Engineers, Data Scientists, Full Stack Developers, and citizen developers on firm-wide strategic initiatives.
Key Responsibilities:
AI, Machine Learning & Advanced Analytics
Design, build, train, and optimize machine learning and AI models to support Assurance transformation initiatives
Develop intelligent solutions leveraging NLP, generative AI, knowledge graphs, predictive analytics, and automation capabilities
Support experimentation and prototyping of emerging AI technologies and use cases within Assurance
Evaluate model performance, explainability, reliability, and responsible AI considerations
Contribute to development of scalable AI-enabled workflows and intelligent operational solutions
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Business Partnership
Partner closely with Transformation Relationship Managers (TRMs), Assurance practitioners, Innovation & Change (I&C), Data & Analytics, and leadership teams
Contribute to multidisciplinary teams focused on solving business problems through technology, AI, automation, and workflow redesign
Support rapid experimentation, prototyping, and scaling of innovative solutions within the Assurance R&D Lab
Help bridge strategy, business operations, and technical execution to accelerate transformation outcomes
Translate complex business problems into practical analytical and AI-driven solutions
Participate in discovery sessions, design thinking workshops, ideation activities, and working groups
Data Engineering & Platform Enablement
Collect, clean, transform, and analyze large and complex datasets from multiple sources
Build and maintain scalable data pipelines and model integration frameworks
Support connected data and intelligence capabilities aligned to the broader Total Assurance Ecosystem strategy
Work with cloud-based environments and modern AI infrastructure to support scalable deployment and operationalization
Collaborate with engineering teams to productionize and operationalize solutions
Innovation & R&D Collaboration
Work closely with the Assurance R&D Lab to validate concepts, prototype solutions, and scale successful initiatives
Stay informed on emerging trends across AI, automation, Assurance technology, data science, and intelligent systems
Help evaluate external tools, platforms, and ecosystem opportunities relevant to Assurance Transformation
Contribute to a culture of experimentation, innovation, and continuous improvement
Requirements
Programming Languages: Expert-level Python is required. Professional proficiency in R, Scala, Java, or TypeScript is highly desirable
AI & LLM Frameworks: Deep experience with OpenAI API, Anthropic, Hugging Face, LangChain, LlamaIndex, and LangGraph
Data Science & Deep Learning: Comprehensive experience with PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit-Learn, Pandas, NumPy, and Matplotlib
Model Training: Practical knowledge of training and fine-tuning open-source LLMs/transformers (e.g., Llama, Mistral) and implementing Knowledge Graphs
Data & Vector Infrastructure: Hands-on experience with Pinecone, Milvus, Weaviate, and standard SQL/NoSQL databases
DevOps / MLOps: Advanced proficiency with Docker, Kubernetes, Nvidia Triton Inference Server, and MLOps tracking platforms (MLflow, Weights & Biases)
Cloud Platforms: Strong working knowledge of enterprise cloud environments including Microsoft Azure (Azure AI / AI Foundry), AWS (Bedrock), or GCP
Architecture & Patterns: Demonstrated mastery of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architectures and multi-Agent AI design patterns
Ideal Candidate Will Have
A systematic approach to problem-solving and devising practical solutions for complex enterprise bottlenecks
Published academic research in top-tier ML/AI conferences/journals OR demonstrated practical excellence through Kaggle competitions
High passion for translating complex data and multi-agent system capabilities into tangible, actionable business value
Strong business curiosity and problem-solving mindset
Passion for applying AI and data science to practical operational challenges
Ability to balance experimentation with scalable execution
Strong collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills
Interest in workflow modernization, intelligent automation, and future-state operating models
Passion for continuous learning and emerging technologies
Why Join the Assurance Innovation Lab?
This is an opportunity to help build the future of Assurance through modern platforms, intelligent workflows, and scalable AI-enabled solutions.
You will join a high-performing team to work on high-impact transformation initiatives that directly influence how the business operates and delivers value.
The role offers exposure to:
Enterprise transformation and innovation programs
AI-enabled applications and intelligent workflow solutions
Modern cloud and engineering ecosystems
Cross-functional collaboration with Assurance, AI-Studio, Data & Analytics, Innovation & Change, and leadership teams
Rapid experimentation and enterprise-scale delivery initiatives
Most importantly, you will help create practical solutions that improve how work gets done across our Assurance practice
Why BDO?
Our people-first approach to talent has earned us a spot among Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2026. This recognition is a milestone we’re thrilled to add to our collection of awards for both experienced and student talent experiences.
At BDO, our people experience is guided by three core pillars—Do work with genuine care, Do what matters with purpose, and Do what’s next - shaping how we support our people, serve our clients, and grow together.
Our firm is committed to providing an environment where you can be successful in the following ways:
- We enable you to engage with how we change and evolve, being a key contributor to the success and growth of BDO in Canada.
- We help you become a better professional within our services, industries, and markets with extensive opportunities for learning and development.
- We support your achievement of personal goals outside of the office and making an impact on your community.
- We foster a collaborative, inclusive environment where your ideas are valued, and you can do your best work with genuine care and purpose
- We encourage innovation and forward thinking, empowering you to embrace what’s next and help shape the future of our firm
Giving back adds up: Where company meets community. BDO is actively involved in our communities by supporting local charity initiatives. We support staff with local and national events where you will be given the opportunity to contribute to your community.
Total rewards that matter: We pay for performance with competitive total cash compensation that recognizes and rewards your contribution. We provide comprehensive benefits from day one, and a flexible personal time off policy. We’re committed to supporting your overall wellbeing and provide reimbursement for wellness initiatives that fit your lifestyle.
Everyone counts: We are committed to creating a workplace where employees can participate fully, contribute meaningfully and succeed without barriers. We are dedicated to fostering a workplace defined by respect, fairness, and a true sense of belonging for everyone. We recognize and celebrate the unique experiences, identities, and perspectives that each of us bring – and that these experiences strengthen how we work together. Our commitment extends to ensuring that our application process is both inclusive and accessible. If you require accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us.
Flexibility: All BDO personnel are expected to spend some of their time working in the office, at the client site, and virtually unless accommodations or alternative work arrangements are in place.
Our model is a blended approach designed to support the flexible needs of our people, the firm and our clients. It’s about creating work experiences that meet everyone’s needs and providing flexibility to adjust when, where and how we work to meet the expectations of our role.
Code of Conduct: Our Code of Conduct sets clear standards for how we conduct business. It reflects our shared values and commitments and includes guiding principles to help us make ethical decisions and maintain trust with each other, our clients, and the public.
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