We are banking at another level.
Choosing BDC as your employer means working in a healthy, inclusive, and skilled workplace that puts forward the best conditions to bring together unique teams where employees are empowered to act. It also means being at the centre of ambitious economic and financial projects to see further and to do things differently, to fuel the success of Canadian entrepreneurs.
Choosing BDC as your employer also means:
Flexible and competitive benefits , including an Employee Savings and Investment Plan where BDC matches part of your voluntary contributions, a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, a $750 wellness and health care spending account, to name a few
In addition to paid vacation each year, five personal days , sick days as necessary , and our offices are closed from December 25 to January 1
A hybrid work model that truly balances work and personal life
Opportunities for learning , training and development , and much more...
Explore the BDC Way in our Culture Book
POSITION OVERVIEW
BDC Mission AI helps small and medium-sized businesses identify their needs, matches them with Canadian AI solutions, and tests these tools in real-world business settings. To do this, we’re building a self-sufficient and agile AI platform, moving at a startup’s pace.
As Director of Technology, you are a builder who codes. You design and operate the Mission AI platform, lead a small team that delivers quickly, and contribute your AI expertise to technology and investment decisions. You make technical decisions within the authorized framework, in collaboration with business leaders—who define requirements and value criteria—and with the validation and investment teams.
CHALLENGES TO BE MET
1. AI Architecture and Platform
Define the architecture and technology roadmap for the AI platform, including decisions on whether to build, buy, or partner.
Deliver platform milestones, from the diagnostic MVP to its phased rollout to Canadian SMEs.
Establish AI system evaluation, human oversight, and tracking of operating costs.
2. Development and Team Leadership
Recruit, lead, and develop the AI development team; establish best practices for delivery, quality, and AI-assisted development.
3. Internal and External Technology
Develop the team’s internal tools: radar, pilot tracking, and metrics dashboards.
Provide the team with AI agents and automations that increase their autonomy and productivity; make Mission AI a model for AI-driven work.
Manage technology vendors and platform operations: availability, access, security, and disaster recovery.
Integrate BDC systems only when necessary , using lightweight connections.
Obtain BDC’s security and data protection approvals without slowing down delivery.
Conduct technical due diligence on investments: architecture, code quality, AI defensibility, data, security, intellectual property, costs, and scalability.
Evaluate the security and integrability of solutions with the relevant teams prior to approval.
4. Metrics and Data
Measure usage and productivity gains at 3, 6, and 12 months.
Conduct assessments and create a dynamic map of SMB needs.
Priorities for the First 90 Days
• Define the architecture, data model, security requirements, and delivery plan.
• Deliver the diagnostic MVP and test it with pilot SMEs.
• Hire the first AI developers and establish development and evaluation practices.
What Success Looks Like (12–18 months)
• Platform milestones achieved, from the MVP to nationwide rollout.
• Quality of AI recommendations and responses, reliability, cost per diagnosis.
• Technical deliverables completed on schedule; team autonomy.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
10 or more years in software development
At least 7 years in technical leadership as well
Someone who still codes on a daily basis
Active developer : proficiency in a modern programming language and the ability to deploy to production independently.
Advanced AI expertise : products in production based on large language models (agents, RAG,…