Senior AI Engineer

At ShyftLabs, we live and breathe data. Since 2020, we've been helping Fortune 500 companies unlock growth with cutting-edge digital solutions that transform industries and create measurable business impact. We're scaling globally with entities in Canada, the U.S., and India and we're looking for passionate problem-solvers who are ready to turn big ideas into real outcomes.

The Opportunity

ShyftLabs is looking for a Senior AI Engineer to sit at the intersection of AI/ML engineering and backend platform development. This isn't a research role, it's a hands-on engineering position where you'll design, build, and ship AI-powered features directly into production systems. You'll work closely with Product, Architecture, and cross-functional engineering teams to integrate intelligent capabilities into our next generation of data-driven platforms, while also contributing to the scalable backend infrastructure that powers them.

The ideal candidate combines deep AI/ML engineering experience with strong backend development skills, someone equally comfortable fine-tuning an LLM integration as they are designing a robust API or event-driven service.

What You'll Do

• Architect and implement AI-powered features end-to-end, from model integration and prompt engineering to deployment, monitoring, and iteration
• Integrate LLM APIs, ML models, and intelligent automation pipelines into scalable, production-grade backend systems
• Fine-tune and optimize models for performance, reliability, and cost efficiency in live environments
• Design and build robust APIs, event-driven services, and third-party integrations that support AI-enabled workflows
• Collaborate with Product to translate business requirements into technical AI solutions, defining scope, complexity, and dependencies
• Build and maintain data pipelines and MLOps workflows to support model deployment and lifecycle management
• Contribute to system architecture decisions, integration patterns, and reusable AI frameworks across the platform
• Partner with data scientists and engineers to ensure smooth, scalable model deployments
• Produce clear technical documentation, architecture diagrams, data flows, API specs, and AI integration patterns
• Lead code reviews, enforce best practices in code quality and testing, and mentor engineers across teams
• Troubleshoot complex production issues across distributed and AI-integrated systems
• Stay ahead of industry trends in AI/ML tooling, frameworks, and practices

• 5+ years of experience building scalable, production-grade software systems
• 2+ years of hands-on AI/ML engineering experience, including deploying models into production environments
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, AI, or a related field
• Strong expertise in Python, with hands-on experience using frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Scikit-learn
• Solid backend engineering background, API development, microservices, distributed systems, and event-driven architectures
• Experience integrating LLM APIs and building AI-driven features into web or platform applications
• Strong proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript and Node.js, with exposure to GraphQL
• Deep experience building and consuming RESTful APIs and distributed services
• Proficiency with SQL and hands-on experience with cloud platforms, GCP or AWS (e.g., S3, Lambda, RDS, EC2)
• Familiarity with MLOps best practices and tools for model monitoring, versioning, and deployment
• Strong understanding of software design patterns, system architecture, and data flow design
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts clearly
• Experience working in Agile/Kanban environments with a strong grasp of the full SDLC

• Experience with data platforms, analytics systems, or ETL pipelines
• Familiarity with real-time data processing and messaging systems such as Kafka or SQS
• Exposure to tax, fintech, or compliance-related product development
• Experience designing multi-tenant or enterprise-grade SaaS platforms
• Background in integration-heavy environments such as ERP, financial systems, or external data providers

• $120,000 - $160,000 (CAD)

At ShyftLabs, your work matters. We’re a growing data product company making a big impact with Fortune 500 clients and as we scale, you’ll have the chance to shape solutions, influence strategy, and grow your career alongside us.

Here’s what you can expect when you join our team:

• Hybrid Flexibility: Enjoy a hybrid model with three days per week in our Toronto office
• Downtown Toronto Office: Work in the heart of the city
• Comprehensive Benefits: We cover 100% of health, dental, and vision insurance premiums for you and your dependents which means no out-of-pocket costs. Eligibility starts from day one itself
• Growth & Learning: Access extensive learning and development resources to keep leveling up your skills

We’re building something big, and we want you on the journey with us. If you’re ready to use data and innovation to make an impact, apply today and let’s grow together.

ShyftLabs is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating a safe, diverse, and inclusive environment. We encourage applicants of all backgrounds including ethnicity, religion, disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, family status, age, and nationality to apply. If you require accommodation during the interview process, let us know and we’ll be happy to support you.