Job Description We are currently seeking a AI Engineer to join our team. The AI Engineer is responsible for designing, building, and delivering high ‑ quality AI technology solutions, including agentic AI applications, retrieval ‑ based intelligence, automation components, and secure system integrations. This role blends software engineering with modern AI development approaches to create reliable, safe, and scalable capabilities that improve user experience, operational efficiency, and decision ‑ making across the organization.

Here’s what would be included as a part of your typical day

• AI Technology Design & Development: Design and implement AI technology solutions, including agent behaviors, retrieval ‑ augmented intelligence, and integration of models into applications and workflows. Build secure and reliable components, and integrations to support AI ‑ driven interactions and decisioning. Apply strong software engineering practices, including testing, performance optimization, telemetry, and documentation
• AI Application Implementation: Translate business requirements into functional AI components, ensuring clarity, feasibility, and alignment to enterprise technical standards. Develop and refine prompts, reasoning logic, and decisioning flows within agentic applications. Troubleshoot issues in AI behavior, grounding, retrieval, and integration layers.
• Data Access & Retrieval Engineering: Implement secure data access strategies across structured and unstructured sources. Build and maintain retrieval pipelines (e.g., search/query components, embedding ‑ based retrieval, document ingestion pipelines). Ensure data usage aligns with privacy, security, and compliance requirements.
• Security, Quality & Compliance: Ensure all AI components adhere to identity and access controls, data security requirements, auditability, and content safety guidelines. Maintain awareness of regulatory expectations (including OSFI and FCAC) as they relate to AI ‑ enabled solutions. Conduct code reviews, implement automated testing, and validate AI outputs for accuracy and safety.
• Team Support and Collaboration: Work closely with internal IT groups, including Cyber Security, Data, Cloud Infrastructure, Architecture, Software Development, and IT Operations to ensure successful, secure, and scalable operationalization of AI technology solutions. Partner with business stakeholders, product teams, and subject-matter experts to ensure AI solutions are aligned with desired business outcomes and deliver measurable value.
• Research & Continuous Improvement: Stay current with advancements in AI engineering patterns, tooling, and development practices. Recommend improvements to frameworks, automation, and engineering processes to enhance solution reliability and scalability. Participate in internal knowledge ‑ sharing and technical learning activities.

Required Skills, Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field.
• 5 years of experience in software engineering, AI engineering, or related technical roles.
• Hands ‑ on experience building production-grade AI components, agent ‑ based workflows, intelligent automation, or retrieval ‑ based systems.
• Familiarity with enterprise AI platforms and modern cloud architectures (experience with the Microsoft ecosystem is an asset).
• Experience working within regulated environments is preferred
• Strong problem ‑ solving skills and the ability to understand complex systems.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Able to work effectively with both technical and business teams.
• Ability to balance independent execution with teamwork and cross ‑ functional coordination.
• Strong attention to detail and focus on quality, security, and long ‑ term maintainability
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with interpreting and authoring software architecture documents.
• High-energy, “can-do” attitude with strong relationship-building skills.
• Strong foundation in software engineering, APIs, distributed systems, and secure integrations.
• Proficiency with modern AI development practices (agentic workflows, reasoning design, retrieval ‑ augmented intelligence).
• Solid understanding of cloud architectures, identity/security fundamentals, and observability.
• Ability to rapidly learn new tools and frameworks in the fast ‑ moving AI ecosystem.
• Displays an understanding of risk and risk ownership by being able to demonstrate adherence to policies and procedures.

About Us What’s in it for you: First, we strive to make our team members feel genuinely rewarded. You’ll have:

• Mental health coverage and resources
• Customizable health benefits, as well as topped-up parental leave
• Performance-based compensation, employee banking advantages and group RRSP matching
• Vacation time and flexible work arrangements to support your lifestyle

We are committed to providing a fair, equitable, and competitive rewards package that reflects the value an individual brings to our organization. The compensation mentioned in this job posting should serve as a guide. The total cash compensation earned may vary based on a variety of factors including bonuses and/or incentives, an individual’s skills and experience, and may correlate with performance in the role.

We also provide and encourage opportunities for our employees to make a meaningful impact. After all, as a credit union we’re powered by giving back—in big ways and through small gestures. That's why we offer employees paid time off to volunteer, partner with thousands of local charities, build long-lasting relationships that help our members get ahead and commit to environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.

By joining our team, you’ll be able to elevate your potential. Wherever your own purpose leads, we’re here to support you with award-winning in-house training programs, access to LinkedIn Learning, and reimbursement for external courses to help you get ahead.

Take the next step in your career as part of our team. Apply for this opportunity!

Candidates, please note: if you are being considered for this role, you will be required to complete a background check, such as employment verification, credit check and criminal record check. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging At First West Credit Union, we embrace diversity regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnicity, age, diverse ability, and any aspect that makes someone unique. Inclusion is woven through our organization, from our employee-led network groups, hiring practices and education programs that address barriers and continually grow our equitable, diverse and inclusive culture.

We encourage people who are from equity-deserving groups to apply for a career with us, including women or non-binary people, persons with diverse abilities, Black, Indigenous Peoples, People of Colour and members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

If an accommodation would help you during the process of applying or interviewing for a career with us, please let us know how we can assist you, whether it’s preparing materials in an alternate format, booking an accessible meeting room or other arrangement.

Your individuality is welcome here.

About Us We’re a financial cooperative that does things differently. We provide time-tested advice that helps our members feel optimistic about their future, and we offer comprehensive banking solutions that enable people to confidently reach their goals. With the financial strength and extended branch network of a large financial institution, we maintain local connections to our communities and take a unique grassroots approach to service. Our more than 250,000 members and approximately 1,250 employees operate from 45 branches throughout the province of BC, under the Envision Financial, Valley First, Island Savings and Enderby & District Financial brands. Visit firstwestcu.ca for more information on First West Credit Union.

Please know we appreciate your interest in us but only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.