The AI Research Manager builds and develops high-performing technical teams identifies promising applications of emerging AI methods and partners closely with engineering product technology and business teams to translate research advances into scalable responsible and differentiated capabilities for Vanguard.

Core Responsibilities

- Leads and develops a high-performing team of AI research scientists and technical practitioners. Hires coaches evaluates and develops crew while establishing high standards for technical excellence collaboration scientific rigor and delivery.

- Provides technical leadership across applied AI research initiatives. Guides teams in framing complex problems evaluating emerging approaches designing experiments developing models and prototypes and determining which approaches warrant further investment or transition toward production.

- Builds strategic research partnerships. Works closely with the Head of AI R&D; to support and advance Vanguards strategic research partnership with the University of Toronto collaborating with faculty researchers and students to shape joint research initiatives provide technical leadership and translate promising academic research into enterprise capabilities. Builds additional internal and external partnerships where appropriate to accelerate innovation and bring relevant advances into Vanguard.

- Drives research from exploration to enterprise application. Works with research scientists engineers product teams and business partners to move promising ideas through experimentation validation prototyping technology transfer and production adoption.

- Maintains technical depth in modern AI and machine learning. Engages directly with researchers on technical approaches experimental design model development evaluation and engineering trade-offs. Critically evaluates results and helps teams navigate complex technical challenges.

- Identifies and evaluates emerging AI capabilities. Assesses advances in areas such as generative AI language models agentic systems reasoning multimodal AI AI evaluation trustworthy AI and machine learning to determine their applicability and readiness for Vanguard use cases.

- Establishes rigorous research and evaluation practices.



Guides experimental design benchmarking model evaluation reproducibility and validation to ensure research conclusions are technically sound and capabilities meet appropriate standards before broader adoption.

- Partners with engineering and product teams to accelerate research-to-production. Helps define technical requirements success criteria architectural considerations and transition plans needed to mature research prototypes into scalable enterprise capabilities.

- Balances innovation with practical delivery. Manages a portfolio of research initiatives across different maturity horizons balancing exploratory work with near-term opportunities that can deliver measurable client crew or enterprise value.

- Advances responsible and secure AI development. Ensures research appropriately considers reliability safety security privacy robustness explainability and other responsible AI considerations throughout the research-to-production lifecycle.

- Influences AI strategy and technology decisions. Communicates research findings emerging technology opportunities technical risks and recommendations to senior technical product and business leaders and helps inform broader AI investments and priorities.

- Participates in special projects and performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

- Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in artificial intelligence machine learning computer science statistics or a related technical field including experience developing or leading advanced AI/ML solutions.

- Demonstrated experience leading mentoring or managing research scientists machine learning scientists research engineers or similarly technical talent.





- Strong technical expertise in one or more areas of modern AI and machine learning such as generative AI language models agentic AI reinforcement learning multimodal AI model evaluation trustworthy AI or AI safety and security.

- Demonstrated ability to move advanced technical work from research and experimentation into prototypes reusable capabilities products or production systems.

- Strong understanding of machine learning research and development practices including experimental design model development evaluation benchmarking statistical reasoning and reproducibility.

- Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments make sound technical decisions and balance research exploration with practical delivery.

- Demonstrated ability to collaborate across research engineering product business risk and other multidisciplinary teams.

- Solid communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts and research findings for both technical and executive audiences.

- Masters degree in Computer Science Machine Learning Statistics Mathematics Engineering or another related quantitative discipline or equivalent combination of

Preferred Qualifications:

- PhD in Computer Science Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Statistics Engineering or a related field.

- Experience managing or technically leading senior scientists researchers or machine learning engineers.

- Track record of research or advanced technical contributions demonstrated through deployed systems publications patents open-source contributions or other meaningful technical artifacts.

- Experience transitioning AI/ML research into scalable production capabilities.

- Experience partnering with engineering and product organizations on complex AI systems.

- Experience working in financial services or another highly regulated or high-stakes environment.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning collaboration and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.

Required Experience:

Manager

📌 Manager, AI Research (Toronto)
🏢 The Vanguard Group
📍 Toronto