Ottawa (Downtown), ON, CA
Senior Payment Technical Advisor
Take a central role
The Bank of Canada has a vision to be a leading central bank—dynamic, engaged and trusted—committed to a better Canada. No other employer in the country offers you the unique opportunity to work at the very center of Canada’s economy, in an organization with significant impact on the economic and financial well-being of all Canadians. You will be challenged, energized and motivated to excel in our environment.
Building on the principles that have always guided us – excellence, integrity and respect – we strive to be forward-looking and innovative, to welcome people with diverse perspectives and talents, and to earn trust by living up to our commitments and by clearly explaining the intent of our policies and actions.
With our defined-benefit pension plan, benefits, and high flexibility for work life balance - find out more about why we are annually ranked as one of Canada's top employers: Working Here - Bank of Canada
Find out more about the next steps in our Recruitment process.
Did you know?
One of the Bank’s strategic priorities for 2025–27 is ensuring that Canadians have access to safe, modern, reliable, and efficient payment options, now and into the future. As part of this agenda, the Bank is putting emphasis on broad payments system research, technical experimentation, and policy development.
The Role
As the Senior Payments Technical Advisor, you will provide strategic, technical, and analytical leadership in emerging payments technologies, innovations in financial market infrastructures, to help guide the evolution of Canada's payments and financial system.
You will play a central role in translating complex technical insights into policy recommendations. Your key responsibilities include:
- Provide high‑level strategic advice to senior management on the future of domestic and global payments ecosystems, grounded in a deep understanding of payments technologies and FMIs.
- Conduct and guide in‑depth technical research and experimentation to evaluate emerging trends and assess innovative technologies in payment systems.
- Lead or co‑lead technology projects and pilots in collaboration with industry partners, other central banks, and the BIS Innovation Hub.
- Scope, set up, deliver, and monitor technical initiatives, ensuring alignment across policy, research, and technical teams.
- Provide intellectual and technical leadership to project teams, advising on system design, risk management, and execution through the development lifecycle.
- Synthesize cross‑disciplinary insights, technical, policy, economic to produce clear, pragmatic policy recommendations for senior leadership.
- Prepare and deliver briefings and technical notes to support domestic and international engagements, including G20, G7, and CPMI working groups.
- Represent the Bank in domestic and international fora, communicating technical perspectives and promoting shared positions on global payments issues.
- Monitor global and domestic developments to identify risks, opportunities, and implications for payments infrastructures.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders across the payments ecosystem (other agencies, industry, academia, and vendors) to gather insights and advance the Bank’s objectives.
- Foster collaboration between policy analysts, researchers, and technologists across the Bank.
What you need to succeed
- Deep knowledge of payments technologies, digital assets, system architectures, and technical delivery processes.
- Strong understanding of the financial system, including FMIs, payment system risks, regulatory considerations, and technology trends.
- A proven ability to integrate technical insights into policy recommendations.
- Strong judgment in navigating trade‑offs involving cost, risk, incentives, complexity, and technological maturity.
- Exceptional communication skills translating complex technical concepts for diverse audiences, including senior executives and external stakeholders.
- Experience leading or significantly contributing to the full lifecycle of major technology or payments infrastructure projects.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple complex files concurrently.
Nice to Have
- Knowledge of AI, quantum, or other emerging technologies and their applications in payments and finance.
- Familiarity with economics or monetary policy concepts.
- Commercial or industry experience.
Your education and experience
This position requires a master or PhD in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering with a minimum 12 years of experience in systems development and delivery, ideally in the payments industry. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
Innovative Mindset
We value candidates who demonstrate adaptability, curiosity, and a willingness to learn new technologies, including AI and digital tools. We seek individuals who can think critically about data, question existing processes, and find ways to simplify our work while embracing change and new ways of doing things.
Language requirement
The Bank’s work environment is conducive to the use of both of Canada’s official languages - English and French. The position language requirement is Level 5 (Fully Functional). If a qualified candidate who meets the language requirement of the position is not found, a qualified candidate who does not meet the language requirement may be considered. Training may be provided to help reach the required level. Both bilingual and unilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
What you need to know
- Priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents
- Security level required: Be eligible to obtain Reliability
- Relocation assistance may be provided, if required
- Please save a copy of the job poster. Once the closing date has passed, it will no longer be available.
Hybrid Work Model
The Bank offers work arrangements that provide employees with flexibility, enable high-performing teams, and support an excellent workplace culture. Most employees can telework from home for a portion of each month as part of the Bank’s hybrid work model, and they are expected on site at the Bank location a minimum of 12 days per month to help build connections between colleagues. You must live in Canada, and within reasonable commuting distance of the office.
What you can expect from us
This is a great opportunity to join a leading organization and be part of a high-performing team. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet your needs at every stage of your life and career. For more information on key benefits please visit A great deal to consider.
- Salaries are based on qualifications and experience and typically range from $208,020 to $244,730 (job grade 21)
- The Bank offers an incentive for successfully meeting expectations at 7 to 10% of your base salary. The Bank offers additional performance pay (5%) for those who exceed expectations. Exceptional performers who far exceed expectations may be eligible for higher performance pay.
- Flexible and comprehensive benefits so you can choose the level of health, dental disability and life and/or accident insurance coverage that meets your needs
- Extra vacation days (up to five each year) that you can purchase to add to your vacation entitlement
- Indexed, defined-benefit pension
We wish to thank all applicants for their interest and effort in applying for this position. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.