Forward Deployment Engineer Lead- Commercial

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Position Title: Forward Deployment Engineer Lead- Commercial

Position Type: Regular - Full-Time ​

Grade: Grade 06

Requisition ID: 44034

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In every role, McCainers are ambitious, curious, and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences - together. With a customer-first mindset, we make doing business with McCain easy.

About the role.

The Forward Deployment Engineer Lead - Commercial is responsible for setting and maintaining the FDE skill standard across McCain, developing and coaching the FDE community, and leading the Portfolio FDE talent pool. Reporting to the VP, Artificial Intelligence, this role operates as a player-coach, balancing hands-on engagement with strategic practice leadership. The Forward Deployment Engineer Manager - Commercial partners closely with business sponsors, AI leaders, and pod-based FDE teams to drive quality, consistency, and measurable business outcomes across AI deployments while ensuring adherence to Responsible AI, security, and governance standards.

What you’ll be doing.

• Establish and maintain the FDE capability framework, role definition, and development pathways across McCain.
• Coach, mentor, and develop Forward Deployment Engineers through structured feedback, community building, and career development initiatives.
• Lead hiring, talent calibration, performance management, and workforce planning for the Portfolio FDE organization.
• Oversee assignment of FDE resources across Portfolio business areas, aligning skills, business priorities, and development goals.
• Personally lead select AI and digital transformation engagements each quarter while modeling best practices as a player-coach.
• Partner with Commercial FDE leaders to establish consistent standards, practices, and quality expectations.
• Collaborate with AI Platform & Engineering, Knowledge Engineering, Deployment & Enablement, and Governance leaders to successfully deliver enterprise AI initiatives.
• Develop reusable playbooks, engagement methodologies, and operating standards that improve delivery effectiveness and scalability.
• Ensure all engagements comply with McCain’s Responsible AI, security, risk management, and governance requirements.
• Represent the FDE practice with senior business leaders and executive stakeholders, driving adoption and enterprise impact.

What you’ll need to be successful.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience leading complex business, technology, or customer-facing engagements.
• 3+ years of experience leading a practice, function, or team of senior individual contributors.

• 3+ years of experience supporting Commercial business functions, including areas such as Sales, Revenue Growth Management, Customer Solutions, Trade Promotion Management, Category Management, Marketing, or Commercial Operations.

• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively as a player-coach while developing high-performing teams.
• Proven success setting and maintaining quality standards across a community of experienced practitioners.
• Strong influencing, stakeholder management, and executive communication skills with the ability to lead without direct authority.
• Experience driving measurable business outcomes and enterprise-scale transformation initiatives.
• Customer-focused mindset with strong problem-solving capabilities and comfort navigating ambiguity.
• Experience within AI-driven organizations, consulting firms, manufacturing, food service, consumer packaged goods, or related industries is considered an asset.

About the team.

The FDE Commercial Lead is part of McCain’s Artificial Intelligence organization and reports to the FDE Practice Manager. This individual contributor role leads the Portfolio FDE talent pool and works closely with dedicated FDE leaders supporting Commercial domains. The position also collaborates across AI Platform & Engineering, Knowledge Engineering, AI Deployment & Enablement, Governance & Operations, and senior business leadership teams to accelerate AI adoption and business value creation across the enterprise.

About McCain.

Click Here to learn more about McCain and how we provide opportunities to make an impact that matters.

Leadership principles.

At McCain, our leadership principles guide how we engage with customers, collaborate as a team, and achieve success. We focus on understanding customer needs, driving innovation, empowering people, and taking ownership to clear obstacles and deliver results.

AI & Digital Capabilities.

At McCain, AI and digital capabilities are part of how we work and innovate. We value curiosity toward emerging technologies and the thoughtful, responsible use of AI-enabled tools to improve outcomes as part of our future-ready culture.

The McCain experience.

We are McCain. This statement is a testament to our collective strength and our individual value. Your contributions play a vital role in our success. Our winning culture is rooted in authenticity and trust, empowering us to bring out the best in one another. Here, you’ll find opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Join us and experience why we’re better together.

Our purpose is grounded in building meaningful relationships. We’re big believers in the power of working together in person—it helps us stay connected, collaborate more effectively, and grow as a team. At the same time, we recognize the importance of flexibility. Most office-based roles follow a hybrid model, with the option to work remotely two days a week. There may be exceptions depending on the role and location, so we encourage you to speak with your recruiter for more details.

Compensation Package: $111,700.00 - $149,000.00 . CAD annually + Bonus Eligibility

The above reflects the target compensation range for the position at the time of posting. Hiring compensation will be determined based on experience, skill set, education and training, and other organizational needs. This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Benefits: At McCain, we’re on a mission to create a winning culture that puts employee safety and well-being at the heart of what we do, every day. We understand and appreciate that each person’s needs are unique and ensure our benefits & well-being programs reflect that. Employees are eligible for the following benefits: health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription drug), retirement savings benefits, and leave support including medical, family and bereavement. Well-being programs include vacation and holidays, company-supported volunteering time, and mental health resources. Coverages are aligned with applicable law and can vary by work level, location, and nature of the role. Additional benefit detail available during the application process.

Your well-being matters to us, and we’re here to provide you with the necessary resources to support you in being your best self at work — and at home.

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know, and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.

Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with McCain’s Global Privacy Policy and Global Employee Privacy Policy, as applicable. McCain leverages AI in the hiring process, though all final decisions are made by humans. You can understand our approach to AI and how your personal information is being handled here.

Job Family: Information Technology
Location(s): CA - Canada : Ontario : Toronto

Company: McCain Foods (Canada)