Senior Manager Site Reliability Engineer at BMO

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Manager Site Reliability Engineer
Company: BMO
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Job Type: On-site, Full-time
Category: DevOps, Infrastructure
Date Posted: 2025-08-08
Experience Level: 7+ years
Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

Key Responsibilities: Oversee and enhance infrastructure, design reliable and scalable systems, automate processes, monitor and manage deployments, ensure high availability, scalability, security, and fault tolerance.
Key Skills: Site Reliability Engineering, Automation, Cloud Computing, Incident Management, Performance Tuning, Monitoring Tools, Cybersecurity, Containerization, System Design, Collaboration, Problem Solving, Data Driven Decision Making, Emotional Agility, API Management, Quality Assurance, Learning Agility.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

1. Infrastructure Management: Oversee and enhance BMO's infrastructure, ensuring high availability, scalability, security, and fault tolerance.
2. System Design & Development: Design, develop, and maintain reliable and scalable systems that support BMO's platforms.
3. Collaboration & Improvement: Collaborate with teams to improve system architecture, performance, and reliability. Automate processes to monitor, manage, and deploy various platform and supporting systems.
4. Performance Analysis & Optimization: Conduct system capacity planning and performance analysis to identify bottlenecks, optimize system performance, and manage costs.
5. Monitoring & Alerting: Implement and maintain monitoring and alerting systems to proactively identify and address potential issues. Respond to and resolve incidents and outages in a timely manner, ensuring minimal disruption.
6. Post-Incident Reviews: Conduct post-incident reviews to identify root causes and implement preventive measures.
7. Security & Compliance: Ensure compliance with security best practices and implement measures to protect data and systems.
8. Service Level Indicators & Error Budgets: Help the development and operations teams establish Service level indicators (SLIs), Service level objectives (SLOs) and Error budgets.
9. Automation & Efficiency: Perform automation to increase efficiency and decrease risk, such as log analysis, performance tuning, patch application, testing of production settings, incident response, and post-mortem analysis.
10. System Design Consulting & Capacity Planning: Support system design consulting, platform management, and capacity planning.
11. Production Issue Resolution: Debug production issues across services and levels of the technology stack.
12. Service Health Visibility: Improve service health visibility by recording metrics, logs, and traces across all services to pinpoint the reasons for an incident.
13. Cost of SLA Breaches: Compute the cost of SLA breaches and assist management in calculating the impact of system reliability. Help development and operations teams understand the cost of downtime.
14. Enterprise-wide Impact: Operate at a group/enterprise-wide level and serve as a specialist resource to senior leaders and stakeholders.
15. Problem Solving & Adaptability: Apply expertise and think creatively to address unique or ambiguous situations and find solutions to problems that can be complex and non-routine. Implement changes in response to shifting trends.
16. Performance Tracking: Create consolidated dashboards for collected metrics to help upper management track performance improvements.
17. Additional Responsibilities: Broader work or accountabilities may be assigned as needed.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Experience: 7+ years of relevant experience in Site Reliability Engineering, DevOps, or a similar role.

Required Skills:

Proficiency in at least one coding language (Python, Java, Ruby, PowerShell, JavaScript).
Experience with full instrumentation of monitoring tools such as Dynatrace, Splunk, and CloudWatch.
Understanding of operating systems like Linux, mainframes, and deep understanding of databases.
Experience conducting Post-Incident reviews and enabling mitigation/resolution plans.
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines in ADO and AWS.
Experience with cloud-native applications and containerization.
Cybersecurity and privacy concepts, principles, and solutions.
Emotional agility.

Preferred Skills:

Advanced level of proficiency in IT infrastructure library (ITIL), Robot Process Automation (RPA), and Cloud Computing.
Experience with deployment automation tools like Terraform, Packer, and Ansible.
Expertise in log aggregation and system monitoring tools (Datadog, CloudWatch, Prometheus, Grafana).
Knowledge in security monitoring and incident response tools.
Proficiency in containerization of applications and expertise in managing containerized environments.
System Design and Implementation.
Incident management.

Soft Skills:

Learning Agility.
Building and managing relationships.
API Management.
Automation and Automation Pipelines.
Automated Testing.
Quality Assurance and Control.
Verbal & written communication skills.
Analytical and problem-solving skills.
Collaboration & team skills; with a focus on cross-group collaboration.
Able to manage ambiguity.
Data driven decision making.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Demonstrate experience in Site Reliability Engineering, including system design, automation, and incident management.
Showcase projects that highlight your ability to ensure high availability, scalability, security, and fault tolerance.
Include examples of your work in monitoring, alerting, and performance optimization.
Highlight your experience with cloud-native applications and containerization.

Technical Documentation:

Provide code samples and documentation that showcase your proficiency in at least one coding language.
Include examples of your work in incident response, post-mortem analysis, and service level indicator (SLI) and service level objective (SLO) establishment.
Demonstrate your understanding of cybersecurity and privacy concepts, principles, and solutions.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $94,600 - $176,000 per year

Benefits:

Health Insurance
Tuition Reimbursement
Accident and Life Insurance
Retirement Savings Plans

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexibility for deployment windows, maintenance, and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is based on BMO's job posting and is subject to change. It is recommended to research regional salary standards and cost of living for a more accurate estimate.

🎯 Team & Company Context

Company Culture:

Industry: Financial Services
Company Size: Large (over 10,000 employees)
Founded: 1817

Team Structure:

The Senior Manager Site Reliability Engineer will operate at a group/enterprise-wide level and serve as a specialist resource to senior leaders and stakeholders.
This role will collaborate with development and operations teams, as well as infrastructure teams to enhance product reliability.

Development Methodology:

BMO uses Agile methodologies for software development, with a focus on iterative development, continuous integration, and continuous delivery.
The Senior Manager Site Reliability Engineer will work closely with development teams to ensure that systems are designed and implemented with reliability in mind.

Company Website: https://www.bmo.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: BMO is a large, established financial institution with a strong focus on innovation and digital transformation. The company places a high value on collaboration, continuous learning, and customer-centricity.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Senior Manager Site Reliability Engineer - Responsible for designing and implementing reliable and scalable systems, managing and optimizing production environments, and collaborating with development and operations teams to enhance product reliability.

Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Head of Site Reliability Engineering and collaborates with development and operations teams, as well as infrastructure teams.

Technical Impact: The Senior Manager Site Reliability Engineer has a significant impact on BMO's systems, ensuring high availability, scalability, security, and fault tolerance. This role also influences the development and operations teams' processes and best practices.

Growth Opportunities:

1. Technical Leadership: Develop expertise in Site Reliability Engineering and become a technical leader within the organization, mentoring junior team members and driving best practices.
2. Architecture & Design: Gain experience in system design and architecture, contributing to the development of BMO's overall technology strategy.
3. Strategic Decision Making: Influence strategic decisions related to BMO's technology stack, infrastructure, and cloud migration strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: BMO offers significant growth opportunities for technical professionals looking to advance their careers in Site Reliability Engineering, DevOps, and infrastructure roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site, with flexible work arrangements for certain roles and teams.

Office Location(s): Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Workspace Context:

BMO's offices are designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and employee well-being.
The Senior Manager Site Reliability Engineer will work in an open, collaborative environment with access to the latest tools and technologies.
BMO's offices are located in downtown Toronto, with easy access to public transportation and amenities.

Work Schedule: 40 hours per week, with flexibility for deployment windows, maintenance, and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: BMO's work environment is designed to support the well-being and productivity of its employees, with a focus on collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

1. Phone Screen: A brief phone or video call to discuss your experience, qualifications, and career goals.
2. Technical Assessment: A hands-on assessment to evaluate your technical skills in Site Reliability Engineering, including system design, automation, and incident management.
3. On-site Interview: A face-to-face interview with the hiring manager and other team members to discuss your fit for the role, as well as your long-term career goals.
4. Final Decision: A final decision will be made based on your technical assessment, on-site interview, and references.

Portfolio Review Tips:

1. Portfolio Structure: Organize your portfolio to showcase your experience in Site Reliability Engineering, including system design, automation, and incident management.
2. Project Case Studies: Include detailed case studies of your work, highlighting the challenges you faced, the solutions you implemented, and the results you achieved.
3. Technical Documentation: Provide code samples and documentation that demonstrate your proficiency in at least one coding language.
4. BMO-specific Examples: Tailor your portfolio to highlight your understanding of BMO's business, industry, and technology stack.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

1. System Design: Brush up on your system design skills, focusing on high availability, scalability, security, and fault tolerance.
2. Automation & Incident Management: Familiarize yourself with automation tools and incident management processes, such as ITIL and chaos engineering.
3. Cloud-native Applications & Containerization: Gain hands-on experience with cloud-native applications and containerization technologies, such as Kubernetes and Docker.

ATS Keywords:

Site Reliability Engineering
Automation
Cloud Computing
Incident Management
Performance Tuning
Monitoring Tools
Cybersecurity
Containerization
System Design
Collaboration
Problem Solving
Data Driven Decision Making
Emotional Agility
API Management
Quality Assurance
Learning Agility

📝 Enhancement Note: BMO uses Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to manage job applications. Including relevant keywords in your resume and portfolio can help you optimize your application for BMO's ATS.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Backend & Server Technologies:

AWS Cloud Services (EC2, RDS, S3, etc.)
Linux Operating System
Mainframe Systems
Databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, etc.)
CI/CD Pipelines (ADO, Jenkins, etc.)
Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
Orchestration (Terraform, Ansible)
Monitoring Tools (Dynatrace, Splunk, CloudWatch, Datadog, Prometheus, Grafana)
Security Monitoring & Incident Response Tools (Splunk, CloudWatch, Datadog, etc.)

Frontend Technologies:

Not applicable for this role

Development & DevOps Tools:

Git (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket)
JIRA, Confluence
Slack, Microsoft Teams
Office Suite (Microsoft Office, Google Workspace)
Collaboration & Project Management Tools (Asana, Trello, Monday.com)

📝 Enhancement Note: BMO uses a wide range of technologies to support its digital platforms and services. Familiarity with these technologies is essential for the Senior Manager Site Reliability Engineer role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

1. Customer-centricity: BMO places a strong emphasis on understanding and meeting the needs of its customers.
2. Innovation: BMO encourages continuous learning, experimentation, and innovation to drive digital transformation.
3. Collaboration: BMO values cross-functional collaboration and teamwork to deliver exceptional results.
4. Accountability: BMO holds its employees accountable for their actions and decisions, fostering a culture of ownership and responsibility.

Collaboration Style:

1. Cross-functional Integration: BMO encourages collaboration between different teams, including development, design, marketing, and business teams.
2. Code Review Culture: BMO values code reviews and peer programming to ensure code quality and knowledge sharing.
3. Knowledge Sharing: BMO fosters a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing, with regular training and development opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: BMO's culture is characterized by collaboration, innovation, and customer-centricity. The Senior Manager Site Reliability Engineer will play a crucial role in driving these values and fostering a culture of reliability and excellence.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

1. High Availability & Scalability: Design and implement systems that can handle increased traffic and load, ensuring minimal downtime and optimal performance.
2. Security & Compliance: Ensure that BMO's systems comply with industry standards and regulations, protecting customer data and maintaining system integrity.
3. Incident Management: Develop and implement incident management processes to minimize the impact of outages and ensure quick recovery.
4. Automation & Efficiency: Automate processes to increase efficiency, decrease risk, and improve overall system performance.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

1. Technical Skill Development: BMO offers opportunities for technical professionals to develop their skills in Site Reliability Engineering, DevOps, and infrastructure roles.
2. Conference Attendance & Certification: BMO supports employee attendance at industry conferences and certifications, providing opportunities for professional growth and development.
3. Technical Mentorship & Leadership: BMO offers mentorship and leadership opportunities for technical professionals looking to advance their careers in Site Reliability Engineering, DevOps, and infrastructure roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: BMO provides numerous opportunities for technical professionals to grow and develop their skills in Site Reliability Engineering, DevOps, and infrastructure roles.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

1. System Design: Describe your approach to designing highly available, scalable, and secure systems. Provide examples of your work in this area.
2. Incident Management: Walk through your process for incident management, including detection, diagnosis, resolution, and post-mortem analysis. Provide examples of incidents you've managed in the past.
3. Automation & Efficiency: Explain your approach to automating processes to increase efficiency and decrease risk. Provide examples of automation projects you've worked on in the past.

Company & Culture Questions:

1. BMO's Business: Demonstrate your understanding of BMO's business, industry, and technology stack. Explain how your experience and skills align with BMO's needs.
2. BMO's Culture: Show your understanding of BMO's culture, values, and work environment. Explain how you would contribute to BMO's collaborative, innovative, and customer-centric culture.
3. Long-term Goals: Discuss your long-term career goals and how this role fits into your overall career plan. Explain how you see yourself growing and developing within BMO.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

1. Live Demonstration: Prepare a live demonstration of your portfolio, showcasing your experience in Site Reliability Engineering, including system design, automation, and incident management.
2. Code Explanation: Be prepared to explain your code and design decisions, highlighting your problem-solving skills and technical expertise.
3. BMO-specific Examples: Tailor your portfolio presentation to highlight your understanding of BMO's business, industry, and technology stack.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing for a technical interview with BMO involves understanding the company's business, culture, and technology stack. Tailoring your portfolio and interview responses to BMO's specific needs and values will help you make a strong impression.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Manager Site Reliability Engineer position at BMO:

Submit your application through the application link provided in the job posting.
Customize your resume and portfolio to highlight your experience in Site Reliability Engineering, including system design, automation, and incident management.
Prepare for the technical assessment by brushing up on your system design, automation, and incident management skills.
Research BMO's business, industry, and technology stack to demonstrate your understanding of the company and its needs.
Prepare for the on-site interview by practicing your communication and problem-solving skills, and by developing a clear and concise explanation of your career goals and how this role fits into your long-term plan.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with BMO before making application decisions.

Senior Manager Site Reliability Engineer