Senior Manager, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) – Digital Banking
📍 Job Overview
- Job Title: Senior Manager, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) – Digital Banking
- Company: BMO
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Job Type: On-site
- Category: Senior Manager, Site Reliability Engineering
- Date Posted: 2025-06-20
- Experience Level: 7+ years
- Remote Status: On-site
🚀 Role Summary
- Lead and strategically oversee Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and Infrastructure Patching teams supporting the Digital Banking Platform.
- Ensure rapid incident resolution, high availability, and performance of critical digital banking applications.
- Define and implement best practices for reliability, scalability, and availability tailored to large-scale digital banking.
- Collaborate across engineering, platform, and security teams to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
- Foster a culture of ownership, operational excellence, and continuous learning.
📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a seasoned professional with a strong technical background and proven leadership skills to drive reliability and performance in a large-scale digital banking environment.
💻 Primary Responsibilities
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Technical Leadership & Incident Management
- Provide strategic oversight for incident resolution efforts led by the SRE team.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to troubleshoot issues spanning full-stack environments.
- Maintain high availability and performance of digital banking applications.
- Champion proactive monitoring, observability, and alerting.
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SRE & Reliability Engineering
- Define and implement best practices for reliability, scalability, and availability.
- Continuously improve CI/CD pipelines, release automation, and deployment practices.
- Drive rigorous postmortem analysis and a culture of blameless continuous improvement.
- Optimize for scalability, redundancy, and resilience, minimizing customer impact from incidents.
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Infrastructure Patching
- Oversee patching and maintenance for cloud and on-prem environments.
- Ensure zero-downtime patching strategies and automation to mitigate operational risk and security vulnerabilities.
- Partner with security teams to enforce compliance, harden platforms, and remediate vulnerabilities.
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Reporting & Analytics
- Provide strategic direction and oversight for reporting frameworks and analytics capabilities.
- Collaborate with teams to refine dashboards, metrics, and reporting tools for clear visibility and actionable insights.
- Drive initiatives to improve data accuracy and alignment with organizational goals, ensuring reporting supports decision-making and strategic priorities.
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Team Leadership & Process Improvement
- Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of 8-10 SREs.
- Establish and enforce best practices for incident management, operational documentation, and process automation.
- Collaborate with development, infrastructure, and product teams to enhance observability, deployment, and proactive issue detection.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Relevant certifications (e.g., AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, Certified Kubernetes Application Developer) are a plus.
Experience: 7+ years of relevant experience in Site Reliability Engineering, DevOps, or a similar role. Proven experience leading technical teams and driving operational excellence.
Required Skills:
- Hands-on troubleshooting skills in complex, distributed, or high-availability technical environments.
- Experience in observability, monitoring, and incident management for critical platforms.
- Demonstrated leadership in technical settings, with a strong ability to provide strategic direction and oversight.
- Excellent communication skills, able to translate technical detail for both engineers and executives.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with AWS, OpenShift, Linux, and WebSphere.
- Familiarity with Dynatrace, OpenSearch, or similar monitoring and alerting tools.
- Knowledge of IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Agile methodologies.
- Experience with chaos testing and performance testing for critical business requirements.
📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates with experience in the financial services industry and familiarity with digital banking systems will have a significant advantage.
📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- Demonstrate a strong track record of driving reliability and performance in large-scale, mission-critical environments.
- Showcase successful incident management and postmortem analysis case studies.
- Highlight experience with CI/CD pipelines, release automation, and deployment practices.
- Include examples of process improvement and automation initiatives that have driven operational excellence.
Technical Documentation:
- Provide detailed documentation of your approach to reliability engineering, including best practices, standards, and guidelines.
- Include examples of how you have applied software engineering principles to automate IT operations tasks.
- Demonstrate your ability to conduct chaos tests and performance tests for critical business requirements.
📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to discuss your portfolio in detail during the technical interview, focusing on your approach to reliability engineering, incident management, and process improvement.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $92,400 - $171,600 per year
Benefits:
- Health Insurance
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Accident and Life Insurance
- Retirement Savings Plans
Working Hours: Full-time, with flexibility for deployment windows, maintenance, and project deadlines.
📝 Enhancement Note: BMO offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, tuition reimbursement, and retirement savings plans. The salary range provided is based on market data for similar roles in the Toronto area and reflects the high level of responsibility and experience required for this position.
🎯 Team & Company Context
Company Culture: BMO is committed to an inclusive, equitable, and accessible workplace. The company values diversity, collaboration, and continuous learning, fostering an environment where employees can grow and make an impact.
Industry: Financial Services, with a focus on digital banking and technology-driven innovation.
Company Size: Large (over 50,000 employees), with a global presence and a strong commitment to digital transformation.
Founded: 1817, with a rich history and a strong reputation for stability and growth.
Team Structure:
- The SRE team consists of 8-10 engineers, reporting directly to the Senior Manager.
- The team works closely with development, infrastructure, and product teams to drive reliability, performance, and innovation in digital banking.
- The SRE team is responsible for ensuring the availability, scalability, and resilience of digital banking applications.
Development Methodology:
- BMO follows Agile methodologies, with a focus on continuous improvement, collaboration, and customer value.
- The SRE team uses a blameless postmortem approach to drive learning and process improvement.
- CI/CD pipelines and automated deployment strategies are employed to ensure rapid and reliable software delivery.
Company Website: BMO Financial Group
📝 Enhancement Note: BMO's commitment to digital transformation and innovation provides a unique opportunity for the Senior Manager, SRE to drive reliability and performance in a large-scale, mission-critical environment.
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Web Technology Career Level: Senior Manager, Site Reliability Engineering, responsible for leading a team of SREs and driving operational excellence in a large-scale digital banking environment.
Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the Head of Digital Banking Platform Engineering, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Head of Infrastructure.
Technical Impact: The Senior Manager, SRE is responsible for ensuring the reliability, availability, and performance of digital banking applications, with a significant impact on customer experience and business outcomes.
Growth Opportunities:
- Technical Leadership: Opportunities to mentor team members, drive process improvement, and develop technical expertise in reliability engineering and digital banking.
- Architecture & Design: Opportunities to influence system design, architecture, and roadmap decisions, ensuring alignment with business objectives and technical best practices.
- Strategic & Operational Leadership: Opportunities to shape the strategic direction of the SRE team, drive operational excellence, and collaborate with senior leadership on digital banking initiatives.
📝 Enhancement Note: The Senior Manager, SRE role offers a unique opportunity to drive operational excellence, technical innovation, and strategic leadership in a large-scale, mission-critical environment.
🌐 Work Environment
Office Type: Modern, collaborative workspace with a focus on employee well-being and productivity.
Office Location(s): Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with opportunities for remote work and flexible scheduling.
Workspace Context:
- The BMO office provides a collaborative environment with dedicated workspaces, multiple monitors, and testing devices available for SRE team members.
- The office is designed to facilitate cross-functional collaboration, with open workspaces and dedicated meeting rooms.
- BMO offers a flexible work arrangement, with opportunities for remote work and flexible scheduling to support work-life balance.
Work Schedule: Full-time, with flexibility for deployment windows, maintenance, and project deadlines. BMO offers a flexible work arrangement, with opportunities for remote work and flexible scheduling.
📝 Enhancement Note: BMO's commitment to employee well-being and work-life balance provides a supportive and collaborative work environment for the Senior Manager, SRE.
📄 Application & Technical Interview Process
Interview Process:
- Phone Screen: A brief phone call to discuss your background, experience, and career goals.
- Technical Deep Dive: A detailed technical conversation focused on your approach to reliability engineering, incident management, and process improvement. Be prepared to discuss your portfolio and case studies in detail.
- Behavioral & Cultural Fit: An in-depth discussion to assess your leadership style, communication skills, and cultural fit with BMO.
- Final Interview: A meeting with senior leadership to discuss your vision for the SRE team, strategic priorities, and growth opportunities.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Highlight your approach to reliability engineering, incident management, and process improvement.
- Include case studies that demonstrate your ability to drive operational excellence in large-scale, mission-critical environments.
- Showcase your experience with CI/CD pipelines, release automation, and deployment practices.
- Include examples of your ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and drive strategic initiatives.
Technical Challenge Preparation:
- Brush up on your knowledge of AWS, OpenShift, Linux, and WebSphere.
- Familiarize yourself with Dynatrace, OpenSearch, or similar monitoring and alerting tools.
- Review your approach to incident management, postmortem analysis, and process improvement.
- Prepare for questions on your leadership style, communication skills, and cultural fit with BMO.
ATS Keywords: Site Reliability Engineering, Incident Management, Cloud Computing, Automation, Monitoring, DevOps, Cybersecurity, Configuration Management, Container Orchestration, Analytical Skills, Problem Solving, Collaboration, Communication, Process Improvement, Team Leadership, Data Driven Decision Making, Digital Banking, Financial Services, Agile Methodologies, IT Infrastructure Library, AWS, OpenShift, Linux, WebSphere, Dynatrace, OpenSearch.
📝 Enhancement Note: BMO's interview process is designed to assess your technical expertise, leadership skills, and cultural fit with the organization. Be prepared to discuss your approach to reliability engineering, incident management, and process improvement in detail.
🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure
Frontend Technologies: Not applicable for this role.
Backend & Server Technologies:
- AWS (EC2, RDS, Lambda, API Gateway)
- OpenShift (Kubernetes, Docker)
- Linux (Ubuntu, CentOS)
- WebSphere (for some legacy applications)
Development & DevOps Tools:
- Dynatrace (Monitoring, Observability, and Alerting)
- OpenSearch (Log Analysis and Performance Tuning)
- Jenkins (CI/CD Pipeline and Automation)
- Ansible (Infrastructure Automation and Configuration Management)
- Git (Version Control and Collaborative Development)
📝 Enhancement Note: The Senior Manager, SRE role requires a strong understanding of the BMO technology stack, with a focus on AWS, OpenShift, and Linux. Familiarity with Dynatrace, OpenSearch, Jenkins, Ansible, and Git is essential for success in this role.
👥 Team Culture & Values
Web Development Values:
- Reliability: BMO prioritizes reliability and availability, ensuring that digital banking applications are always accessible and performant.
- Collaboration: BMO fosters a culture of collaboration, with a focus on cross-functional teamwork and knowledge sharing.
- Innovation: BMO encourages continuous learning and innovation, with a commitment to staying at the forefront of digital banking technology.
- Customer Focus: BMO prioritizes the customer experience, ensuring that digital banking applications are intuitive, accessible, and tailored to customer needs.
Collaboration Style:
- Cross-Functional Integration: The SRE team works closely with development, infrastructure, and product teams to ensure the reliability, availability, and performance of digital banking applications.
- Code Review Culture: BMO encourages a culture of code review and peer programming, with a focus on knowledge sharing and continuous learning.
- Knowledge Sharing: BMO fosters a culture of knowledge sharing, with regular team meetings, training sessions, and brown bag presentations.
📝 Enhancement Note: BMO's commitment to collaboration, innovation, and customer focus provides a supportive and engaging work environment for the Senior Manager, SRE.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Technical Challenges:
- Incident Management: Develop and implement strategies to minimize the impact of incidents on digital banking customers and ensure rapid restoration of service.
- Scalability & Performance: Optimize digital banking applications for scalability and performance, ensuring they can handle increased traffic and maintain high availability.
- Emerging Technologies: Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and trends in digital banking, and evaluate their potential impact on reliability and performance.
- Legacy Systems: Manage and maintain legacy systems, ensuring they are secure, stable, and aligned with modern best practices.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Technical Skill Development: BMO offers opportunities for technical skill development, with access to training, certifications, and mentorship programs.
- Leadership Development: BMO provides opportunities for leadership development, with a focus on strategic decision-making, team management, and architecture design.
- Emerging Technologies: BMO encourages exploration and experimentation with emerging technologies, with opportunities to drive innovation and strategic initiatives.
📝 Enhancement Note: The Senior Manager, SRE role offers unique opportunities for technical and leadership growth, with a focus on driving operational excellence and innovation in a large-scale digital banking environment.
💡 Interview Preparation
Technical Questions:
- Technical Question 1: Describe your approach to incident management and postmortem analysis. How have you driven continuous improvement in incident resolution processes?
- Technical Question 2: How have you optimized digital banking applications for scalability and performance? What tools and techniques have you used to identify and address performance bottlenecks?
- Technical Question 3: How have you managed and maintained legacy systems? What strategies have you employed to ensure their security, stability, and alignment with modern best practices?
Company & Culture Questions:
- Technical Question 4: How have you fostered a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing within your team? What initiatives have you implemented to encourage learning and growth?
- Technical Question 5: How have you driven strategic initiatives and process improvement within your team? What was the impact of your efforts on operational excellence and business outcomes?
- Technical Question 6: How have you ensured the alignment of technical decisions with business objectives and customer needs? What strategies have you employed to balance technical feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and user experience?
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Presentation Strategy 1: Highlight your approach to reliability engineering, incident management, and process improvement. Include case studies that demonstrate your ability to drive operational excellence in large-scale, mission-critical environments.
- Presentation Strategy 2: Showcase your experience with CI/CD pipelines, release automation, and deployment practices. Include examples of your ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and drive strategic initiatives.
- Presentation Strategy 3: Demonstrate your understanding of the BMO technology stack, with a focus on AWS, OpenShift, and Linux. Include examples of your ability to manage and maintain legacy systems, ensuring their security, stability, and alignment with modern best practices.
📝 Enhancement Note: BMO's interview process is designed to assess your technical expertise, leadership skills, and cultural fit with the organization. Be prepared to discuss your approach to reliability engineering, incident management, and process improvement in detail.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this Senior Manager, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) – Digital Banking position:
- Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your experience in Site Reliability Engineering, incident management, and process improvement. Include relevant keywords and examples of your ability to drive operational excellence in large-scale, mission-critical environments.
- Portfolio Preparation: Prepare a portfolio that showcases your approach to reliability engineering, incident management, and process improvement. Include case studies that demonstrate your ability to drive operational excellence in large-scale, mission-critical environments.
- Technical Interview Preparation: Brush up on your knowledge of AWS, OpenShift, Linux, and WebSphere. Familiarize yourself with Dynatrace, OpenSearch, or similar monitoring and alerting tools. Review your approach to incident management, postmortem analysis, and process improvement. Prepare for questions on your leadership style, communication skills, and cultural fit with BMO.
- Company Research: Research BMO's commitment to digital transformation and innovation. Understand the company's approach to reliability, availability, and performance in digital banking. Familiarize yourself with BMO's technology stack, including AWS, OpenShift, Linux, and WebSphere.
⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web technology industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.
Application Requirements
Candidates should have at least 7 years of relevant experience and a post-secondary degree in a related field. Strong hands-on troubleshooting skills and demonstrated leadership in technical settings are essential.