VICE PRESIDENT / SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, LENDING
Confidential Senior Leadership Opportunity | Non-Bank Financial Institution | West End of the GTA
The Opportunity
Our client, an established non-bank financial institution with a presence in the Canadian lending market, is seeking a senior lending executive to lead its residential and commercial lending operations and drive the continued growth and performance of its lending portfolio.
Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the successful candidate will provide strategic and operational leadership across lending origination, credit underwriting, portfolio administration, risk management and product development. This individual will play a key role in shaping the institution’s lending strategy, strengthening broker and referral relationships, enhancing operational effectiveness and ensuring a disciplined approach to sustainable portfolio growth.
This is an opportunity for an accomplished lending professional who combines strong commercial acumen and credit expertise with the leadership capabilities to build high-performing teams, identify new market opportunities and deliver results in a competitive lending environment.
Location: West end of the GTA
Work Arrangement: On-site, five days per week
Level: Vice President / Senior Vice President
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Business Performance
- Develop and execute the annual lending strategy, operating plan and budget in alignment with the institution’s broader business objectives.
- Partner with the President & CEO and senior leadership team to establish lending priorities, growth targets and performance measures.
- Monitor business performance, portfolio trends and budget variances, providing regular reporting, insights and recommendations to senior management.
- Identify opportunities to expand lending activities, strengthen market positioning and improve operational efficiency.
Residential & Commercial Lending
- Oversee residential and commercial mortgage lending, including origination, credit adjudication, underwriting, modifications, subordinations and ongoing portfolio administration.
- Ensure lending decisions align with established credit policies, risk appetite, underwriting standards and business objectives.
- Drive responsible portfolio growth while maintaining strong credit quality, effective arrears management and appropriate risk controls.
- Strengthen origination channels and referral relationships, including mortgage brokers and other business partners, to support sustainable business development.
Credit Risk, Governance & Regulatory Compliance
- Review and enhance lending policies, underwriting guidelines and procedures to reflect regulatory requirements, market conditions and the institution’s risk appetite.
- Identify emerging credit and operational risks, assess portfolio performance and recommend appropriate mitigation strategies.
- Ensure lending practices, processes and documentation adhere to applicable legislation, regulatory expectations and internal standards.
- Provide senior management with insight into portfolio quality, arrears, credit trends and other key risk indicators.
Product Development & Market Strategy
- Monitor residential and commercial lending markets, competitor offerings, pricing trends and evolving customer and broker needs.
- Recommend and implement lending product enhancements, pricing strategies and new product initiatives that support competitiveness and profitability.
- Identify opportunities to improve the lending experience, streamline processes and strengthen the institution’s value proposition.
- Oversee the implementation of approved lending initiatives, ensuring effective communication, training and execution.
Operational Excellence & Technology
- Oversee lending administration, systems and processes to support efficient, consistent and scalable operations.
- Partner with technology and other internal stakeholders to identify system enhancements, improve workflows and support the implementation of approved initiatives.
- Establish appropriate performance measures and reporting processes to monitor productivity, service levels, turnaround times and overall departmental effectiveness.
Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead, mentor and develop a high-performing lending team across origination, underwriting and administration.
- Establish clear performance expectations, departmental objectives and individual development plans.
- Oversee recruitment, succession planning, employee development and performance management.
- Foster a collaborative, accountable and service-oriented culture that supports business growth, sound credit practices and continuous improvement.
Business Development & Industry Engagement
- Maintain strong relationships with brokers, referral sources and other key industry partners.
- Monitor business pipelines and lending activity to support current and future funding and portfolio objectives.
- Represent the institution at relevant industry events, business development initiatives and promotional activities.
- Identify emerging opportunities and market developments that may influence lending strategy and future growth.
Qualifications & Experience
- Significant senior-level experience in residential and commercial mortgage lending, ideally within a bank, non-bank financial institution or other established lending organization.
- A proven track record of leading lending operations, credit underwriting, portfolio management and business development.
- Strong knowledge of mortgage credit adjudication, underwriting standards, lending policies, risk management and regulatory compliance.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and execute lending strategies that balance portfolio growth, profitability, credit quality and risk.
- Experience building, leading and developing teams across lending origination, credit and administration.
- Strong commercial acumen, analytical capabilities and experience using portfolio performance data to inform strategic decisions.
- Established relationships within the mortgage broker community and a solid understanding of the Canadian residential and commercial lending markets.
- Experience with lending systems, process improvement and operational change initiatives.
- Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at the executive level.
Leadership Profile
The ideal candidate is a commercially minded, hands-on executive who can operate strategically while maintaining a strong understanding of day-to-day lending operations. They bring sound credit judgment, a disciplined approach to risk, a growth-oriented mindset and the ability to develop trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
This individual will be comfortable working closely with the President & CEO, senior leadership team and board members, taking ownership of results and translating business strategy into measurable lending performance.
Interested in learning more?
For a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact Shan Collins at: scollins@collinsrecruit.com
