VP/SVP, Lending Operations - CanWise Financial

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a VP/SVP, Lending Operations - CanWise Financial based in Canada. This executive leadership role will build, launch, and operate a lending operations function for a Canadian mortgage lender. You’ll have end-to-end ownership of underwriting and servicing operations, from operating model design and technology implementation through scaling and continuous improvement. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution across people, processes, technology, compliance, risk, and financial performance. You’ll build high-performing teams, establish operational controls, and create the infrastructure needed to support significant lending growth. Working closely with executive leaders and cross-functional partners, you’ll shape how the lending business manages performance, customer service, regulatory obligations, and risk. The position also involves developing funder relationships, default-management capabilities, operational reporting, and scalable service standards. This is an opportunity to build a critical financial-services operation from the ground up within a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment.

Build and lead the end-to-end lending operations function, establishing the operating model for underwriting and servicing from initial design and implementation through ongoing optimization. Develop and own underwriting and servicing policies, workflows, controls, procedures, and service standards that support consistent, efficient, and compliant operations. Evaluate, select, and implement lending technology platforms supporting underwriting, servicing, workflow management, reporting, and operational controls. Define the organizational structure, capabilities, roles, and operating rhythms required to support the lending function. Recruit, develop, and lead high-performing underwriting, servicing, and operational teams, including workforce planning and performance management. Establish the operational infrastructure required for provincial licensing, mortgage administrator registrations, and other applicable Canadian regulatory requirements. Own compliance and risk controls across lending operations, including FINTRAC/AML, KYC, documentation, monitoring, policies, and procedures. Establish and manage operational relationships with funders and lending partners, including onboarding, service-level expectations, reporting, issue resolution, and ongoing performance management. Build default-management capabilities covering arrears, collections, workouts, escalation procedures, controls, and third-party relationships. Establish KPIs, SLAs, dashboards, and reporting frameworks to monitor underwriting and servicing performance and identify opportunities for improvement. Identify operational bottlenecks and drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, service quality, scalability, and risk management. Maintain accountability for the operational P&L, including staffing, operating costs, third-party expenses, productivity, and other financial drivers. Partner with Product, Technology, Finance, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Sales, Marketing, and other senior stakeholders to align the lending operating model with broader business objectives. Develop scalable processes and infrastructure capable of supporting substantial growth in lending volumes while maintaining service levels, regulatory compliance, risk controls, and sustainable unit economics. Provide executive-level reporting and recommendations on operational performance, financial results, risks, opportunities, and strategic priorities. Act as the senior operational leader for the lending function, balancing long-term strategy with hands-on involvement in complex operational challenges and new-function development. Requirements 15+ years of progressive experience in lending, mortgage operations, banking, financial services, or a closely related field, including significant leadership responsibility. Demonstrated experience building and scaling lending operations, ideally within a mortgage lender, financial institution, fintech, or high-growth financial-services environment. Proven ability to take end-to-end ownership of an operating function, from strategy and operating-model design through implementation, launch, optimization, and scale. Deep understanding of mortgage underwriting and servicing, including credit policies, adjudication, funding, administration, servicing, arrears, collections, and default management. Experience evaluating lending technology vendors, selecting technology solutions, and leading complex platform implementations. Demonstrated success building and leading operational teams, including organizational design, executive hiring, workforce planning, performance management, and talent development. Strong knowledge of the Canadian mortgage regulatory environment , including provincial licensing and mortgage administrator requirements. Experience managing FINTRAC/AML and KYC requirements in a lending or financial-services environment, with a strong understanding of the operational controls required for compliance. Experience establishing and managing relationships with funders, lenders, institutional partners, or other financial counterparties, including onboarding and service-level agreements. Strong understanding of lending economics and P&L management, with the ability to balance costs, productivity, service levels, risk, and growth. Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, including experience using operational and financial data to identify opportunities and improve performance. Ability to operate effectively in an entrepreneurial, high-growth environment while maintaining appropriate governance, regulatory discipline, and risk management. Excellent executive communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to collaborate across business, technology, product, finance, risk, compliance, and legal functions. Strategic and hands-on leadership approach, with the ability to establish overall direction while also engaging deeply in operational details and complex problems. Undergraduate degree in business, finance, economics , or a related discipline. Relevant professional designations or graduate-level education are considered an asset. Experience in fintech, private-equity-backed, or entrepreneurial environments is considered an asset. Strong alignment with a culture centered on customer needs, continuous learning, accountability, collaboration, problem-solving, measurement, iteration, and innovation. Benefits Competitive executive-level compensation aligned with experience and the Canadian market. Fully remote, Canada-based working environment. Flexible working hours and autonomy over your schedule. Occasional in-person team gatherings to support collaboration and relationship building. Individual training allowance for professional development and career growth. Regular remote and in-person team social events. Opportunity to build and lead a lending operations function with broad executive-level ownership. Significant influence over operational strategy, technology, team structure, processes, and scalability. Opportunity to work across mortgage lending, fintech, technology, risk, compliance, and financial operations. Accommodation available throughout the selection process for candidates with disabilities.

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