Senior Director, Specialized Lending and Credit Initiatives

A career as a Senior Director, Specialized Lending and Credit Initiatives on the Credit Risk and Portfolio Management team at the National Bank of Canada means acting as an expert in the development of strategic credit initiatives focused on creating value for the Commercial Bank and its clients. Through leveraging your extensive experience originating, underwriting and/or adjudicating complex Commercial/Corporate Banking transactions, you will lead and develop credit initiatives and lending programs that drive business growth while managing portfolio risk. In doing so, you will have a positive impact on partners, colleagues and the profitability of the Bank.

As the Senior Director, Specialized Initiatives and Lending Programs, you will be responsible for leading major credit initiatives through close collaboration with partners across the Commercial Bank, Credit Risk Management, Operations and Capital Markets, among other groups. You are an experienced banking leader that can leverage your extensive experience to optimize lending parameters and programs while balancing risk and reward. By leveraging your credit and transaction expertise, you will define key priorities for credit initiatives that are aligned with the Commercial Bank’s objectives and maximize impact for the Bank.

Your Role

• Manage highly complex strategic credit initiatives and large lending envelopes that require significant depth of credit and Commercial/Corporate Banking experience.
• Create new lending programs and credit frameworks that address critical issues raised by the business-line and that help advance the strategic goals of the Bank.
• Responsible for making sound recommendations with respect to new lending initiatives/credit envelopes and collaborating with Credit Risk and other relevant stakeholders.
• As required. represent and advocate for the Commercial Bank’s interests at various internal Bank committees, alongside the Head, Credit Risk and Portfolio Management, and interface with senior executives to justify business-line recommendations.
• Oversee and help implement credit training initiatives impacting the Commercial Bank to ensure that skill deficiencies are addressed and that the needs of the business-line are met.
• Maintain strong relationships with internal partners in order to collaborate and execute on priority mandates.
• Keep abreast of the latest trends and dynamics within the Commercial and Corporate Banking industry.

Your Team

Reporting to the Head of Credit Risk and Portfolio Management, Commercial Banking, you will work alongside a team of Commercial Banking professionals recognized for their ability to deliver on strategic credit mandates through their cash flow expertise, understanding of deposit profitability, market knowledge, collaboration with different teams and strong team spirit.

We offer a wide range of ongoing learning opportunities to enrich your development, including hands‑on learning, training courses, and collaboration with colleagues who have varied profiles and expertise.

Prerequisites

• Bachelor's degree related to industry and ten years of relevant Commercial Banking/Corporate Banking experience or Master's degree related to industry and seven years of relevant Commercial Banking/Corporate Banking experience or University certificate and twelve years of relevant Commercial Banking/Corporate Banking experience.
• Experience structuring and managing large, complex transactions. This experience is typically obtained through several years working on an upper mid-market Commercial Banking portfolio in an underwriting and relationship management capacity. It can also be obtained through experience in Corporate Banking.
• Ability to lead strategic credit initiatives end-to-end from conception to implementation, often in the face of ambiguity and competing priorities.
• Effective communication skills with the ability to make reasoned recommendations to senior leadership and other key stakeholders in a clear, concise manner.
• Excellent knowledge of Commercial/Corporate Banking products, credit adjudication and associated financing processes.
• Influential leadership and communication skills with the ability to effectively collaborate with partner groups to advance common objectives.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to operate through ambiguity while developing solutions that address business-line needs.