Director, Process Excellence & Automation

Why DUCA? 

We’re a vibrant, exciting credit union that lives its "profits with a purpose" philosophy in every financial transaction, product, interest rate, and community initiative we offer. Founded in 1954, DUCA has grown from a single branch credit union in Toronto to 19 branches across Southern Ontario with over 85,000 Members we are proud to serve.  

We exist to help People, Businesses and Communities Do More, Be More, and Achieve More™ . 

DUCA () is distinguished for the following: 

• Positive, un-big bank like service experience delivered through Member-facing staff in branch, on the phone (Member-Connect) and via our Mobile mortgage specialists, Wealth Management advisors and Commercial and Business Banking Account Managers. 
• Competitive rates.
• Personalized financial solutions, guidance, and service with the lowest possible fees for both Personal and Business Members.
• Profit sharing among Members.
• Multiple ways to bank—online, mobile app, phone/full-service Member Connect Contact Centre, and, of course, in-branch—DUCA is accessible 24/7 
• A community philosophy of “profits with a purpose” culminating in the creation of the DUCA Impact Lab ( a charitable foundation committed to helping the credit challenged and underbanked.  This led to DUCA's designation as a B-Corp certified organization, the first ever credit union to receive this global recognition.

A career with DUCA means you’ll find endless opportunities to make a difference with your unique abilities and perspectives. Our people live their purpose while helping others Do more, Be more and Achieve more with their money and their lives.   At DUCA, you’ll be part of a vibrant and collaborative team where you’ll be supported to excel and make an impact, no matter what role you play. 

Director, Process Excellence & Automation

DUCA is looking for a Director, Process Excellence & Automation to join our growing team! 

Job Purpose & Summary

The Director, Process Excellence & Automation is responsible for leading DUCA’s Centre of Excellence and driving continuous process improvement initiatives across the organization. This role will define and execute on DUCA’s process improvement and automation journey. The Director will partner with a broad network of internal and external stakeholders to identify, prioritize and implement process improvements that enhance operational efficiency and employee and Member experience.

Key Accountabilities & Duties

• Develop processes and lead automation initiatives to drive business goals, objectives, and programs by analyzing data, assessing current performance baselines, identifying gaps, opportunities, and improvement solutions.
• Act as a transformation champion and thought leader with an understanding of business operations and automation industry trends, and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Establish and lead DUCA’s Center of Excellence by providing education, best practices, standards, and resources to deliver a successful program, including monitoring program performance metrics.
• Manage the Process Center of Excellence (CoE) intake process, prioritizing requests and implementing opportunities for process improvement, automation, and AI.
• Recommend applications, tools, and custom development opportunities to support DUCA’s automation needs.
• Lead improvement efforts in collaboration with process owners to identify process improvement, automation and AI opportunities including requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment and support of automation solutions.
• Proactively partner with business leaders and process owners to develop operational strategies that simplify processes; provide guidance on company policies, practices and procedures; and ensure appropriate controls, tools, and materials are in place to support adoption of process improvement initiatives.
• Develop strategies and recommendations for process excellence and automation projects, including business benefits, costs, implementation approaches, training plans, and project management from pilot through implementation stage to enable sustainable business processes.
• Facilitate training and workshops, assess organizational readiness for change, manage stakeholder expectations, and provide consultation to target business groups to support the successful adoption of process improvement initiatives.
• Manage project portfolio and prioritize deliverables as determined by business needs.
• Lead change agent in the implementation of Lean across DUCA including establishing standards, metrics, employee training, kaizen workshops, value stream management and after-action reviews.
• Manage all forms internal or member-facing within DUCA using MS forms and Adobe.

Occupational Experience & Education Requirements

• University degree preferably in Business Administration or related field, MBA considered an asset
• 5+ years of experience of leading process excellence and automation teams
• 5+ years of experience managing large and medium scale transformational projects in complex environments
• 3 - 5 years’ people management experience
• Experience assembling and managing cross-functional teams
• Proven track record of driving change through influence and leading cross-functional teams through ambiguity
• Prior experience of setting up a Centre of Excellence for Lean or process automation
• Experience developing and implementing RPA solutions
• Experience in thought leadership and championing the implementation of new ideas
• Demonstrated experience in Lean Six Sigma, LSS Black Belt considered an asset
• Other complimentary CI Certifications such as Scrum, PMP, Change Management, etc. considered an asset
• Previous experience of using automation tools such as Blue Prism, UI path, Power automate is an added advantage

  Knowledge, Skills & Attributes

• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Superior ability to synthesize diverse and complex information and data
• Excellent people skills, to enable long-lasting working relationships, both within DUCA and across the business ecosystem
• Proficient in Visio, Word, Excel and PowerPoint; familiarity with Microsoft Project considered an asset
• Independent and highly motivated
• Strong influencing and negotiating skills sufficient to shape thinking and decisions while responding to underlying concerns or multiple interests
• Excellent analytical ability, organizational, problem solving, and leadership skills
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate, build relationships, train, and develop along with and other people management skills
• Thorough knowledge of Lean and Continuous Improvement Techniques, Systems and Processes

Working Conditions

• Normal office environment

Department:  Operations

Primary Location:  Corporate Office 

Employment Status:  Full-Time 

Hours per Week: 38

Salary:  The annual salary range for this position is $102,250 to $127,813.  Actual annual base salaries will vary depending on relevant job-related factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, qualifications, and education/training. This position may be eligible for discretionary bonuses.

Number of Existing Vacancies: 1 

DUCA is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates. Recruitment related accommodations will be provided upon request.

Our hiring process includes AI screening for keywords and minimum qualifications. Talent Acquisition Partners review all results.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to submit their application.  Applications must include a resume.

We thank all applicants but only those considered for an interview will be contacted.