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.

COMPENSATION:

• Competitive annual base salary, bonus, and comprehensive benefits package.

If this opportunity is of interest to you, please forward your resume to Shan Collins at scollins@collinsrecruit.com.

All inquiries and applications will be held in the strictest confidence.