VP/SVP, Lending Operations - CanWise Financial in New York at Jobgether

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.

• 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.

• 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.