Manager, Lending Operations

St. Anne's Office 540 St Anne's Rd Winnipeg, MB R2M 5R7, CAN Description Role Overview Reporting to the Vice President, Operations, the Manager, Lending Operations leads the Retail and Commercial Lending Administration teams to deliver efficient, consistent, and high‑quality service that supports an exceptional member experience. This role is accountable for optimizing lending operations by improving processes, enhancing service delivery, and leveraging digital capabilities and automation.

The Manager builds and leads a high‑performing team, fosters a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, and ensures operational practices align with organizational goals. This role also champions Assiniboine Credit Union/ Caisse Assiniboine (ACU)’s commitment to rural and agricultural communities, francophone services, values‑based banking and ACU’s triple bottom line accountability to people, planet, and prosperity. Key Accountabilities Promote a culture of member service excellence, change readiness, and willingness to challenge the status quo.

Responsible and accountable for applying broad end‑to‑end critical forward thinking to propel productivity as the operational efficiency subject matter expert. Mentor, motivate, coach and develop a high‑performing team through meaningful coaching sessions, clear communication and employee‑centric thinking. Responsible for ensuring training and development activities meet the needs of team members and support quality standards, policy and procedural knowledge and promote staff development.

Delegate responsibilities and create an environment where employees are motivated and held accountable to achieve required results. Responsible for creating annual SMART goals and initiatives, connecting goals to broader organizational priorities and working with all members of the team to realize goals. Responsible for the recruitment, selection and successful onboarding of new team members.

Lead team meetings and coach employees to deliver results. Adhere to Engaging with Purpose principles through the delivery of regular team huddles, monthly team meetings, one‑on‑one coaching meetings as well as observational coaching. Develops valuable and effective working relationships with member‑facing and support teams and key external contacts in order to provide an efficient, integrated, seamless experience for ACU members.

Act as a change agent, consulting on organizational projects to bring forward the voice of lending operations ensuring the end result meets the needs of the impacted teams. Accountable for building a values‑aligned culture that supports the execution of change initiatives; improves efficiency and achieves service excellence. Champion ACU’s commitment to rural and agricultural communities, francophone services, values‑based banking, respectful workplace and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Utilizing department data and insights, develop strategies and plans for the department that align with organizational goals and priorities. Develop and maintain relationships with strategic partners, vendors and CU peers to keep updated on credit trends and best practices; maintain awareness of vendor roadmaps, and hold vendors accountable to service level agreements. Explore opportunities to optimize existing relationships by taking advantage of new features/services that will improve ACU’s lending delivery processes.

Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to deliver projects and initiatives that improve member and employee experience, drive efficiency, and contribute to ACU’s strategic objectives. Engage with other areas of the business as needed to socialize, gain consensus, and implement cross‑functional improvements that can lead to enhanced member and/or employee experience. Responsible and accountable for developing and maintaining the annual Lending Operations department budget.

Identify operational inefficiencies, identify the root cause of issues, and identify opportunities and gaps in service delivery. Develop, recommend and implement plans to improve overall efficiency, quality and effectiveness by leveraging technology and automation. Lead lending operations through change management, communicate the need for change throughout the organization, and create an open and receptive environment.

Lending Administration – Retail, Commercial & Agricultural Establish department plans and priorities, timelines, accuracy and responsiveness targets and ensure the achievement of desired results. Build collaborative relationships with other leaders involved in the delivery of commercial, agricultural, retail lending, such as Risk, Commercial Support Retail & Wealth and Commercial/Agribusiness, to facilitate a holistic approach to process improvements. Hold team responsible for planning, organizing, scheduling and monitoring activities to ensure appropriate level of service is being delivered and that work flows effectively and efficiently.

Actively participate and champion improvement initiatives, and own deliverables resulting from these efforts and events. Work cross functionally. Negotiate and influence key stakeholders in addition to department employees to identify and achieve the best outcomes for the organization.

Accountable to coach Assistant Managers and other team members to identify areas of opportunity for the continuous improvement of departmental processes using basic Lean methodologies. Provide leadership to the Operations Coordinator team, ensuring a consistent experience for visitors and couriers to the 540 St. Anne’s Road location, and facilitating the regular mail and courier bag processes in conjunction with Facilities and Branch Support teams.

Escalation point for resolving complex problems and/or non‑routine member complaints referred by ACU leaders to ensure the needs of members, staff and the credit union are met. Provides senior level subject matter expertise and support to project and implementation teams. Create and implement member service commitments based on service industry best practices.

Measure success of strategic initiatives against service commitments. Compliance & Risk Mitigate risk through adherence to policy and procedures, and hold team accountable to meeting compliance standards of all legislative and internal requirements. Accountable to ensure management oversight is occurring within the lending operations department, through the completion of associated department verification functions, to mitigate risk to the credit union.

Required to keep strictly confidential the affairs of anyone whose private information becomes available to them in the course of their duties. Designate the appropriate segregation of duties and completion of associated department verification functions to protect Assiniboine Credit Union against loss. Review internal controls and risk management reports regularly to ensure appropriate monitoring and follow up activities.

Provide assistance in preparing accurate reports and pertinent information for auditors and/or credit union board members. Education & Experience The competencies for this position would typically be acquired through the completion of a post‑secondary degree or diploma in Business or a related field, plus a minimum of 5 years of experience in financial services, lending operations, and/or administration, including at least 3 years of formal leadership experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience will also be considered.

Key Occupational Skills Knowledge of and experience leveraging lean/continuous improvement methodologies. Effective and experienced leader, committed to regular coaching and professional development. Demonstrated ability to lead business process transformation and continuous improvement.

Ability to build and nurture relationships across the organization. Knowledge of applicable regulatory, compliance, and risk management requirements. Strong knowledge of financial services operations, lending administration processes, relevant technologies, and supporting policies and procedures.

Demonstrated alignment with ACU’s Money doing more purpose, values‑based banking, and triple bottom line accountability. Location & Work Environment This position is anticipated to be a hybrid role, with occasional travel required to locations across Manitoba to support organizational and employee needs. We are committed to workforce diversity and actively recruit people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives reflecting the community in which we live and work.

Applicants may request reasonable accommodation related to the materials and activities used throughout the selection process. #J-18808-Ljbffr