15 Oct
Equitable Group
Toronto
Join a Challenger
Being a traditional bank just isn’t our thing. We are big believers in innovating the banking experience because we believe Canadians deserve better options, and we challenge ourselves and our teams to creatively transform what’s possible in banking. Our team is made up of inquisitive and agile minds that find smarter ways of doing things. If you’re not afraid of taking on big challenges and redefining the future, you belong with us. You’ll get to work with people who will encourage you to reach new heights. We like to keep things fun, ask questions and learn together.
We are a big (and growing!) family. Overall we serve more than 670,000 people across Canada through Equitable Bank, Canada's Challenger Bank,
and have been around for more than 50 years. Equitable Bank's wholly-owned subsidiary, Concentra Bank, supports credit unions across Canada that serve more than six million members. Together we have over $125 billion in combined assets under management and administration, with a clear mandate to drive change in Canadian banking to enrich people's lives. Our customers have named our EQ Bank digital platform (eqbank.ca) one of the top banks in Canada on the Forbes World's Best Banks list since 2021.
Purpose of Job
Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), the VP Enterprise Technology & Data will be accountable for delivery, support, and strategic transformation for the Bank’s Enterprise Technology portfolio which includes Finance, Risk, HR and Enterprise Data Platform technologies & relationships. The VP is part of the senior Technology executive team that will enable EQ Bank’s Challenger Bank aspiration using cloud-native technologies and modern delivery methodologies.
They are an executive leader that has the primary enterprise accountability of the organization’s data platform to drive value for analytics users and measurable business outcomes. This includes creating and aligning the executive teams on the Organizational target state, changes required, investment and measurable business outcomes. The VP needs to apply prior experience to get big transformations and projects over the finish line.
This is a time of significant digital transformation & modernization for the function, and this role is at the leading edge of driving an advanced target state technology vision and roadmap to rapidly advance risk & finance capabilities via data management, data governance, calculations, analytics & reporting,
and system modernizations. The leader will be the bank’s enterprise data platform champion, to leap from a legacy data warehouse approach, towards a Cloud Data Platform utilizing the latest Fabric technologies to meet core operation and modernization needs while enabling modern analytics and AI capabilities. Creating and executing against a well-thought out and pragmatic strategy that considers People & Process changes in addition to Technology will be critical to establish a new Data Platform operating model.
The VP requires lived experience in designing and implementing Enterprise data solutions and operating models, in a control environment that meets regulatory and quality needs while also providing flexibility for our Challenger Bank growth aspirations.
Significant leadership and change skillsets are required to drive a common vision, plan, solution, and organizational change management to achieve our Data objectives. Specifically, the VP must demonstrate a robust understanding of Enterprise & Credit Risk Management, including Basel, AIRB, BCBS-239, IFRS9, and other Canadian regulatory needs.
Given significant collaboration, the VP role is expected to be primarily in our vibrant office at 351 King Street East, Toronto, with some flexibility for hybrid work when needed (4+ days per week in office). We’re currently building a new office (8 floors of great people) next door to support our growth as well.
You will have direct accountability for software delivery and quality within the portfolio,
and are expected to provide both breadth and depth across Application Design, Build, Testing, Implementations, and Tech Application Operations. Furthermore, the VP will be accountable to evolve hybrid delivery models towards a more Agile delivery model to ensure continuous delivery of value impactful outcomes and key results.
The VP is also accountable for non-functional and parts of Tech operations such as resilience, security, and scalability and actively managing triage and resolution of application outages and problems.
The VP will manage costs and benefits to ensure continued re-investment based on our Return on Equity model application. The VP will also oversee vendor sourcing, contracts, performance,
and ongoing costs with support from Enterprise teams to ensure risk and value are appropriately managed.
This VP will collaborate closely with other internal Technology Executives across Cloud Platforms & Operations, Cybersecurity, Upstream Application portfolio teams (source systems), and other external Partners and Vendors. In addition to core business relationships across Finance, Risk, HR and Enterprise Data, the VP will need to establish working relationships across all areas of the Enterprise to champion the Challenger Bank vision to improve our customers, employees and shareholder value through advancing data and operational effectiveness.
Main Activities
- Lead and govern the team to create, plan,
and estimate comprehensive end-to-end detailed solutions with overall accountability for the technology design and delivery of large-scale, complex, or enterprise projects
- Maintain authority and accountability for exploiting the value of enterprise information assets, and of the analytics used to render insights for decision making, automated decisions and augmentation of human performance.
- Build partnerships with executive leadership and board members to establish the vision for managing data as a business asset.
- Define data and analytics vision, strategy and associated practices.
- Institute an enterprise operating model for data and analytics that is consistent with the capabilities and competencies required to execute the strategy.
- Identify internal and external stakeholders and their goals.
- Express business outcomes in terms of your stakeholders.
- Focus on business outcomes, not reporting.
- Connect with stakeholders to identify unmet needs that expose new opportunities.
- Manage the broader Technology department relationship with Enterprise business units.
- Provide executive leadership to grow and evolve the maturity and capabilities of the technologists in the portfolio.
- Prime the Data Management team to attract top talent.
- Plan and manage overall NIX budget of the portfolio for both Run the Bank and Change the Bank.
- Lead the creation and maintenance of a multi-year IT technology blueprint for the portfolio.
- Direct accountability for software delivery within the portfolio.
- Establish and oversee Tech Ops & Delivery KPIs, metrics, and governance across the portfolio.
- Research and provide technical expertise on emerging industry trends and digital technologies.
- Champion the creation, maintenance and validation of Tech Resilience and business continuity plans.
- Ensure operational stability, resilience, and compliance with controls & standards.
Accountability
- Incumbents will run their department with a fair degree of independence and their performance and that of the team is directly accountable to the CIO.
- The incumbent will have a positive track record of advising and providing expert knowledge/recommendations on value added technology improvements/enhancements.
- The role is critical to the successful execution of Equitable’s Challenger Bank mandate and digital transformation.
- The role leads the tech enablement of Enterprise departments’ business objectives and outcomes.
Job Complexities / Thinking Challenges
- The incumbent will have successfully overseen the smooth execution and delivery of large, complex systems and programs.
- The position requires the incumbent to be a self-starter and make sound decisions efficiently.
- This position will require an individual to be creative and flexible.
- The position also requires the ability to work in ambiguously defined situations.
- The role requires the ability to develop and implement strategies to achieve business objectives.
- The VP will be required to conceptualize and think abstractly within a technically complex environment.
Key Technical Accountabilities:
- Own the integration of the end-to-end toolset that supports the SDLC.
- Evaluate core operational and delivery processes.
- Provide leadership and direction to the SDLC practice leads.
- Work in concert with all BUs and Operations Management Leads.
- Develop and implement department-wide metrics dashboards.
- Govern technology project delivery to ensure scope is delivered on time.
- Plan, design and verify through performance testing that solutions are scalable.
- Provide leadership to resolve delivery issues and mitigate delivery risks.
- Be bold in declaring when an initiative needs attention.
- Establish and manage governance and relationships with key suppliers and partners.
Key People Management Accountabilities:
- Demonstrate strong people leadership.
- Excellence in managerial leadership and motivation.
- Create a team culture that is consistent with the organization's.
- Plan and allocate resources to effectively accomplish the team’s deliverables.
- Lead employees to meet the organization's expectations for productivity.
Key Internal and External Contacts
- The incumbent will report to the CTO.
- The incumbent will work closely with internal departments.
- The incumbent will need to interact with external stakeholders.
Executive Knowledge and Skill Requirements
- Minimum of 15+ years of experience in technology, business data analytics and consulting roles.
- Post-secondary degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business or related technical degree.
- Business and financial acumen.
- Proven success in cultural transformation.
- Strong experience with all facets of the software development life cycle.
- Expert at leading change.
- Strong track record of large program deliveries and people management.
- Proven managerial leadership skills.
- Exemplary interpersonal and presentation skills.
- Proven track record to lead the product life cycle.
What we offer [For full-time permanent roles]
Competitive discretionary bonus
Market leading RRSP match program
Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits
Employee Share Purchase Plan
Maternity/Parental top-up while you care for your little one
Generous vacation policy, personal days and even a moving day
Virtual events to connect with your fellow colleagues
Annual professional development allowance and a comprehensive Career Development program
A fulfilling opportunity to join one of the top FinTechs and help create a new kind of banking experience
The incumbent will be working hybrid and in office time will be spent working from Equitable Bank’s additional office space located at 351 King Street East, Toronto, ON.
Equitable Bank is deeply committed to inclusion. Our organization is stronger and our employees thrive when we honour and celebrate everyone’s diverse experiences and perspectives. In tandem with that commitment, we support and encourage our staff to grow not just in their career path, but personally as well.
We commit to providing a barrier-free recruitment process and work environment for all applicants. Please let us know of any accommodations needed so that you can bring your best self to the application process and beyond. All candidates considered for hire must successfully pass a criminal background check and credit check to qualify for hire. While we appreciate your interest in applying, an Equitable recruiter will only contact leading candidates whose skills and qualifications closely match the requirements of the position.
We can’t wait to get to know you!
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▶️ Vice President, Enterprise Technology & Data
🖊️ Equitable Group
📍 Toronto