Director, Strategic Initiatives

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. 

The Director, Strategic Initiatives, serves as a key partner to the Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives & Product. This pivotal role is accountable for leading and supporting strategic business initiatives from concept to execution, collaborating closely with senior leadership. The role requires a deep understanding of business operations, strong analytical abilities, and excellent communication skills to prepare executive and board-level presentation materials, analyze business performance, and report on operational metrics. The Director plays a critical role in driving successful business outcomes by fostering a collaborative environment and ensuring alignment with the overall strategic vision of the Personal Banking division.

Let's talk about the responsibilities

• Lead and oversee strategic business initiatives from development through execution in partnership with senior leadership.
• Assist with decision-making, planning, and execution of strategic initiatives from initial concept to implementation.
• Improve current processes and optimize organizational procedures for enhanced efficiency and productivity.
• Act as a leader and liaison between various stakeholders, providing updates on strategy, problem-solving, and project management.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to manage daily operations and perform leadership and administrative tasks.
• Build and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to drive operational efficiency and responsiveness.
• Serve as a subject matter expert, addressing inquiries, developing action plans, and preparing communications on behalf of the Group Head and leadership team.
• Support project management, risk management, and other activities impacting Personal Banking as needed.
• Flexibly handle ad hoc duties to ensure smooth strategic, operational, administrative, and financial functions.

Let's talk about your qualification

• Have a strong academic background with MBA or comparable graduate degree.
• Have 10+ years of professional experience demonstrating strategic and operational success.
• Proven experience in banking, consulting, and fintech, with an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Strong critical thinking, analytical abilities, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage relationships across executive and senior levels.
• Experience working seamlessly across cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills.
• High tech savviness with a strong commitment to Equitable Bank’s strategy.

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!