Senior Manager, Credit Policy & Industry Programs

Canadian Business Banking is focused on delivering market-leading lending solutions that enable profitable growth, deepen customer relationships, and support BMO's Ambition 2030 objectives. Our success depends on maintaining competitive credit policies and differentiated lending programs that balance growth, risk, customer experience, and portfolio performance.

This role offers an opportunity to influence the strategic direction of Business Banking lending by identifying market opportunities, leading policy modernization initiatives, and managing specialized industry lending programs that support targeted growth segments. Through strong partnerships across the organization, you will help ensure our credit framework remains competitive, scalable, and aligned with evolving customer needs and market dynamics.

The Senior Manager, Credit Policy & Industry Programs is responsible for the development, enhancement, and optimization of Canadian Business Banking credit policies and specialized industry lending programs that support profitable growth and strategic market expansion. The role leads the identification, assessment, and recommendation of policy improvements and program enhancements designed to strengthen competitive positioning while maintaining alignment with BMO's risk appetite and Enterprise Risk Management Framework.

Working closely with distribution teams, credit risk partners, product groups, portfolio management, and other stakeholders, the incumbent continuously assesses market competitiveness, identifies barriers to growth, and develops strategic recommendations to improve client acquisition, retention, and share of wallet outcomes. The incumbent manages a portfolio of industry-focused lending programs and strategic initiatives that support Business Banking growth priorities. These programs are designed to enhance BMO's ability to compete in targeted sectors, deliver differentiated client value propositions, and enable responsible growth within approved risk parameters.

Key Accountabilities

• Evaluates market intelligence, channel feedback, industry trends, and competitive positioning to identify opportunities for policy enhancements and business growth, while balancing risk/return.
• Develops recommendations that improve client experience, banker effectiveness, operational efficiency, loan quality and portfolio performance.
• Partners with relationship management and branch distribution teams to understand competitive challenges, emerging client needs, and opportunities to improve lending competitiveness.
• Owns and manages a suite of specialized industry lending programs that support strategic growth segments and differentiated market positioning.
• Develops business cases and policy proposals, including assessment of growth opportunities, risk implications, operational impacts, and financial outcomes.
• Collaborates with Risk Management, Portfolio Management, Product, Legal, Compliance, Operations, and Technology partners to design and implement policy and program enhancements.
• Monitors industry program and policy performance, identifying opportunities for optimization and ensuring outcomes align with business and risk objectives.
• Provides subject matter expertise and strategic guidance on credit policy matters, industry trends, regulatory developments, and competitive market practices.
• Supports the development of multi-year policy and industry program roadmaps aligned to Canadian Business Banking strategic priorities and Ambition 2030 growth objectives.
• Ensures adherence to BMO's Enterprise Risk Management Framework, applicable policies, governance standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Prepares and presents recommendations, reporting, and strategic insights to senior leadership and governance committees.
• Fosters a culture aligned to BMO purpose, values and strategy and role models BMO values and behaviours in all that they do.
• Ensures alignment between values and behaviour that foster diversity and inclusion.
• Regularly connects work to BMO’s purpose, sets inspirational goals, defines clear expected outcomes, and ensures clear accountability for follow through.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Commerce, or a related discipline.
• 7+ years of financial services experience with significant exposure to business banking lending, credit policy, credit adjudication, portfolio management, or risk management.
• Strong understanding of business banking lending products, credit risk management principles, and policy governance frameworks.
• Proven experience developing, interpreting, or implementing credit policy and lending program strategies.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex issues into actionable recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and drive change across multiple business partners and functions.
• Strong financial, analytical, and business acumen.
• Superior communication and presentation skills with experience preparing executive-level recommendations.
• Knowledge of competitive business banking lending practices, industry sectors, and market trends is preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.