Business Advisor - Special Accounts

Innovation Credit Union Limited; Calgary; Hybrid; CAD 89,000 - 122,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

7% employer‑matched pension plan

Extended health benefits

Employee and family assistance program

Staff loan rate starting Day 1

Job summary

Innovation Federal Credit Union is seeking a Business Advisor – Special Accounts to manage a portfolio of high‑risk agricultural, commercial, and business lending relationships. You will perform advanced credit analysis and underwriting to support member outcomes while protecting the credit union's financial strength.

The role requires skills in negotiation, relationship management, and coaching, with a focus on risk mitigation and strong adherence to lending standards.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills.
• Coaching skills for lending staff and advisors.
• Strong analytical abilities for credit risk assessment and underwriting.
• Experience with complex lending and risk management practices.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of high‑risk agricultural, commercial, and business lending relationships.
• Identify solutions for financially challenged members while protecting the credit union's interests.
• Monitor watch lists, delinquency, overdraft and loan reporting to identify risk.
• Collaborate with Business Advisors, Retail, Loss Prevention and Credit teams to implement action plans.
• Perform advanced credit analysis, loan reviews, and adjudication for complex lending requests.
• Assess financial statements, cash flow, collateral, and risk factors to inform lending decisions.
• Explain risk assessments to committees and provide monitoring reports to support risk objectives.
• Mentor and coach lending teams in credit analysis and underwriting best practices.

Skills

Communication

Negotiation

Relationship management

Coaching

Education

Post-secondary education in commerce/finance/agriculture

Tools

Microsoft 365 suite (Excel, Teams, Power BI, Power Automate, Viva, Copilot)

Job description

• Pay or shift range: $89,079 CAD to $122,484 CAD
  Please note that the successful candidate will be offered an annual salary that falls within the posted salary range, and in alignment with our internal pay equity practices.

Description

Business Advisor - Special Accounts

The Business Advisor – Special Accounts brings deep expertise in credit adjudication, risk management, complex lending, and problem account resolution to support both our members and the long-term financial strength of the credit union. This role is focused on both managing and rehabilitating high-risk business, agricultural, and commercial relationships, and on advanced credit analysis and underwriting activities. The successful candidate will play a critical role in balancing member solutions with sound risk management practices.

We are looking for candidates with exceptional analytical, negotiation, and relationship management skills, a strong understanding of agricultural and commercial lending, and the ability to make sound credit decisions. The key responsibilities for this role include:

• Manage a portfolio of high-risk agricultural, commercial, and business lending relationships, developing strategies to reduce risk exposure and support member success.
• Work directly with members experiencing financial challenges to identify solutions that improve their financial position while protecting the credit union's interests.
• Monitor watch list, delinquency, overdraft, and monitored loan reporting to proactively identify emerging risk and implement corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Business Advisors, Retail teams, Loss Prevention, and Credit teams to develop and execute action plans for higher-risk borrowing relationships.
• Complete advanced credit analysis, loan reviews, annual reviews, and adjudication activities for commercial, agricultural, and complex lending requests.
• Assess financial statements, cash flow projections, credit reports, collateral, and risk factors to support informed lending decisions and recommendations.
• Evaluate credit structures, repayment capacity, collateral adequacy, and lending risks while ensuring compliance with applicable legislation, policies, and lending standards.
• Present recommendations and risk assessments to lending and adjudication committees as required.
• Prepare monitoring reports and provide ongoing portfolio analysis to support organizational risk objectives and financial strength.
• Coach, mentor, and provide technical guidance to Business Advisors and lending teams in the areas of credit analysis, underwriting, risk management, and problem account resolution.
• Identify opportunities to improve lending processes, underwriting practices, and credit quality across the organization.
• Utilize digital tools and technology to enhance efficiency, strengthen risk management practices, and support an exceptional member and employee experience.
• Must have the ability to travel and provide regional support as required.
  • Innovation's Travel Practice Guidelines will be followed.

Qualifications:

• Completion of post‑secondary education in commerce, business administration, agriculture, finance, accounting, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in agricultural, commercial, and/or business lending, including advanced credit analysis and underwriting.
• Strong understanding of credit risk management principles, portfolio risk assessment, loan structuring, and problem account management.
• Demonstrated experience adjudicating and monitoring complex lending relationships and higher‑risk credit exposures.
• Experience with Commercial CMHC‑insured lending, commercial real estate financing, and related compliance requirements.
• Proven ability to analyze financial statements, assess repayment capacity, and develop effective risk mitigation strategies.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, relationship management, and coaching skills.
• Detail‑oriented and risk‑aware, contributing to the safeguarding of the organization’s assets, reputation, and regulatory obligations.
• Proficient in digital literacy, including critical thinking, problem solving, and the use of modern lending and risk management technologies.
• Comfortable utilizing Microsoft 365 applications including Excel, Teams, Power BI, Power Automate, Viva, and Copilot.

About Us

Hi! We’re Innovation Federal Credit Union. Our purpose is to simplify banking for all Canadians. We like to keep it simple. We have three values – Accountability, Integrity, and Respect – and we are constantly striving to improve our organization to make it better for you (our member and prospective employee)!

How are we different from other Credit Unions? We’ve put in the work to become a federal credit union – just one of three in Canada – to secure the future of our organization and continue to grow across Canada. We are proudly rooted in Saskatchewan, but our vision is national, or as we like to say, "Made in Sask, Built for Canada".

What sets us apart:

• Commitment to Community: $1.1 million was given to local organizations last year who are making a difference
• Strong focus on Diversity and Inclusion: Nearly 32% of InnovationNation proudly identifies as part of a designated group, reflecting our strong commitment to fostering a diverse workplace
• Benefits that start when you do: Our full-time staff participate in a 7% employer-matched pension plan, extended health benefits, employee and family assistance program, and a staff loan rate. These benefits all start on Day 1 of employment, no waiting period!

In the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, we acknowledge that we are on the traditional territories of the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit who have graced these lands for millennia.

We are privileged to live on, work on and enjoy the benefits of these lands, now known as Canada.