Director, Agriculture and Small Business

YNCU; Mitchell; Hybrid; CAD 125,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

B Corp Certified

Competitive compensation

37.5-hour work week

7% matching pension

Benefits paid by YNCU

Wellness & development programs

Volunteer opportunities

Free banking account

Employee discounts

Job summary

Your Neighbourhood Credit Union (YNCU) in Mitchell, Ontario, is seeking a Director, Agriculture & Small Business, for a hybrid, full-time role reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer. Lead strategy and growth for Agriculture and Small Business portfolios, oversee lending, risk and portfolio management while building relationships with members, producers and partners.

Regular market travel is required. Strong track record in agricultural lending and commercial credit is essential for success in

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in Agriculture, Business, Finance, Commerce or related discipline.
• Significant experience in agricultural or commercial lending and portfolio leadership.
• Deep experience in agricultural lending and Ontario's sector understanding.
• Strong financial statement and cash flow analysis, credit structuring and portfolio management.
• Understanding of risk, regulatory requirements and risk controls.
• Proven success in business development and member growth.
• Leadership experience coaching lending professionals.
• Travel and valid driver’s licence required; bondable.

Responsibilities

• Identify target markets and growth opportunities for Agriculture and Small Business within YNCU's market.
• Set measurable lending, membership, portfolio quality, and profitability objectives.
• Monitor economic and industry trends and translate insights into strategies.
• Enhance products, services and processes for agriculture and small business members.
• Lead complex agricultural and commercial credit opportunities with thorough financial analysis.
• Monitor portfolio performance and risk indicators; take appropriate action.
• Develop relationships with agricultural producers, small business owners and professional partners.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and coaching to Agriculture Lending and Small Business teams.
• Collaborate with internal teams to deliver a coordinated member experience; represent YNCU externally.

Skills

Leadership

Relationship management

Strategic planning

Financial analysis

Credit risk

Portfolio management

Business development

Travel

Education

Agriculture/Business degree

Finance degree

Job description

Mitchell ON, and area (hybrid)

Regular Full-Time

Posting #: 26-82

Location: Hybrid, Mitchell

Reports to: Chief Commercial Officer

Are you a community-minded person that’s passionate about investing locally and giving back to your community? Do you like working with other awesome and like-minded people toward a common goal?

Here at Your Neighbourhood Credit Union (YNCU), we are all about putting our money where our mouth is and keeping our dollars local and investing back into our members, staff, and community; and we are looking for people like you to join our team.

The Role

The Director, Agriculture & Small Business, is responsible for leading the strategic growth and development of YNCU's Agriculture and Small Business portfolios, with accountability for business strategy, lending performance, portfolio quality, member growth, relationship management and team leadership. The Director, Agriculture & Small Business will develop and execute a comprehensive Agriculture and Small Business strategy focused on attracting new lending opportunities and members, deepening existing relationships, increasing share of wallet, and expanding YNCU's presence within the agricultural and small business communities.

A key mandate of this role is to build and expand YNCU's agriculture and small business models, identifying opportunities to strengthen capabilities, processes, market presence and financial solutions while creating a scalable approach that support sustainable growth across both segments.

The successful candidate will bring strong experience in agricultural and small business lending and account management, complemented by commercial and credit expertise, a thorough understanding of risk and the regulatory environment, and a proven ability to develop business, identify market opportunities and lead high-performing teams.

This is a highly visible, market-facing leadership role requiring regular day-to-day travel throughout YNCU’s market to meet members, prospects, agricultural producers, small business owners and community partners. The role will be responsible for deepening relationships, growing the portfolio and strengthening YNCU’s presence and reputation as a trusted financial partner to both agriculture and small business communities.

Agriculture & Small Business Strategy and Growth

• Identify target markets, sectors and opportunities for growth and develop plans to increase YNCU's presence within those markets.
• Establish measurable objectives for lending growth, new members, portfolio quality, profitability and relationship depth.
• Monitor economic, agricultural, competitive and market trends and translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Identify opportunities to enhance products, services, processes and capabilities supporting agriculture and small business members.

Lending & Portfolio Leadership

• Provide leadership and expertise on complex agricultural and commercial credit opportunities, including financial analysis, cash flow, credit structuring, collateral and repayment capacity.
• Monitor portfolio performance, emerging risks, concentrations, delinquencies and other indicators and ensure appropriate action is taken.
• Ensure consistent standards for account management, annual reviews, documentation and portfolio monitoring.

Business Development & Member Growth

• Build and maintain strong relationships with agricultural producers, small business owners and key centres of influence.
• Develop relationships with accountants, lawyers, industry associations, suppliers and other community and professional partners.
• Champion a consultative, relationship-based approach that increases member retention, share of wallet and overall relationship profitability.

People Leadership & Team Development

• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, direction and support to Agriculture Lending and Small Business Services enhancing credit and relationship management capabilities.
• Establish clear expectations and accountability for business development, portfolio management, member experience and risk performance.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture focused on member outcomes,
• Build the structure, capabilities and talent required to support the continued expansion of the Agriculture and Small Business.

Market & Community Leadership

• Represent YNCU at agricultural events, industry functions, community activities and other relevant forums.
• Develop a strong external network that generates new relationships, referrals and business opportunities.
• Bring market intelligence and community insights back to YNCU to inform strategy and business development.

Enterprise Leadership & Collaboration

• Partner effectively with Retail, Commercial, Wealth, Risk, Credit, Operations and other internal teams to deliver a coordinated member experience.
• Act as a subject-matter expert for Agriculture and Small Business on enterprise initiatives and strategic projects.
• Ensure the Agriculture and Small Business strategies are integrated with broader YNCU priorities.
• Lead change, continuous improvement and initiatives that improve member experience, operational effectiveness and business performance.

This position is for an existing vacancy within our team.

What We Are Looking For

• Post‑secondary education in Agriculture, Business, Finance, Commerce or a related discipline.
• Significant progressive experience in agricultural and/or commercial lending, account management and portfolio leadership.
• Deep experience in agricultural lending and a strong understanding of Ontario's agricultural sector and its unique financial and operating characteristics.
• Strong experience in financial statement analysis, cash flow analysis, credit structuring, adjudication and portfolio management.
• Thorough understanding of agricultural and commercial credit risk, regulatory requirements, lending policies and risk controls within a regulated financial institution.
• Demonstrated success in business development, lending growth and new member acquisition.
• Progressive leadership experience, including coaching, developing and leading lending professionals.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute business strategies and translate strategy into measurable results.
• Experience within a credit union or other regulated financial institution is preferred.
• Agricultural, commercial lending or credit‑related designations are considered an asset.
• Valid driver's licence and ability to travel regularly throughout YNCU's market.
• Must be bondable

Why work at YNCU?

• B Corp Certified
• Competitive Compensation, Incentive Programs and Benefits
• 37.5-hour work week
• 7% matching pension
• Benefits are 100% paid for by YNCU
• Wellness Initiatives including our Employee and Family Assistance Program, premium membership for Calm, Consult+ and LIFT Virtual Fitness
• Training and Development Opportunities
• Community Sponsored Events Employee and paid Volunteer opportunitiesOpportunities to get involved with fun and meaningful committees
• Free banking account
• Discounted Employee Rates

Salary range: $125,000-$133,000

The compensation offered to the successful applicant for this role will be determined by the candidate’s relevant skills and experience and internal equity. More information about our total rewards package will be available during the hiring process.

YNCU strives to be a diverse workplace reflective of the communities that we live in. We are committed to a diverse workforce and invite everyone to apply. YNCU makes hiring decisions solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

YNCU is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, colour, sex, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by national, provincial, or municipal laws. This applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, and training.

Your Neighbourhood Credit Union will provide accommodations for persons with disabilities, where needed, to support our recruitment process.