Senior Manager, Business Banking Lending Acquisition

BMO; Toronto; On-site; CAD 86,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Accident and life insurance

Retirement savings plans

Job summary

BMO Financial Group is seeking a Senior Manager, Business Banking Lending Acquisition in Canada. The role drives acquisition strategy across digital, branch, and advisor channels, using advanced decisioning and data analytics to grow lending while maintaining risk controls.

You will partner with Product, Risk, Credit Adjudication, Technology, Analytics and Operations to translate strategy into automated decision rules and to optimize the end‑to‑end lending lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in Business Banking lending, with a focus on acquisition, adjudication, and/or credit‑strategy design.
• Advanced understanding of business credit risk modelling, financial analysis, and model‑enabled decisioning.
• Proficiency with decision engines, decision‑tree and optimization platforms, and analytical tools (e.g., FICO, SAS, ARGOSS, ML scoring systems).
• Strong analytical and strategic problem‑solving skills with proven ability to convert insights into executable strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives and influence senior stakeholders.
• Deep knowledge of credit policy, regulatory frameworks, and model governance.
• Strong commitment to innovation, test‑and‑learn culture, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and execute advanced credit acquisition strategies across Business Banking channels.
• Lead adjudication strategy design across digital, branch/advisor, and centralized underwriting.
• Embed risk models and analytics into acquisition logic and governance.
• Collaborate with Technology, Analytics, and Operations to deploy automated decision rules.
• Monitor funnel performance and provide insights to refine strategies.

Skills

Acquisition strategy

Adjudication

Credit risk modelling

Decision engines

Decision trees

Optimization platforms

FICO

SAS

ML scoring

Cross-functional leadership

Tools

Decision engines

Decision trees

Optimization platforms

FICO

SAS

ML scoring

Job description

Key Responsibilities

Join a pioneering team shaping the future of Canadian Retail Credit Strategies. We’re building next‑generation, end‑to‑end credit solutions that span the entire lifecycle—from acquisition and account management to collections—anchored in a holistic Lending Decision Strategy and aligned with Canadian Personal & Business Banking (P&BB) priorities.

Our approach combines cutting‑edge decisioning software, advanced decision trees, and innovative credit models to deliver smarter, faster, and more customer‑centric outcomes. This is your opportunity to influence credit cycles using modern modeling techniques and best‑in‑class decisioning applications, all within a high‑performance, customer‑focused environment.

The Senior Manager, Business Banking Lending Acquisition plays a pivotal role in designing, developing, and executing advanced credit acquisition strategies across the full suite of Business Banking lending products. This role drives high‑quality credit growth, elevates client experience, and supports portfolio resilience through next‑generation decisioning, adjudication excellence, and data‑driven strategy design. Acting as both a strategic thinker and hands‑on analytical practitioner, the Senior Manager partners closely with Product, Risk, Credit Adjudication, Technology, Analytics, Distribution, and Operations to deliver scalable, automated acquisition strategies. Leveraging modern decision tree platforms, machine‑learning‑enabled models, and optimization tools, the Senior Manager ensures lending decisions across digital, branch, and advisor‑led channels are fair, efficient, consistent, and aligned with Business Banking’s risk appetite and growth ambitions.

Key Responsibilities

Acquisition Strategy Design & Optimization

• Design, implement, and optimize end‑to‑end Business Banking lending acquisition strategies using advanced decision tree, segmentation, and optimization platforms.
• Align interventions to growth, profitability, credit‑risk appetite, and client‑experience objectives.
• Refine credit pathways and decision logic to ensure scalable, transparent, and consistent outcomes across all acquisition channels.

Adjudication Strategy Leadership Across Channels

• Support the design and calibration of adjudication strategies across digital, branch/advisor, centralized underwriting, and specialized credit teams.
• Ensure adjudication logic balances speed, quality, and risk integrity while accommodating the needs of diverse Business Banking segments and products.
• Maintain alignment across channels while enabling appropriate tiering, routing, and exceptions frameworks.

Model Use & Credit Intelligence

• Act as a designated model user, incorporating risk models, scores, behavioural indicators, and analytical signals into acquisition strategy logic.
• Partner with model developers to integrate new or enhanced risk tools, ensuring appropriate calibration, interpretation, and governance.

Analytical Innovation & Ideation

• Identify opportunities to introduce new analytical tools, segmentation techniques, challenger models, or alternative data sources to improve predictive power and decision quality.
• Lead ideation of new acquisition pathways that unlock lift in approval quality, booking yield, or conversion efficiency.

Champion–Challenger Strategy Testing

• Design and execute structured experimentation to evaluate new acquisition treatments, adjudication pathways, automated decisioning rules, and credit‑policy variations.
• Use evidence‑based insights to iterate and scale successful strategies.

Technology & Execution Partnership

• Collaborate with Technology, Analytics, Underwriting, and Operations to translate strategy logic into deployable, automated decision rules.
• Ensure technical feasibility, model‑governance alignment, operational integrity, and strong change‑management discipline.

Acquisition Funnel Monitoring & Insights

• Monitor and analyze acquisition funnel performance including approval rates, booking quality, decline/refer patterns, product mix shifts, and competitive dynamics.
• Deliver insights on emerging trends, client behaviour, and early‑life risk performance to inform proactive strategy refinement.

Governance, Policy & Regulatory Alignment

• Ensure all acquisition strategies comply with credit policy, regulatory expectations, and model‑governance standards.
• Lead or contribute to documentation, monitoring, validation, and oversight activities supporting credit strategy governance.

Cross‑Functional Leadership & Influence

• Act as a strategic advisor to partners across Business Banking.
• Influence decisions related to credit policy, product design, channel strategy, adjudication frameworks, and risk appetite.

Qualifications & Experience

• Extensive experience in Business Banking lending, with a focus on acquisition, adjudication, and/or credit‑strategy design.
• Advanced understanding of business credit risk modelling, financial analysis, and model‑enabled decisioning.
• Proficiency with decision engines, decision‑tree and optimization platforms, and analytical tools (e.g., FICO, SAS, ARGOSS, ML scoring systems).
• Strong analytical and strategic problem‑solving skills with proven ability to convert insights into executable strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives and influence senior stakeholders.
• Deep knowledge of credit policy, regulatory frameworks, and model governance.
• Strong commitment to innovation, test‑and‑learn culture, and continuous improvement.

Salary

$85,500.00 - $185,000.00

Pay Type

Salaried

The above represents BMO Financial Group’s pay range and type.

Salaries will vary based on factors such as location, skills, experience, education, and qualifications for the role, and may include a commission structure. Salaries for part‑time roles will be pro‑rated based on number of hours regularly worked. For commission roles, the salary listed above represents BMO Financial Group’s expected target for the first year in this position.

BMO Financial Group’s total compensation package will vary based on the pay type of the position and may include performance‑based incentives, discretionary bonuses, as well as other perks and rewards. BMO also offers health insurance, tuition reimbursement, accident and life insurance, and retirement savings plans. To view more details of our benefits, please visit: https://jobs.bmo.com/global/en/Total-Rewards

About Us

At BMO we are driven by a shared Purpose: Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. It calls on us to create lasting, positive change for our customers, our communities and our people. By working together, innovating and pushing boundaries, we transform lives and businesses, and power economic growth around the world.

As a member of the BMO team you are valued, respected and heard, and you have more ways to grow and make an impact. We strive to help you make an impact from day one – for yourself and our customers. We’ll support you with the tools and resources you need to reach new milestones, as you help our customers reach theirs. From in-depth training and coaching, to manager support and network‑building opportunities, we’ll help you gain valuable experience, and broaden your skillset.

To find out more visit us at https://jobs.bmo.com/ca/en

BMO is committed to an inclusive, equitable and accessible workplace. By learning from each other’s differences, we gain strength through our people and our perspectives. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. To request accommodation, please contact your recruiter.

Note to Recruiters: BMO does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. Any unsolicited resumes sent to BMO, directly or indirectly, will be considered BMO property. BMO will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. A recruiting agency must first have a valid, written and fully executed agency agreement contract for service to submit resumes.