Director, Critical Services

BMO•Toronto, ON

2d•CA$121,600 - CA$211,800

About The Position

Provides leadership and direction for the delivery, support, stability, and risk management of critical technology applications and services supporting the assigned portfolio group. Accountable for ensuring operational excellence, maintaining system health, proactively managing technology risk and operational defects, strengthening control and prevention practices, and responding effectively to problems and incidents. Partners with technology, business, and vendor stakeholders to understand gaps, balance priorities, influence outcomes, and remove barriers to effective service delivery. Establishes goals and performance objectives that align with business and technology priorities. Monitors, measures, and reports results in a proactive manner. Works effectively with internal stakeholders and external partners to ensure objectives, service expectations, and delivery commitments are being met. Provides oversight and coordination for technology risk, audit, compliance, and remediation activities for key applications, including related exams, fieldwork, and review activities. Tracks the progress of remediation activities for control gaps identified through enterprise control programs, application security and vulnerability testing, Internal Audit, self-testing, or controls self-assessment. Creates, maintains, and regularly reviews business continuity and disaster recovery plans for supported applications and services, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards. Works closely with Technology Infrastructure, Development, Testing, and Engineering teams to support integrated and independent releases, software and hardware upgrades, server upgrades, and related production changes. Identifies opportunities to improve monitoring, application stability, incident response, and speed of root cause determination. Provides monitoring of the environment during releases or independent changes and tracks changes to production. Provides ongoing oversight for core vendor engagement and delivery. Ensures service level agreements are met and delivery occurs in accordance with agreed standards. Maintains oversight for application maintenance, operational, and vendor-related budgets within assigned areas of responsibility. Drives adoption of application security, technology privacy, privilege management, and vulnerability management controls as part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), site reliability engineering, and production management (DevOps) processes for on-prem, SaaS, and cloud native applications and services. Within the mandate of this role, promotes and supports the Bank’s risk culture by ensuring employees understand their accountabilities for risk-taking activities, encouraging open communication and effective challenge, and leading by example. Complies with the Bank’s Risk Appetite Framework and ensures risk-taking activities remain within agreed limits and comply with applicable regulatory requirements. Role models simplicity, productivity, and continuous improvement to optimize processes, strengthen controls, and improve key operational measures. Activates our winning culture, aligned with Purpose. Supports engagement by aligning the team’s work to strategy and enabling strong execution. Fosters creates an inclusive environment for all employees by helping eliminate barriers to inclusion. Develops talent, supports succession planning, and fosters a high-performance culture. Supports talent acquisition and retention by building team capability and creating conditions for employee growth and engagement. Leads and mentors managers and professionals with diverse technology, risk, and business experience, skills, and orientation. Leads, promotes, and reinforces the Bank’s customer focus to support our vision. Personally role models customer focus. Supports sustainable improvements in customer loyalty, operational performance, and business outcomes. Adheres to and supports enterprise customer experience and brand standards.

Requirements

Prior financial services technology background with emphasis on application support, application management, production support, and technology risk management activities.
Strong Production Support Services background, with demonstrated experience supporting critical technology applications and services.
Strong Incident Management and Problem Management skills.
Exhibits a strong sense of urgency for high-severity incidents and escalations, and is able to assess customer impact and provide practical solutions.
Comfortable interacting with senior leaders and executive stakeholders, providing clear status updates and supporting fact-based decisions on sensitive issues.
Strong analytical and writing skills for senior leader and executive-level communications.
Experience managing and developing teams, including coaching, career development, performance evaluation, engagement, and day-to-day leadership.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with the ability to quickly adapt to new technologies, methodologies, and systems.
Independent self-starter, highly organized and detail oriented, with a proactive approach and positive attitude.
Ability to identify and assess complex IT risks and controls, relate them to the wider business environment, and express opinions and recommendations clearly to all levels.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of application security, technology privacy, privilege management, vulnerability management, cloud platforms, DevOps, and site reliability engineering practices is an asset.

Responsibilities

Provides leadership and direction for the delivery, support, stability, and risk management of critical technology applications and services supporting the assigned portfolio group.
Ensures operational excellence, maintains system health, proactively manages technology risk and operational defects, strengthens control and prevention practices, and responds effectively to problems and incidents.
Partners with technology, business, and vendor stakeholders to understand gaps, balance priorities, influence outcomes, and remove barriers to effective service delivery.
Establishes goals and performance objectives that align with business and technology priorities.
Monitors, measures, and reports results in a proactive manner.
Works effectively with internal stakeholders and external partners to ensure objectives, service expectations, and delivery commitments are being met.
Provides oversight and coordination for technology risk, audit, compliance, and remediation activities for key applications, including related exams, fieldwork, and review activities.
Tracks the progress of remediation activities for control gaps identified through enterprise control programs, application security and vulnerability testing, Internal Audit, self-testing, or controls self-assessment.
Creates, maintains, and regularly reviews business continuity and disaster recovery plans for supported applications and services, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards.
Works closely with Technology Infrastructure, Development, Testing, and Engineering teams to support integrated and independent releases, software and hardware upgrades, server upgrades, and related production changes.
Identifies opportunities to improve monitoring, application stability, incident response, and speed of root cause determination.
Provides monitoring of the environment during releases or independent changes and tracks changes to production.
Provides ongoing oversight for core vendor engagement and delivery.
Ensures service level agreements are met and delivery occurs in accordance with agreed standards.
Maintains oversight for application maintenance, operational, and vendor-related budgets within assigned areas of responsibility.
Drives adoption of application security, technology privacy, privilege management, and vulnerability management controls as part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), site reliability engineering, and production management (DevOps) processes for on-prem, SaaS, and cloud native applications and services.
Promotes and supports the Bank’s risk culture by ensuring employees understand their accountabilities for risk-taking activities, encouraging open communication and effective challenge, and leading by example.
Complies with the Bank’s Risk Appetite Framework and ensures risk-taking activities remain within agreed limits and comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
Role models simplicity, productivity, and continuous improvement to optimize processes, strengthen controls, and improve key operational measures.
Activates our winning culture, aligned with Purpose. Supports engagement by aligning the team’s work to strategy and enabling strong execution.
Fosters an inclusive environment for all employees by helping eliminate barriers to inclusion.
Develops talent, supports succession planning, and fosters a high-performance culture.
Supports talent acquisition and retention by building team capability and creating conditions for employee growth and engagement.
Leads and mentors managers and professionals with diverse technology, risk, and business experience, skills, and orientation.
Leads, promotes, and reinforces the Bank’s customer focus to support our vision.
Personally role models customer focus.
Supports sustainable improvements in customer loyalty, operational performance, and business outcomes.
Adheres to and supports enterprise customer experience and brand standards.