Manager, Product Ownership – Lending Services

RBC • Toronto, ON

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, Product Ownership serves as the subject matter expert and operational owner for a designated lending process or process family. This role owns the complete end-to-end execution, documentation, and continuous optimization of their assigned process, ensuring consistent adherence to standards, effective control execution, and alignment with corporate process strategy. Working closely with operational teams, process stakeholders, and the Associate Director, the Manager drives deep process knowledge, identifies improvement opportunities, manages procedural updates, and serves as the primary escalation point for process-level decisions and operational issues within their domain.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Operations Management, or equivalent professional experience
• 5–8 years of experience in process management, operations, business analysis, or related roles with deep expertise in at least one lending process or functional area
• Strong expertise in lending operations, processes, and workflows specific to assigned process area (e.g., deal structures, product types, operational risks, controls)
• Demonstrated ability to own and manage detailed process documentation and procedural standards
• Strong analytical skills with ability to interpret operational data, identify trends, and recommend improvements
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to explain complex processes clearly to diverse audiences
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Visio); comfort with process visualization and data analysis tools
• Highly detail-oriented with strong organizational and project management skills
• Ability to work collaboratively across functional boundaries and manage multiple stakeholder priorities
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills in an operational environment
• Ability to think differently about how work is done; demonstrated capacity to challenge conventional approaches and reimagine processes for improved efficiency and effectiveness
• Strategic mindset with ability to link process-level decisions and improvements to broader organizational objectives and long-term business goals

Nice To Haves

• Lean Six Sigma or similar process improvement certification
• Experience with process automation or robotic process automation (RPA)
• Familiarity with lending regulations and compliance requirements
• Experience with process mining or advanced analytics tools
• Background in Financial Services operations or Commercial Banking
• Project management experience or familiarity with agile methodologies
• Experience with process design or business process management (BPM) tools
• Training or instructional design experience
• Experience supporting technology implementations or system transitions

Responsibilities

• Own the complete documentation and procedures for the assigned lending process(es), ensuring all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are current, accurate, and aligned to policy and control requirements.
• Maintain detailed process maps, workflow documentation, and procedural guides that reflect the actual process execution environment.
• Conduct a minimum annual comprehensive review of all process documentation and implement updates as business requirements, regulatory changes, or operational improvements warrant.
• Ensure documentation includes clear role definitions, decision points, data requirements, system dependencies, and control verification steps.
• Serve as the primary authority on process procedural content and technical details.
• Monitor day-to-day process execution to ensure consistent adherence to documented procedures and control standards.
• Track process-level performance metrics and operational data to identify execution issues, bottlenecks, or anomalies.
• Investigate variances from expected performance and work with operational teams to implement corrective actions.
• Provide regular performance insights and trend analysis to the Associate Director.
• Escalate critical operational issues, control failures, or performance gaps that require intervention or strategic review.
• Conduct detailed diagnostic analysis of process performance data and operational feedback to identify inefficiencies, manual work, redundancies, and automation opportunities.
• Work with the Associate Director to prioritize process improvement initiatives and develop business cases for significant changes.
• Lead or participate in process improvement projects, collaborating with cross-functional teams to design, pilot, and implement solutions.
• Document lessons learned and communicate improvement outcomes to leadership and operational teams.
• Support the application of digital tools and automation capabilities to enhance process efficiency and reduce operational risk.
• Own the identification, documentation, and monitoring of all controls within the assigned process.
• Ensure all controls are appropriately mapped to regulatory requirements, risk standards, and policy obligations.
• Work with Compliance and Operations Excellence teams to assess control design and effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen controls through process design, automation, or preventative measures.
• Maintain detailed control documentation including control objectives, control procedures, testing frequency, and evidence of execution.
• Escalate control gaps or deficiencies to the Associate Director and relevant governance bodies.
• Work with the Associate Director and Business Management to define process-level metrics, KPIs, and data requirements that accurately measure process performance and business impact.
• Identify critical data elements, collection points, and calculation methodologies.
• Provide detailed specifications and business requirements to support dashboard and reporting development.
• Ensure data integrity by validating that required data is accurately captured, recorded, and available for reporting.
• Conduct regular reviews of metric accuracy and recommend refinements as business needs evolve.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for process-related questions, clarifications, and operational decisions within the assigned process scope.
• Gather feedback from operational teams, clients, and other process stakeholders to identify pain points and improvement opportunities.
• Communicate process changes, updates, and enhancements to operational teams and affected stakeholders.
• Participate in cross-functional working groups and communities of practice to share best practices, lessons learned, and process innovations.
• Build strong working relationships with operations teams, compliance, technology partners, and other process owners.
• Partner with Trainers to curate, develop, and maintain training materials and job aids that support consistent process execution and capability building.
• Serve as the subject matter expert providing detailed process knowledge, technical content, and procedural accuracy to the training development process.
• Work with Trainers to translate procedural requirements into clear, accessible training content and formats.
• Review and validate training materials to ensure accuracy, completeness, and alignment with current process documentation.
• Identify gaps in training coverage and recommend updates as processes evolve or new requirements emerge.
• Collaborate with Trainers on the delivery of process training to operational teams, new hires, and cross-functional partners.
• Participate in training sessions as needed to provide subject matter expertise and answer detailed procedural questions.
• Support the training program by staying engaged on training effectiveness, learner feedback, and performance outcomes.
• Work with Trainers to identify training gaps or areas requiring reinforcement based on operational performance and execution issues.
• Support the Associate Director and Platform Enablement in planning and executing launches of process improvements and product enhancements.
• Provide detailed process requirements and technical specifications to support implementation and enablement activities.
• Coordinate with Trainers to ensure training materials and delivery plans are aligned with implementation timelines and operational readiness requirements.
• Participate in change management activities including training design, communication, and operational readiness planning.
• Support the transition to new processes, tools, or system implementations.
• Conduct post-implementation reviews with Trainers and operational teams to identify optimization opportunities and lessons learned.
• Maintain awareness of industry best practices, emerging technologies, and process innovations relevant to lending operations.
• Identify opportunities to modernize, simplify, or digitize the assigned process.
• Recommend improvements that leverage automation, AI, or other digital capabilities to enhance efficiency and reduce operational risk.
• Contribute to the development of the broader process improvement roadmap aligned with corporate strategy.

Benefits

• A comprehensive Total Rewards Program including bonuses and flexible benefits, competitive compensation, and commissions where applicable.
• Leaders who support your development through coaching and mentoring opportunities.
• Ability to make a difference and lasting impact.
• Work in a dynamic, collaborative, progressive, and high-performing team.
• Flexible work/life balance options.
• Opportunities to take on progressively greater accountabilities.
• Access to a variety of job opportunities across the business.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager