Sr. Director, Portfolio Analytics and Strategy

Sallie Mae Inc (SLM Corp)•Newark, DE

41d•Hybrid

About The Position

When you join Sallie Mae, you become a champion for all students. We're on a mission to power confidence as students begin their unique journey. To help them plan their higher education, successfully finish, and prepare for life after school. To help them Start smart. Learn big. Students need guidance navigating this important time in their life. They need someone who acknowledges that their education path is unique. They need a partner willing to evolve and not only meet but surpass their expectations. We're changing. Because students need a better way. We're looking for people who are excited to drive this transformation. To break barriers and think of new ways to adapt, help, and create better experiences for students-and for each other. This is where diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives matter. It's where you're empowered to bring your authentic self to work. Feeling your best allows you to do your best. Our benefits take care of the whole you-from physical and mental to financial and professional. You'll get opportunities to further your education and career, support for you and your family (including your pets!), paid time off to volunteer for the things that matter to you, and more. We're obsessed with impact and making a real difference. For us, that means putting relationships first, asking "why not?" when tackling challenges, and continuously learning new skills. Come do more than join something, change something. For students, for future generations, for the future of education. The Senior Director, Portfolio Analytics and Strategy will lead the portfolio-wide business intelligence and credit portfolio strategy function. This role is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive analytics framework to assess portfolio risk, monitor credit health, and drive strategic decision-making across the lending lifecycle. The position reports to the Chief Credit Officer and plays a critical role in shaping the organization's credit risk posture and readiness for economic cycles. This seasoned leader will oversee the design and implementation of risk ranking and rating methodologies, concentration risk analysis, recession readiness frameworks, and portfolio health indicators. This role requires deep expertise in credit risk management, strong analytical acumen, and the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders at the executive level. This individual in this position will be expected to lead and collaborate with a high-performing team to optimize portfolio health and profitability. The role demands a strategic mindset, strong leadership skills, and the ability to execute programs that drive financial performance while maintaining a customer-centric approach. The ideal candidate will bring a blend of strategic vision, operational expertise, and hands-on leadership to the organization. This is a data intensive role and will require a hands-on approach at times. The preferred candidate will have a high competency in SAS, SQL & Microsoft Office products. The Senior Director will be responsible for the development of the strategy and be able to assist with training and recruiting new staff.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in finance, Economics, Statistics, or related field (Master's preferred)
10+ years of experience in credit risk, portfolio analytics, or lending strategy
5+ years in a senior leadership role within the credit lending industry
Deep understanding of credit lifecycle, risk modeling, and regulatory frameworks
Proficiency in SAS, SQL, and Microsoft Office Suite
Proven ability to communicate complex analytics to executive audiences
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to influence across functions
Bachelor's Degree, Business, Economics or related field or equivalent work experience
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite of products
Experience in managing, developing and recruiting talent
Experience with financial forecasting, modeling processes and managing internal & external control requirements
Strong analytic & problem-solving skills
Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external partners, promoting a collaborative and positive work environment.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships across business units
Ability to operate in a fast- paced, time-sensitive environment effectively managing multiple and changing priorities

Nice To Haves

Experience with economic scenario modeling and stress testing
Familiarity with consumer and commercial lending portfolio
Exposure to machine learning or advanced analytics tools

Responsibilities

First line of defense:
Develop and maintain portfolio risk ranking and rating tools
Design and implement portfolio health indicators and early warning systems.
Lead strategic initiatives to assess and mitigate concentration risk
Drive recession readiness planning and scenario analysis
Continuously evaluate and enhance portfolio risk
Collaborate with senior leadership to align business intelligence feedback and strategy with organizational goals and credit risk policies
Provides thought leadership and strategy recommendations to drive financial results.
Leverage data analytics to personalize outreach and enhance borrower engagement.
Manages key partnerships across the business to influence change.
Manage reporting and analytics
Business Intelligence and Reporting
Oversee the development of dashboards and reporting tools to monitor portfolio performance.
Deliver insights to senior leadership and governance committees.
Ensure data integrity and consistency across reporting platforms
Credit Risk Oversight and Governance
Ensure alignment of portfolio strategy with enterprise risk appetite.
Collaborate with risk, finance, and product teams to embed analytics into decision-making.
Support regulatory and audit requirements.
Build and lead a high-performing analytics team. Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement. Mentor and develop talent to support long-term organizational goals.
Develop and monitor key performance metrics to identify and measure exceptions and outlier performances.
Drive continuous improvement in portfolio management processes, tools, and systems to enhance team productivity and profitability outcomes.
Prioritize and support team projects and initiatives
Lead and Mentor a High-Performing Team
Build and lead a high-performing analytics team.
Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Mentor and develop talent to support long-term organizational goals.

Benefits

Competitive base salaries
Bonus incentives
Generous PTO, Floating Holidays and 12 Federal Holidays observed
Support for financial-well-being and retirement 401k with employer match
Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, hospital indemnity, critical illness, pet insurance and more
Employer paid short-term/long-term disability and basic life insurance
Flexible hybrid working arrangements.
Paid parental leave and adoption reimbursement programs
Free access to on-site staffed fitness centers (in Delaware) and gym subsidy (for locations outside Delaware)
Confidential counseling support (EAP), Health Advocacy services and Wellness program with financial incentives
Tuition Reimbursement and Family Scholarship Programs
Career development and training opportunities