About Affinity Credit Union
We’re a Saskatchewan-born, values-based, co-operative financial institution owned by our members, for our members. Our profits live in Saskatchewan (and so do we) and our advisors are part of the communities we serve and understand local needs.
We employ a professional workforce of about 800 and are 100% member owned. By choosing to bank with Affinity, our members know that every dollar they deposit is reinvested and circulated back into our local communities through loans to other members. We put people before profit and as such work together to build a better world for everyone, every day. We have the largest branch network in Saskatchewan with 56 locations in 47 communities, manage $8.5 billion in assets and are the 10th largest credit union in Canada.
Our Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation
With locations disbursed throughout Saskatchewan, we acknowledge our workplaces are located on treaty territories, the traditional homeland of the Cree, Dene, Lakota, Nakota, Dakota, Saulteaux and the Métis Nation the stewards of this land for generations and acknowledge this land as providing for other Indigenous nations that moved through here as well.
Affinity’s Organizational Values
Open – Accepting, Fair, Flexible, Transparent
Honest – Accountable, Ethical, Honorable, Trustworthy
Inclusive – Collaborative, Cooperative, Respectful, Supportive
Committed – Engaged, Passionate, United, Willing
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
As a values-based organization, Affinity is guided by the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. These principles drive the decision-making process, creating opportunities to live our vision of building a better world. Diversity and inclusion are the cornerstone of the organizations culture.
We encourage and welcome all applications from Indigenous persons, racially visible persons, persons with a disability, women, and persons of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our organization.
For more information, please visit: www.affinitycu.ca.
The Opportunity, Chief Data & Operations Officer
Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Data & Operations Officer role is a key member of the Executive Leadership Team at Affinity, responsible for data governance, process improvement, enterprise platform optimization, enterprise project execution and leading the Operations function. This role focuses on enhancing member and employee experiences through enabling frictionless touchpoints. The role will work with senior leaders to deliver on strategic projects, initiatives, and innovative business and functional strategies, including those relative to data governance and stewardship. The role is also responsible to collaborate with executive and senior leadership to oversee the design, integration and execution of operational solutions that deliver efficiency and effectiveness to a remarkable member experience.
In this role, you’ll be responsible for driving operational effectiveness by ensuring efficient processes that are streamlined, optimized and technology enabled. You’re accountable for lending, deposit and estate administration as well as collections and loan rehabilitation to ensure the accurate recording, facilitating and processing of member transactions. You’ll also ensure the Operations unit fully demonstrates expertise and efficiency in service that connects well with the member experience.
This role is responsible for leading a team of five exceptional senior leaders.
Key Responsibilities
- Overseeing the enterprise data governance strategy to support the member experience team as well as ensure Affinity’s future readiness for key industry changes (such as Payments Modernization and Consumer Directed Finance).
- Overseeing organizational strategy execution, including providing guidance and expertise to the manner and methods in which the organization develops, monitors, implements and executes on strategic projects and priorities, in support of the organization’s strategic plan.
- Working cross-functionally and collaborating with the executive leadership team to ensure alignment in purpose and effort in communicating, promoting and implementing enterprise-wide strategies and priorities.
- Holding the Operations team accountable for cross-functional collaboration by ensuring a member-centric approach within the team and alignment to organizational priorities, alongside empowering the team by appropriately delegating responsibilities, accountabilities and decision-making to ensure active execution.
- Translating the vision for Affinity into action, through clear, effective and regular communication both cross-functionally and within the Operations team.
- Leading by example in visibly demonstrating Affinity’s values and culture and living Affinity’s brand within the community.
- Overseeing the customer relationship management platform optimization team, including the effective and efficient use of technology across the organization. Key platforms include both Salesforce and nCino.
- Developing and implementing systems to streamline operating, lending and deposit processes, enabling technology to optimize adjudication and administration processes and ensuring operational procedures improve the effectiveness of the member experience.
- Collaborating with others to re-engineer and automate business processes with a focus on member experience, improved efficiency and continuous improvement.
- Enabling and proactively contributing to refinements to core systems that will better support embedded internal controls and quality assurance measures.
- Ensuring effective overdraft, credit collections and exceptions management protocols are in place.
- Serves to advance the well-being of real people and their communities while deepening current member relationships and/or recruiting new members. Actively seeks to connect with current and potential members out in our communities.
Key Qualifications:
Experience & Education
- Post-secondary degree in a related field (Finance/Accounting, Engineering, Information Technology or similar), complemented with a minimum of eight years of experience in increasingly senior management roles
- Previous work experience in processing, systems and change leadership
- Experience in leading implementation of process automation or similar within a business environment would be an asset
- Demonstrated critical competencies in Leadership, Visioning & Planning, Organizational Integration and Strategy Execution
- Experience within the credit union system or another Canadian financial institution would be an asset
- Demonstrated alignment with the values of Affinity
Leadership Competencies
Expert Advice – Provides new insights and feedback to key stakeholders to foster dialogue and make recommendations for continuous improvement. Integrates information relating to market dynamics, the financial industry and member behaviour by utilizing area of expertise
Business Perspective – Adopts a long-term view of Affinity’s business strategy and sees the whole picture. Has a clear understanding of economic, social, cultural and demographic trends and their impact on the organization’s strategy and necessary oversight. Can adjust course as necessary.
Strategy Execution – Pulls together ideas, issues and observations through strategic insight in order to bring clarity to business leaders and facilitate decision-making.
Organizational Awareness & Relationship Management – Understands the organizational climate, understands what is and what is not possible and how stakeholders will be impacted by decisions.
Collaboration – Desire and proven ability to make a significant impact through collaboration. Embraces collaboration as an operating style, encourages participation and fosters open dialogue. Utilizes a high degree of collaboration to make sound decisions, develop thinking beyond current boundaries and make innovative ideas practical.
Enabling Leadership – Works collaboratively with team members to achieve a common goal. Maintains and strengthens relationships with others, both inside and outside the organization. Both strategic and visionary, tactical and hands-on. A leader who develops, empowers and inspires people and grows their capacity as professionals.
Integrity and Trust – Possesses uncompromising integrity, honesty and unassailable business values and does not ethically cut corners. Treats people fairly and with dignity. Works hard to earn and maintain a high level of trust with the Board, CEO, executive team, and employees.
Personal Accountability – Leads with humility and authenticity. Advocate of open, empathetic and respectful communication with both members and employees. Balanced, with a strong sense of ownership. Uses sound personal judgement to solve problems and make decisions.
Your pay
Our competitive compensation package includes an attractive base salary, incentive program, and excellent benefits. At Affinity, we focus on providing a Remarkable Employee Experience, a fulsome total rewards package, to support and motivate our employees in delivering a remarkable experience for our member. If required, relocation assistance to Saskatoon or Regina will be provided. Further details will be provided to candidates in the interview process.
We’d love to hear from you
Email a cover letter and tailored resume to Kara Leftley at careers@affinitycu.ca indicating the job title in the subject line of the email.
