Job Description

Description :
Why Meridian?
At Meridian, our aspiration is to integrate our purpose into everything we do for people, the planet, and communities. We believe that our greatest opportunity is to create opportunity and meet people where they are.
Find our story here:
Our Business Banking Practice:
Our vision is to be recognized as the financial institution that has the most local impact, supported by a purposeful value proposition to our Members.
We take the time to get to know our Members' business, anticipate their needs and provide customized solutions. After all, our obligations are to our Members, not shareholders, and we take to heart the best interests of our Members and communities we serve! We're passionate about what we can do for their business, and we're empowered to leverage our local autonomy to meet their unique needs.
In addition to building customized solutions for business, we offer full service commercial banking solutions, including a wide selection of daily banking products, complementary lending services, cash management solutions, as well as insurance and investments.
As a Program Lending Specialist:
You will be responsible for help grow key segments in our Meridian For Good ("MFG") strategy, including professional and franchise banking. You will also oversee a portfolio of Condominium Corporation loans in conjunction with our third-party service partner, Morrison Financial Services.
You will be part of the Program Lending team, helping to grow the size and profitability of the Program Lending book while minimizing loan risk and maximizing product penetration. You will enjoy a fast-paced exciting environment with a commitment to achieving results.
The successful candidate will have experience in analyzing lending proposals for medium-to-large real estate transactions and in the Professional and Franchising space. Operating in an exciting environment and a high growth segment of Meridian's MFG strategy will challenge the successful candidate.
What you will do:
Professional & Franchise Banking

• Actively attend meetings with Franchisors and prospects to assist in growing relationships.
• Take lead on preparing prospective opportunities for Business Credit Department (BCD) review, including new programs.
• Work directly with our sales teams to help with prospecting efforts and reviewing new transactions.
• Assist in completing annual reviews for all franchise programs.
• Attend franchise shows with Manager, Program Lending.
• Proactive sales calls to various prospects (Franchisees, professional prospects, BDO prospects, etc.).
• Assist in program updates and adjustments and participate in communications with BCD and other internal/external partners.

Morrison Financial (Condo Corp Finance)

• Primary relationship manager with Morrison in our day-to-day dealings, including attending meetings with Morrison at a minimum of once per month.
• Review financing packages and submit all new loan opportunities for Morrison Financial via iLend software.
• Proactively work with Morrison through the funding and draw processes.
• Manage existing Morrison transactions and complete annual reviews, when required, in a timely manner.
• Maintain current Morrison SLA of 5 business days on Draw requests and 15 business days on new loans, renewals, and annual reviews.
• Maintain RIL (irregularities tracking) with expectation that all items will be resolved as quickly as possible. Prompt attention is to be given to any file that falls outside of standard RIL guidelines.

Team Support

• Assist with Decision Engine (DE) Applications, which include BDC Accelerator Loans, as requested.
• Ensure that opportunities are maintaining our service level agreement of 48 hours.
• Assist with any campaign applications/proactive calling as requested. All calls made are recorded as part of the overall proactive calling goal.
• Provide centralized support to Small Business and Commercial Delivery creating a "Center of Excellence" to improve the Member experience, when needed.
• Respond to 3rd party partners & internal partners emails & phone calls in a timely fashion, within 1 business day or less.
• Other projects that may come up and assistance as requested.

Risk Management

• Ensure the adequacy of, and adherence to, strong business controls, data security and privacy governance and controls, and good risk management practices.
• Maintain an enterprise view when identifying and assessing risks inherent to operations and strategic decisions.
• Ensure appropriate protection of all confidential member and employee data, and all confidential corporate information, by evaluating and limiting access to confidential data based upon a "need to know basis" driven by role; creating well defined security roles: and putting in place quarterly security access reviews in each function/business unit.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as they pertain to our function/business unit(s).

How you will succeed:

• 2-3 years experience in banking/lending, with knowledge of financial accounting and lending principles.
• Demonstrates a well-developed understanding and solid analytical skills in the areas of balance sheets, cash flow mechanics, and business plans presented by Members.
• Good knowledge of banking systems and business account operating procedures.
• Excellent communication/presentation, interpersonal and team skills.
• Proficient skills in Excel, PowerPoint, Word.
• Strong commitment to professional development and demonstrates organizational values through leadership and personal behaviors.
• Ability to work independently with confidence and strong commitment to member service.
• Willingness to work flexible hours, and train both on/off the job to improve general business and lending skills.

This role represents an existing vacancy. Internal candidates are being considered as part of our standard process.
Salary Range: CAD $70,000 - $85,000 annually
Compensation for this role is based on a combination of skills, experience, and internal equity. Candidates with stronger alignment to the role's requirements may be placed higher within the range. Your recruiter will share more information about our total rewards package during the hiring process.
Join us! This role is hybrid. Office Location: Toronto Corporate Office located at 3280 Bloor St W, Etobicoke, ON or St. Catharines Corporate Office, located at 75 Corporate Park Drive, St. Catharines, ON.
Meridian has a remote work policy that allows flexibility for employees to work remotely but also requires regular time in the office for purposeful meetings to collaborate, innovate and build effective relationships with your team, your colleagues and your leader which is very important to us.
What's in it for you?

• We have an inclusive and collaborative working environment that encourages creativity, curiosity, and celebrates success!
• We provide you with the tools and technology needed to delight your candidates and clients!
• You'll get to work with and learn from diverse industry leaders, who have hailed from top organizations around the world
• Hybrid work arrangements with in-person office time to collaborate, innovate and build relationships with your colleagues
• This isn't your typical "corporate" job. We work hard and we have fun!

Build the Future of Banking with Us
At Meridian, we're not just adapting to the future--we're shaping it. We see talent as a catalyst for sustainable growth, community impact, and future-readiness. As the financial landscape evolves, we're looking for team members who bring:

• Embedding & leveraging technology - Confidence and willingness to learn and integrate AI and emerging technologies into new ways of working. Experience with low/no code tools like the Microsoft Power Platform and generative AI productivity tools like Microsoft Copilot is considered an asset
• Critical Thinking - The ability to analyze, evaluate and interpret information from various sources and apply logic and problem solving to make decisions.
• Data Driven- Leverage data and insights to identify, prioritize and improve member experience and business efficiency.
• Curiosity & Flexibility - Comfortable navigating and embracing change and uncertainty, ask more questions, explore more options. Continuously learn and grow.

Our Commitment to You
Meridian is committed to promoting an inclusive, accessible environment, where all employees and customers feel valued, respected, and supported. We are dedicated to employing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities and Members in which we live and serve.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
Please note that due to the volume of applications, only those under consideration will be contacted for an interview.
Thank you for your interest in Meridian Credit Union.
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Skills Required