Credit Leader

Reporting to the Vice President, Credit, who leads the commercial credit function of Northpoint's parent organization, the incumbent leads the U.S. Equipment Finance credit function. The role is accountable for credit risk oversight, adjudication and credit governance of Northpoint's U.S. Equipment Finance portfolio. It includes building and maintaining the U.S. credit guidelines, exercising credit approval authority, people leadership as the U.S. team scales, and active participation in the evolution of Northpoint's U.S. credit strategy. Key Responsibilities Lead the end-to-end oversight of credit risk for the U.S. Equipment Finance portfolio, ensuring alignment with internal policies, risk appetite and regulatory expectations. Exercise delegated credit approval authority in accordance with authorization limits defined under Northpoint's credit policies. Act as the senior U.S. escalation point for complex transactions, policy exceptions and decisions outside established authority. Analyze, adjudicate and approve complex credit requests, amendments, restructurings and annual reviews, considering obligor and guarantor strength, equipment and collateral quality, structure, industry and market conditions, and risk-adjusted returns. Oversee portfolio performance, including watchlist, delinquent and impaired accounts. Work with Asset Management and Collections on workout, repossession and remarketing strategies, and contribute to allowance and provisioning assessments. Credit Framework & Guidelines Develop and maintain the U.S. credit guidelines, including underwriting standards, risk appetite parameters, approval requirements, delegated authority levels, escalation thresholds and exception governance. Establish underwriting methodologies across equipment loans, finance leases, FMV leases, TRAC leases, municipal lending, vendor programs and other commercial equipment finance structures. Design flow, application-only, scorecard and rules-based decision frameworks that deliver market-responsive turnaround while protecting expected loss performance. Monitor automated decisioning controls. Define underwriting standards for financial analysis, industry assessment, guarantor support, collateral and residual evaluation, structure, covenants, exposure limits, documentation and verification. Leverage the Canadian credit organization's systems, workflows, data and governance wherever practical, while identifying, documenting and governing U.S.-specific requirements driven by law, market practice, product structure or competitive expectations. Governance & Senior Management Interaction Act as a contributing member of the applicable credit committees, contributing to credit decisions and risk governance discussions. Provide clear, timely updates and reporting to senior management on portfolio trends, concentrations, exceptions, delinquencies, losses, risk migration, emerging risks and material credit issues. Define portfolio risk measures, key performance indicators and dashboards for the U.S. portfolio. Anticipate the implications of new legislation, regulatory expectations, policies, market conditions and internal initiatives. Assess the impacts and submit recommendations to senior management. Strategic & Stakeholder Leadership Establish and maintain strong, constructive relationships with Sales, Vendor and Manufacturer Programs, Operations, Asset Management, Legal and Finance, offering clear guidance on credit guidelines, structures and risk appetite. Support the U.S. Equipment Finance business in achieving its annual growth objectives while maintaining disciplined underwriting standards. Act as a trusted subject-matter expert and strategic advisor to senior management on U.S. equipment finance credit, new products, vendor programs and recurring exception themes. Monitor economic conditions, competitive dynamics, equipment values and industry trends at the national, regional and sector levels. Representation & Special Mandates Represent Northpoint with key internal and external partners, including vendors, manufacturers and funding partners, as required. Lead or contribute to strategic projects, mandates or transformation initiatives, including system implementations and automation of credit processes, that may have a significant impact on the business line. Address client complaints or escalations involving credit matters with judgment, diligence and professionalism. Qualifications Education Bachelor's degree or higher in Finance, Business Administration, Accounting, Economics or a related field. Experience Minimum ten (10) years of progressive commercial credit experience in U.S. equipment finance, including senior underwriting or credit approval authority. At least two (2) years of experience in a people-management or leadership role. Experience with credit policy, delegated authority, portfolio risk management and exception governance. Experience with flow, application-only, scorecard or automated decision programs. Preferred: vendor finance programs, manufacturer relationships, small-ticket equipment finance, inventory finance, or a cross-border/shared-services operating model. Specific Skills Strong understanding of U.S. equipment finance products, market practices and commercial obligors ranging from owner-operators to large corporations and municipalities. Strong judgment and negotiation skills in complex credit, workout and restructuring situations. Advanced written communication skills, with a clear, concise style that distills complex transaction risks, mitigants and recommendations into decision-ready credit narratives. Strong analytical capability with the ability to assess risk holistically and challenge assumptions. Proven ability to build trusted relationships with business partners while maintaining independent risk oversight. Ability to develop practical standards, reporting and scalable processes, and to influence stakeholders without relying on direct authority. Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage priorities in a high-volume, high-impact environment. Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel. Northpoint collects, uses, and shares personal information of California consumers. For additional information about how we do so, please see our California Privacy Statement at . #J-18808-Ljbffr