VP, Modeling Strategic Initiatives 

Role Summary / Purpose 

The VP, Modeling  Strategic Initiatives sits within the Credit Organization’s Model Development Center of Excellence (COE) and plays a critical leadership role in designing and driving the execution of innovative and strategic initiatives. This role will support the COE by evaluating opportunities for improvement, helping formulate solutions, building consensus on strategic roadmaps and supporting a continuous improvement agenda in alignment with business objectives. This leader partners closely with Model Development leadership to identify, structure, and lead key efforts that strengthen modeling practices, improve efficiency, and drive innovation across model development activities. This will entail collaborating with other key functions within the Credit organization as well as organizations (e.g., Technology, Growth, Risk, etc.) outside of it.  

Essential Responsibilities 

• Identify and actively solicit feedback within Credit organization and across other organization for opportunities to improve the value and efficiency of the model development function, including areas of accelerated cloud adoption, process optimization, GenAI use cases, enhanced and automated reporting, risk and control frameworks and more. 

• Translate Model Development COE priorities into actionable roadmaps with potential impact analysis, resource requirements, and measurable outcomes. 

• Oversee the development, execution, and continuous improvement of quality review protocols and coordinated processes (e.g., end-to-end model lifecycle) with data, technology and risk groups for model development activities. 

• Work closely with the SVP, Model Development to plan, update and prioritize current and proposed initiatives.  

• Identify and evaluate strategic opportunities across emerging technologies, market trends, competitor analysis, partnership value creation and operational capabilities to drive innovation within the Model Development COE; champion a test-and-learn culture and oversee the scaling of validated modeling approaches and pilot initiatives. 

• Support the partnership with other functions and teams, including development of joint operating processes with partner teams in Credit CoE’s and allied support functions. 

• Play a key coordination and management role in the Modeling and Data Science Consultative Group (MDSCG). 

• Establish and manage governance frameworks, consistent and best-practice procedures for model development, MDSCG, capacity management, reporting cadences, and escalation protocols. 

• Read the identification and resolution of issues arising from model validations, monitoring flags, audits, or internal reviews; manage remediation plans, track progress, and ensure timely closure of issues while maintaining transparency with stakeholders, in partnership with governance functions in 2nd and 3rd line, as well as key governance contacts within partner 1st line teams. 

• Ensure that quality controls are applied throughout the modeling lifecycle, from inception through implementation and monitoring. 

• Design and maintain a capacity management framework for the Model Development CoE that aligns modeling resource allocations with business priorities and model development timelines, including workload distribution and support forecasting, as well as process or procedure for capacity management. 

• Conduct regular skills assessments in partnership with HR to identify gaps, inform upskilling initiatives, and ensure that the team’s skill set remains aligned with evolving modeling demands and technologies. 

• Build and lead a high-performing, inclusive team of initiative leaders and analysts, focused on collaboration and growth. 

• May perform other duties and/or special projects as needed  ​

Qualifications / Requirements 

• Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of experience in a strategic credit risk management role, or in lieu of a Bachelor’s degree, 14+ years of experience in credit risk management. 

• 5+ years of experience in model development or validation. 

• 5+ years of experience with technology, system and/or process design and adoption,  

• 5+ years of progressive experience in strategic program management, process transformation, or project management, preferably within financial services, risk management, or analytics organizations. 

• Proven track record of leading cross-functional strategic initiatives, change management programs, or continuous improvement efforts in a complex, matrixed environment. 

• Experience developing and managing governance frameworks, operating rhythms, and reporting cadences. 

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to evaluate emerging technologies, innovation trends, and capability gaps. 

• Experience leading skills assessments, upskilling initiatives, and workforce planning activities in technical environments.​

Desired Characteristics:

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills demonstrated through executive and cross-functional stakeholder engagement, detailed-oriented documentation, and visual storytelling.  

• Ability to organize and lead critical meetings across multiple organizations. 

• Advanced critical thinking skills in analytical problem-solving and the ability to use data to break down complex models.  

• Strong project management and leadership skills to achieve specific goals within a defined timeline and budget. 

• Ability to effectively share knowledge by translating complex, technical subject matter and providing actionable coaching and feedback across all levels. 

• Strong business acumen and familiarity with model governance frameworks, regulatory expectations, and internal audit processes (e.g., SR 11-7 compliance, MRM policies).