Director of Lending Technology

Primary Purpose:

The Director of Lending Technology is a senior technology leader responsible for the strategy, implementation, and ongoing oversight of TowneBank's lending technology ecosystem. This role spans consumer, small business, commercial, and dealer services lending and encompasses the full technology stack supporting loan origination, processing, documentation, and servicing workflows.

The ideal candidate is a technology-forward banking professional who has personally led or co-led the implementation of a digital loan origination platform at a bank or financial institution. They bring deep knowledge of end-to-end lending processes and translate that knowledge into scalable, well-governed, high-performing technology solutions. This leader combines hands-on technical aptitude with executive-level communication skills and a proven track record of delivering complex implementations on time and within budget.

Technology Environment:

The Director of Lending Technology will have primary ownership over the following platforms and integrations:

• Baker Hill Unify (formerly NextGen) - consumer, small business and commercial loan origination and credit spreading platform
• Trustage - loan documentation
• Finastra LaserPro - loan documentation and core lending operations
• Built - construction lending draw management and project tracking
• Jericho, MeridianLink and RouteOne - indirect auto lending software
• Integrated downstream systems including core banking, credit bureau connectors, collateral management, and document management
• Emerging digital lending channels and borrower-facing origination experiences

Essential Responsibilities:

Digital Lending Strategy & Implementation

• Lead or co-lead the design and implementation of digital loan origination capabilities across consumer, small business, commercial, and dealer services lending lines
• Serve as the internal subject matter expert and executive sponsor for all lending technology implementations, upgrades, and integrations
• Define and execute a multi-year lending technology roadmap aligned to TowneBank's growth strategy and digital transformation objectives
• Evaluate emerging lending platforms, fintech partnerships, and digital origination tools; provide build/buy/partner recommendations to senior leadership

Platform Ownership & Administration

• Own end-to-end administration of Baker Hill Unify, Finastra LaserPro, Built, and all integrated lending systems
• Oversee configuration management including security roles, business rules, workflow definitions, bank-defined fields, and lookup tables using rigorous change management practices
• Manage the data integrity process, system import files, and inter-system data flows
• Lead release management cycles: review release notes, coordinate regression testing, manage production deployments, and communicate changes to impacted stakeholders

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure all lending systems operate in accordance with TowneBank's IT governance policies, loan policies, and applicable regulatory requirements including BSA/AML
• Collaborate with Risk, Compliance, and Audit to address system-related findings and examination requests
• Maintain robust documentation of system configurations, administrative procedures, and access controls

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as the primary liaison between Lending business lines, Business Analysts, IT Operations, Application Development, Risk, and vendor partners
• Strategize with lending executives and line-of-business leaders to optimize origination workflows, reduce cycle times, and improve the borrower and banker experience
• Facilitate system architecture decisions between loan origination platforms and integrated systems, balancing business agility with technical sustainability
• Remove implementation roadblocks, escalate risks proactively, and drive accountability for project delivery against timeline, budget, and quality requirements

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of business analysts supporting the lending technology portfolio
• Establish training programs and knowledge transfer processes to ensure team depth and continuity
• Drive a culture of high ownership, continuous improvement, and strong end-user satisfaction

Incident & Problem Management

• Own resolution of production system issues including problem identification, root cause analysis, and corrective action
• Establish and maintain SLAs for lending system availability and support responsiveness
• Adheres to applicable federal laws, rules, and regulations including those related to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties in this job classification.

Minimum Required Skills & Competencies:

Technical & Domain Expertise

• Demonstrated experience implementing or significantly upgrading a digital loan origination system at a bank, credit union, or comparable financial institution - this is a required qualification
• Hands-on familiarity with commercial loan origination platforms (Baker Hill Unify/NextGen preferred), loan documentation systems (Finastra LaserPro and Trustage preferred), and/or construction lending platforms (Built preferred)
• Working knowledge of system integration patterns, API connectivity, database structures, and data governance in a banking technology environment
• Ability to engage credibly in technical architecture discussions while translating complex concepts for business audiences
• Proficiency in evaluating vendor proposals, negotiating contracts, and managing vendor relationships through implementation and steady-state support

Lending Process Knowledge

• Deep understanding of end-to-end loan origination workflows across consumer, small business, and commercial lending
• Familiarity with lending policies, credit underwriting, loan documentation, loan servicing, and regulatory compliance at a community or regional bank
• Ability to identify process inefficiencies and design technology-enabled solutions that accelerate origination and improve the borrower and banker experience

Leadership & Communication

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams through complex technology initiatives in a matrixed organization
• Strong executive presence with the ability to communicate confidently with C-suite leaders, board members, regulators, and external vendors
• Track record of managing multiple concurrent initiatives in a fast-paced environment while maintaining quality and stakeholder alignment
• Experience building and developing high-performing technical teams

Desired Skills & Competencies:

• 7+ years of experience in banking technology, with at least 3 years in a leadership role over lending systems
• Direct, hands-on experience implementing or leading a major upgrade of Baker Hill Unify (NextGen), Finastra LaserPro, Built, or a comparable commercial lending platform
• Experience at a community or regional bank with total assets exceeding $15b
• Prior experience as a product owner, implementation lead, or solutions architect for a digital lending initiative
• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum delivery methodologies and project tracking tools (Jira, Azure DevOps, ServiceNow or equivalent)
• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Finance, or a related field; equivalent professional experience considered

Physical Requirements:

• Express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word via email and verbally.
• Exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, use your arms and legs, and sit most of the time.
• Have close visual acuity to perform activities such as analyzing data, viewing a computer terminal, reading, and preparing documentation.
• Not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential responsibilities.