Manager, Collections and Default Operations

Strive is an award winning Canadian residential mortgage lender obsessed with employee and customer satisfaction. Our mission is simple: to provide a better lending experience. We offer industry leading products and services to Canadian mortgage brokers and their clients with a focus on relationship building. Our company is committed to building a team-focused organization with bold goals and objectives to grow and reward staff excellence.

Location: Ontario
Reports To: Vice President, Operations
This is a new position
Salary Range: $85,000 – $100,000

Strive offers a flexible work environment including a hybrid working arrangement.

THE ROLE

We are seeking a Manager, Collections and Default Operations with deep expertise in sub-prime and alternative lending to manage delinquent mortgage accounts across the collections and default lifecycle. This role is responsible for early, mid and late-stage delinquencies, borrower engagement, workout arrangements, and legal recovery portfolio risk mitigation. The ideal candidate brings strong knowledge of mortgage enforcement, borrower management, risk mitigation, and default administration.

YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS

Team Leadership & Performance Management

• Lead, coach, and develop the collections and default operations team to achieve performance and service level targets
• Establish and monitor KPIs including delinquency rates, roll rates, cure rates, and recoveries
• Conduct performance reviews, training, and ongoing coaching
• Build a high-performance, accountable, and customer-focused culture

Collections Strategy & Execution

• Oversee end-to-end collections across all stages of delinquency
• Develop and implement strategies to reduce arrears and optimize recovery outcomes
• Ensure consistent borrower outreach across communication channels
• Drive effective payment plans, settlements, and hardship solutions

Default Management & Legal Recovery

• Oversee all default-stage accounts, including 90+ day delinquencies and impaired loans
• Manage files through legal recovery processes (power of sale, foreclosure, enforcement actions where applicable)
• Act as key decisionmaker on escalation strategies, including referrals to legal or third-party recovery partners
• Liaise with external legal counsel, trustees, and recovery agencies
• Monitor timelines, costs, and recovery outcomes associated with legal actions
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and internal risk frameworks
• Provide recommendations on loss mitigation strategies and write-off decisions

Operational Oversight & Process Improvement

• Manage daily workflows and prioritization across collections and default pipelines
• Identify inefficiencies and implement process improvements
• Develop policies, procedures, and playbooks
• Support system enhancements and automation initiatives

Risk Management & Compliance

• Act as senior escalation points for complex borrower cases
• Partner with Credit, Servicing, Legal, and Operations teams
• Provide insights and recommendations to senior leadership
• Support communication with external stakeholders

Escalations & Stakeholder Management

• Act as senior escalation points for complex borrower cases
• Partner with Credit, Servicing, Legal, and Operations teams
• Provide insights and recommendations to senior leadership
• Support communication with external stakeholders

Reporting & Analytics

• Track and report on collections and default performance metrics
• Analyze delinquency trends and recovery performance
• Provide regular reporting with actionable insights
• Use data to refine strategies and improve outcomes

Confidentiality and Regulatory

Maintain employee, customer and partner confidentiality as described by Strive’s Employee Code of Conduct.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of experience in collections and default management
• Previous leadership experience required
• Strong knowledge of collections, default management, and recovery strategies
• Familiarity with legal recovery processes (power of sale, foreclosure, enforcement)
• Understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements within lending
• Strong communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills
• Analytical mindset with ability to interpret data and drive decisions Ability to exercise sound judgment, balance customer sensitivity with business objectives, and make appropriate escalation decisions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to manage difficult conversations professionally and effectively.
• Strong organizational skills and high attention to detail, including the ability to manage multiple files and deadlines simultaneously.
• Proficiency with mortgage servicing platforms, collections systems, Microsoft Office, and reporting tools.
• Post-secondary education in business, finance, law, or a related field is an asset.

Core competencies

• Mortgage collections
• Sub-prime and alternative lending
• Default management
• Borrower negotiation and conflict resolution
• Legal referral coordination
• Power of sale and foreclosure process awareness
• Risk assessment and loss mitigation
• Documentation and file management
• Regulatory compliance
• Stakeholder communication

Nice to have but not required

• Experience working within a federally or provincially regulated mortgage lending environment.
• Knowledge of consumer protection, privacy, and collections-related regulatory requirements in Canada.
• Familiarity with legal recovery documentation, demand processes, and borrower redemption timelines.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with legal counsel, vendors, and internal teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on minimizing losses and improving recovery outcomes.
• Bilingualism in English and French is an asset.

Employment Type

Full time with hours of operation being 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 pm EST (currently remote and in-person hybrid working environment).

What we offer:

At Strive, we offer competitive pay and perks, that include, but are not limited to:

• Competitive base salary and discretionary incentive pay
• Vacation, Paid time off, and holidays
• Competitive benefits package that starts immediately
• A fun and welcoming learning environment to help you grow
• Working 1-1 with senior management and industry leaders
• Training and development catered to your career development needs

ABOUT STRIVE

Strive was founded in 2020 and has since grown to a team of 180+ industry leaders with many years of experience. We are located in the heart of Toronto, at Yonge and Adelaide street. At Strive, our entire team exhibits excellent collaboration, clear communication, and takes a hands-on approach of support and respect at every level of the organization. At the same time, we empower all our employees by providing an environment, resources, and tools to solve problems, be challenged, and ultimately grow their career.

To learn more about Strive, please visit our website or LinkedIn.

DIVERSITY, INCLUSION & ACCESSIBILITY

Strive is an equal opportunity employer and we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and barrier-free work environment for all employees and candidates. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply and if accommodation is required during any stage of the recruitment process, please contact any member of the Management team. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

YOUR PRIVACY

When you apply to Strive Capital, your application is collected and managed through Greenhouse, our recruitment system. We retain it only for as long as necessary for recruitment and legal purposes, and you may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your information at any time. Questions? Please contact our HR team at [[email protected]].