Associate Director, Direct-to-Consumer

Job description

**Join a Challenger**At EQ, we're remaking banking so every Canadian gets ahead, every day. Serving nearly 4 million Canadians from coast to coast, we offer a wide variety of financial services from banking and lending, to trust and credit union solutions. We've been at this since 1970, challenging the conventions of traditional banking with smarter, faster, and more connected financial experiences. **What's kept us moving?** The people behind it all: challengers who ask better questions, push back on old assumptions, and look for a better way forward. If you're driven to help reshape how banking works for Canadians and the businesses that power our economy, this could be your next big opportunity. We can’t wait to get to know you! **The Work** Reporting to the VP, Decumulation, the Associate Director, Direct-to-Consumer is responsible for leading and growing EQ Bank’s D2C channel for reverse mortgages. This role owns the full end-to-end consumer journey — from marketing and acquisition to conversion, customer experience, and retention — with accountability for growth, profitability, and operational excellence. The Associate Director will set strategy, build the capabilities, and lead the cross-functional teams (sales, marketing, operations, and technology) required to deliver an exceptional customer experience and accelerate the channel’s growth. Acting as the connective tissue between marketing, product, credit, and technology, this leader will ensure the D2C business runs as a cohesive, high-performing engine focused on lead quality, conversion, and lifetime customer value. ### The Core Responsibilities **Strategic Leadership** - Define and execute the Direct-to-Consumer growth strategy, including annual sales, marketing, and P&L objectives working collaboratively with the leaders of each of these functions. - Translate corporate goals into actionable plans for marketing, sales, and service execution. - Partner with Strategy and Marketing to optimize the value proposition, pricing, and go-to-market strategies for D2C offerings. **Customer Acquisition & Sales Performance** - Oversee the lead generation strategy and execution between Marketing and Product optimizing for CAC, quality of customers and number of customers. - Oversee the team managing all inbound leads, ensuring exceptional customer experience, rapid response times, and strong conversion metrics. - Define the overall strategy to manage inbound leads and outbound communications for the channel. - Continuously optimize the sales funnel from awareness through application to funding, identifying friction points and opportunities for improvement. - Work with marketing to define the nurture strategy and oversee execution. Optimize the direct-to-consumer journey including marketing support. - Implement and monitor KPIs that measure lead quality, conversion, cost per acquisition, and customer satisfaction. **Operational Excellence & Enablement** - Build and refine processes, tools, and training to enable efficient and consistent execution across the D2C funnel. - Lead CRM and digital tool strategy and implementation to support scalability and performance. - Ensure data quality, compliance, and regulatory adherence across all customer touchpoints. **Technology & Innovation** - Champion digital transformation within the D2C business — leveraging automation, analytics, and new technologies (e.g., chatbots, AI lead scoring) to enhance efficiency and customer experience. - Partner with Technology and Data teams to evolve the sales and marketing tech stack, enabling real-time insights and streamlined workflows. **People Leadership** - Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team across sales operations, customer engagement, and marketing enablement. - Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. - Champion the voice of the customer and frontline teams across the organization. **Cross-Functional Collaboration** - Work closely with Legal & Compliance, Credit, Product, and Marketing to ensure alignment on programs, policies, and brand standards. - Serve as the business owner for all D2C initiatives, driving alignment and decision-making across multiple stakeholders. ### Let's Talk About You - Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related field. - 10+ years of experience in direct-to-consumer leadership roles spanning sales, marketing, or operations; experience in financial services or fintech an asset. - Ideally experience as a General Manager with many indirect relationships being managed. - Proven track record in building and scaling high-performing D2C sales and marketing organizations. - Deep experience with CRM systems (Microsoft Dynamics preferred), performance dashboards, and marketing/sales automation tools. - Strong analytical, strategic, and financial acumen, with the ability to interpret data and translate insights into action. - Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams and managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment. - Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to influence at all levels. ### Key Areas of Focus **Job Complexities/Thinking Challenges:** - Requires a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on execution, driving both growth and operational discipline. - Must quickly understand the product, market, and customer base to make informed decisions that drive revenue and customer satisfaction. - Operates in a dynamic, high-growth environment requiring adaptability, creativity, and a test-and-learn mindset.