Head of Lending Operations

Job description

Constantinople delivers a new era of AI-native banking. Constantinople provides banks with a fully-managed software and AI operational platform, which brings together customer experience, product, data, operations, compliance and infrastructure in a single platform. Constantinople’s AI-native platform eliminates the need for expensive infrastructure, and replaces manual operational and compliance processes with AI at scale. By removing the operational complexity of banking, Constantinople enables our client banks to focus on their customers and the business of banking. The Role Constantinople is looking for a Head of Lending to own end-to-end lending operations across every product and channel we run on behalf of our client banks residential mortgages, reverse mortgages, consumer vehicle loans, and business lending, originated via broker, customer-direct, and Flexible Lending Experiences (FLEX) workflows. This is an accountable-executive role, not a coordination role: you'll own the operating model, the control environment, the service levels we commit to clients, the unit economics of every loan we process, and the AI and automation agenda that makes lending faster and simpler for customers and clients alike. Because Constantinople delivers lending operations as a service on behalf of ADIs, your team's performance is directly visible to our clients, their customers, their brokers, and ultimately their board and regulators you are the single point of accountability for lending operations in front of client executives, and the internal owner of the lending process and control framework that Risk, Compliance, and Internal Audit assess against. ### What You'll Do - Own the end-to-end lending operating model across origination, variations, and post-settlement, including the baseline process set, FLEX-driven deviations, and the split of work between Constantinople Lending Operations, client DCAs, and third-party providers - Set and hold service levels for every client and product turnaround times, first-time-right rates, queue ageing, and escalation thresholds and report performance to client operating committees - Manage capacity and workforce planning against pipeline forecasts, client onboarding waves, and seasonal volume, balancing permanent headcount, cross-skilling, and surge capacity - Drive cost-to-process down through AI, automation, and straight-through processing, without weakening the control environment - Own the AI and automation agenda for lending operations identify, business-case, and land improvements across the platform (document and income verification, decisioning support, quality assurance, and customer/broker communications), and evidence the resulting uplift in turnaround, accuracy, and experience - Own the lending control framework as first-line risk owner credit process controls, document verification, fraud referral, delegated approval authorities, segregation of duties, and audit trail integrity - Ensure lending operations discharge obligations under NCCP and RG 209 responsible lending, APRA APS 220 credit risk management, AML/CTF, and privacy requirements, and evidence that discharge to Risk, Compliance, and Internal Audit - Own lending operational incidents and breaches end to end: containment, root cause, remediation, customer remediation where warranted, and reportable-matter escalation - Approve lending SOPs, delegated authority schedules, and process changes, and maintain the documentation set to an audit-ready standard - Act as the senior lending operations relationship owner for client banks running operating rhythm forums, resolving escalations, and translating client credit policy into executable process - Partner with Product and Engineering as the operational voice on the lending roadmap, prioritising the AI and automation capability that removes the most manual effort and risk - Lead lending operational readiness for new client go-lives and migrations, including process design, training, cutover, and hypercare - Own the lending third-party vendor portfolio at a governance level valuation providers and the valuer panel, legal and settlement providers, title, credit bureau, LMI, and settlement platforms — holding accountability for vendor performance, contracted service levels, fee reconciliation, and APRA CPS 230 vendor risk obligations - Lead, coach, and develop four direct reports and an indirect team of 30–45, building genuine bench strength and succession for each leadership seat - Set a performance and quality culture where issues surface early, and where operators understand the credit and customer consequences of their decisions ### Who You Are - 10+ years in Australian lending operations, credit operations, or mortgage servicing, including 5+ years leading multi-team functions - Deep working knowledge of the residential mortgage lifecycle end to end application capture, verification, serviceability, credit assessment, settlement, and post-settlement variations and discharges - Demonstrated first-line accountability for a lending control environment, with direct experience of NCCP/RG 209, APS 220, AML/CTF, and privacy obligations in practice - A proven record of leading operational transformation process redesign, AI and automation adoption, or platform migration with measurable turnaround and cost outcomes - Credible with executives and regulated-entity stakeholders - Experience owning material third-party relationships, including contracted service levels and performance remediation - Experience in a BaaS, outsourced servicing, or multi-client environment where lending operations are delivered on behalf of another regulated entity is a strong plus - Exposure to non-standard lending products reverse mortgage, business lending, asset and vehicle finance — is a plus - A relevant tertiary qualification and/or credit accreditation is a plus - You own the outcome you take accountability rather than distributing it - You operate comfortably between the detail of a single lending file and the design of the operating model - Numerate and evidence-led you manage by data rather than anecdote - Calm under escalation