Senior Innovation Lead - Financial Product Innovation

About Export Development Canada (EDC)

EDC supports Canadian businesses globally by providing essential financial tools and expertise to explore markets and mitigate risks, aiming to improve trade outcomes for Canada and worldwide.

Position Overview

The Senior Innovation Lead plays a critical role within the Financial Product & Innovation (FPI) team, focusing on managing financial product strategy, development, and lifecycle initiatives. This position requires expertise in financial products, product design, risk management, and customer-centric solutions, acting as a trusted advisor for senior leadership decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and utilize data-driven systems to track and analyze product performance, ensuring alignment with business strategy.
• Conduct thorough product reviews considering customer needs, market trends, competitive landscape, and risk factors to generate strategic recommendations.
• Evaluate options for product enhancement, repositioning, consolidation, or retirement with comprehensive analysis of impacts and risks.
• Lead innovation activities including ideation, market research, hypothesis validation, and prioritization of initiatives aligned to EDC's goals.
• Define product vision and roadmaps in collaboration with business units, aligning with corporate strategies and portfolios.
• Prepare detailed analyses, business cases, and decision support materials for product investments and direction.
• Engage cross-functional teams and subject matter experts to capture requirements and deliver scalable product solutions optimizing user experience, pricing, risk, and operational readiness.
• Coordinate pilot programs and go-to-market initiatives ensuring successful launches and adoption.
• Integrate risk management frameworks and corporate governance into all phases of product design, development, and lifecycle management.
• Identify and escalate risks or issues, managing mitigation and recovery plans effectively.
• Maintain governance of product tools and methodologies ensuring compliance, quality, and audit readiness.
• Foster collaboration across stakeholders, representing customer perspectives and facilitating shared product ownership among business, technology, risk, and legal teams.
• Provide mentorship and leadership within FPI to encourage continuous learning, accountability, and high-quality product outcomes.

Candidate Profile

• Undergraduate degree in Commerce, Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, or related discipline.
• At least 7 years of progressive experience in product management, development, innovation, or financial services.
• Comprehensive understanding of financial products including lending, insurance, guarantees, equity, and international trade.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and research skills to translate insights into actionable business recommendations.
• Proven ability to engage and influence stakeholders across senior management and cross-functional teams.
• Customer-focused approach aimed at delivering valuable financial solutions within diverse teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual proficiency in English and French.
• MBA or other advanced degrees; professional designations like CPA, CFA.
• Certifications in product management, such as CPM, ACPMPO, or familiarity with product discovery and agile methodologies.
• Experience in sectors like financial services, innovation-driven organizations, public sector, management consulting, fintech, or international trade entities.

Work Environment and Location

• Hybrid work model with two days weekly in office, increasing to three in September 2026, subject to adjustments.
• Work from EDC headquarters in Ottawa or Community Hubs in multiple Canadian cities including Vancouver.
• Relocation support available if eligibility criteria are met.

Compensation and Benefits

• Annual salaries typically from $112,006 to $149,341 depending on qualifications and experience.
• Performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive benefits package including work-life balance initiatives such as paid vacation, corporate closure, early Fridays, and meeting-free days.
• Access to professional development, wellness programs, and community engagement opportunities.

Additional Information

EDC is committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion. Preference will be given to candidates authorized to work in Canada who meet security clearance requirements. The application deadline is August 4, 2026, by 12 pm ET. Confidential accommodation requests are supported throughout the recruitment process.