Senior Vice President, Enterprise Transformation and Operational Excellence

Position Summary
LISC is a national community development financial institution (CDFI) and nonprofit lender that connects capital, expertise, and partnerships to communities across the country. As LISC continues to grow and evolve, we are strengthening the enterprise capabilities that enable our teams to work effectively, manage risk thoughtfully, and deliver greater impact in the communities we serve.

The Senior Vice President, Enterprise Transformation and Operational Excellence is a highly visible enterprise leadership role responsible for strengthening how LISC operates, executes, and scales its impact. Reporting to the CEO or another designated Chief Executive, the SVP will advance enterprise transformation, operational excellence, business integration, enterprise risk oversight, compliance, vendor governance, and organizational discipline across LISC. The role also provides day-to-day administrative oversight of Internal Audit while preserving its functional independence and direct reporting to the Audit Committee Chair for independent assurance matters.

This role combines enterprise strategy with hands-on institution building and implementation. The SVP will set direction and governance, build and mature enterprise capabilities, and serve as a business integration partner for priority initiatives underway across LISC. In collaboration with line-of-business leaders and the Strategy team, the SVP will use RACI-based planning and implementation practices to clarify accountability, coordinate dependencies, address barriers, and translate strategic priorities into sustainable operating practices.

The SVP will help define, implement, and continuously refine enterprise operating metrics, performance indicators, and management reporting frameworks that enable the CEO, Executive Leadership Council, and Board committees to assess organizational effectiveness, operational performance, execution progress, and enterprise readiness.

This is an opportunity to shape enterprise capabilities at a nationally recognized community development organization at an important point in its evolution. The successful candidate will have meaningful access to senior leadership and the Board, the opportunity to build and modernize critical capabilities, and the ability to make LISC more effective, resilient, and ready to scale its impact. 

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Transformation, Operational Excellence, and Business Integration

• Assess LISC's current operating environment and develop a practical roadmap for greater organizational effectiveness, including a modern enterprise operations and procedure library with clear standards for documentation, version control, ownership, and periodic review.
• Own and serve as executive steward of LISC's enterprise policy and procedure library, including governance, documentation standards, ownership, version control, accessibility, periodic review, and retirement of outdated materials.
• Identify opportunities to simplify and strengthen cross-functional workflows, reduce duplication, improve the employee and stakeholder experience, and align operating practices and enterprise initiatives with LISC's strategic priorities and approved fiscal operating plan.
• Lead cross-functional teams through workflow mapping, process redesign, procedure development, and implementation of high-priority enterprise initiatives.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Business Integration Leadership Team (BILT), helping translate enterprise priorities into aligned, efficient work processes and superior service delivery consistent with LISC's mission.
• Partner with Legal's Business Process Management program and Technology, Finance, People & Culture, Strategy, and business leaders to align systems, data, workflows, controls, automation, and related technology investments.
• Partner with line-of-business leaders and the Strategy team to establish RACI-based implementation plans that clarify ownership, decision rights, milestones, dependencies, and escalation pathways.
• Monitor cross-functional implementation progress, surface barriers and interdependencies, and support timely resolution without displacing line-of-business accountability.
• Partner with the CEO, Finance, Strategy, and line-of-business leaders to support execution of LISC's approved fiscal operating plan and monitor major commitments, execution risks, capacity, resource alignment, timing, and delivery.
• Establish practical enterprise performance measures and management dashboards that support data-informed decision-making, accountability, and continuous improvement across major organizational initiatives and operating functions.
• Develop mechanisms for monitoring annual operating plan progress, identifying implementation risks, escalating performance gaps, and improving enterprise accountability without displacing ownership within the lines of business.

Enterprise Risk Management and Organizational Readiness

• Build and mature enterprise vendor management program that strengthens sourcing, due diligence, contracting standards, pricing discipline, performance management, and third-party and cybersecurity risk oversight.
• Partner with Finance, Legal, the CEO, and business leaders to review and negotiate significant vendor contracts, office leases, and service agreements, consistent with LISC's delegation of authority.
• Establish a consistent enterprise vendor intake and review process and maintain reporting on commitments, renewals, performance, concentration, expenses, and third-party risks.

Compliance Management and Enterprise Integrity

• Design and mature an ERM framework appropriate for a national nonprofit lender, including risk appetite, assessment methodology, key risk indicators, mitigation strategies, and clear reporting to the ELC and Board.
• Lead the annual enterprise risk assessment and connect risk insights to strategic planning, annual operating plans, investment decisions, and risk-based audit planning.
• Advise executive leadership on emerging and enterprise risks relevant to a CDFI.

Internal Audit Partnership and Independent Assurance

• Design and mature an ERM framework appropriate for a national nonprofit lender, including risk appetite, assessment methodology, key risk indicators, mitigation strategies, and clear reporting to the ELC and Board.
• Lead the annual enterprise risk assessment and connect risk insights to strategic planning, annual operating plans, investment decisions, and risk-based audit planning.
• Advise executive leadership on emerging and enterprise risks relevant to a CDFI.

Executive Leadership, Influence, and Governance

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, ELC, and Board committees on organizational effectiveness, enterprise risk, compliance, and controls.
• Build, lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team and establish the right mix of internal expertise, cross-functional partnership, and external capacity.
• Represent LISC with funders, lenders, investors, rating agencies, external auditors, and other stakeholders as appropriate.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree is required. An advanced degree and/or relevant professional certification is preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience across operations, organizational effectiveness, enterprise risk, compliance, internal audit, or related disciplines, including at least 5 years of senior leadership.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide transformation, cross-functional process improvement, workflow redesign, or operating-model initiatives.
• Experience overseeing significant vendor relationships and contracts and building or overseeing risk and/or compliance programs.
• Strong working knowledge of internal audit principles and the three-lines model.
• Ability to advise senior executives and communicate effectively with Board or Board committee audiences.
• Ability to move fluidly between enterprise strategy and execution, build new capabilities in an evolving environment, and create clarity where processes or structures are still maturing.
• Experience in CDFI, community development, nonprofit lending, financial services, or another regulated or highly accountable environment.
• Relevant risk, audit, project management, or process improvement certifications.
• Experience using workflow automation, business process management, data, or GRC tools.
• Experience in a national, multi-office, matrixed, or federated organization.

Work Location and Schedule

This is a hybrid position. The SVP works on site with staff at LISC's New York office at least twice per month, and more often as business needs require. Candidates must be based within reasonable commuting distance of an LISC office in the New York tri-state area, Washington, DC, or Chicago. Occasional travel is expected.

Compensation

LISC offers a competitive salary ($240k-$275k) and excellent benefits.