Specialist III-IC Compliance - OBSI Manager

Address:

• Role Summary
• The Manager, OBSI is accountable for leading and overseeing the management of complaints escalated to the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI), ensuring fair, consistent, and timely resolution in alignment with regulatory expectations and BMO’s complaint handling framework.
• This role serves as a primary interface with OBSI and is responsible for managing the end-to-end OBSI relationship, including case strategy, negotiation, escalation, and resolution. Operating in a highly regulated environment, the Manager ensures strong governance, mitigates regulatory and reputational risk, and drives consistent, defensible outcomes.
• The role leads a team, providing direction, coaching, and oversight while delivering insights to improve complaint handling practices, policies, and customer experience outcomes. The Manager collaborates across business lines and specialized functions (e.g., Legal, Privacy, Media) to resolve complex and high-risk matters and acts as a trusted advisor on OBSI-related issues.
• Key Accountabilities
• OBSI Relationship Ownership
• Acts as senior liaison with OBSI, accountable for the effectiveness and integrity of the External Complaints Body (ECB) relationship.
• Leads OBSI-related interactions, escalations, and negotiations, representing BMO in complex and high-risk matters.
• Serves as the prime subject matter expert on OBSI processes, expectations, and regulatory implications.
• Leadership, Oversight & Case Direction
• Leads and is accountable for the triage, prioritization, and assignment of OBSI cases, ensuring alignment of resources to complexity and risk.
• Oversees the management of complex, high-risk, and contentious cases, ensuring investigations are rigorous, objective, and consistent.
• Accountable for team output, quality, and timeliness, ensuring adherence to internal standards and regulatory expectations.
• Risk Management & Escalation
• Proactively identifies, assesses, and escalates urgent, sensitive, systemic, and reputational risks.
• Maintains accountability for overall risk exposure across OBSI matters, ensuring appropriate governance and escalation.
• Ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, internal policies, and risk frameworks.
• Investigation Oversight & Decisioning
• Oversees and challenges the review and analysis of evidence, documentation, and regulatory requirements to ensure completeness and accuracy.
• Ensures findings, recommendations, and outcomes are well-supported, consistent, and defensible.
• Provides direction and decision support on complex case strategies and outcomes.
• Resolution Strategy & Negotiation
• Leads development and approval of resolution strategies and settlement recommendations, balancing customer fairness and BMO’s risk appetite.
• Negotiates directly with OBSI and internal stakeholders to achieve effective and timely resolutions.
• Ensures consistency and sound judgment in decision-making and settlement outcomes.
• Communication & External Response
• Oversees the development of clear, concise, and well-reasoned responses to OBSI and customers.
• Ensures communications reflect appropriate tone, regulatory awareness, and risk positioning, particularly for high-risk matters.
• Continuous Improvement & Insights
• Identifies and drives enhancements to complaint handling practices, policies, and processes based on OBSI findings and trends.
• Breaks down complex issues and analyzes data and trends to provide recommendations to senior management.
• Monitors and tracks team performance and case outcomes, addressing issues and driving improvements.
• Coordinates the management of OBSI and complaint-related databases, ensuring compliance with data governance standards.
• Support and execute on any short/long-term compliance, audit, projects and initiatives (e.g., Regulatory/Audit Remediation) that impacts business units, as required. 
• Participates in ad hoc projects and initiatives that require CRO engagement. Supports digital transformation and automation projects.     
• Supports quality assurance and other CRO operational activities.

• People Leadership & Capability Development
• Leads, coaches, and develops team members, strengthening OBSI expertise and investigative capability.
• Identifies knowledge gaps and performance improvement opportunities, implementing targeted development strategies.
• Owns onboarding, training, and ongoing coaching, ensuring consistent application of standards.
• Reviews and challenges work to maintain quality, consistency, and defensibility of outputs.
• Stakeholder Management & Collaboration
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including OBSI.
• Collaborates with specialized partners (Legal, Privacy, Media, Compliance) to develop integrated, customer-focused solutions for high-risk and contentious cases.
• Acts as a trusted advisor, providing insights on OBSI expectations, risk implications, and complaint handling practices.
• Operational Leadership
• Leads the execution of OBSI-related operational programs, assessing and adapting processes to ensure quality and effectiveness.
• Leads the interpretation and implementation of regulatory developments, ensuring policy and process changes are embedded.
• Ensures delivery of outcomes through effective direction, oversight, and accountability of team performance.
• Qualifications & Experience
• Typically between 6–7 years of relevant experience and a post-secondary degree in a related field of study, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated people leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, and team development in a complex environment.
• Deep knowledge and technical proficiency gained through extensive education and business experience.
• Strong understanding of OBSI processes, complaint handling frameworks, and regulatory expectations.
• Proven experience managing complex, high-risk, and contentious cases, including interaction with external dispute resolution bodies or regulators.
• Skills & Competencies
• Knowledge of products, services, and operations – In-depth
• Reasoning, analytical, and problem-solving skills – In-depth
• Investigative, research, and analytical skills – In-depth
• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills – In-depth
• Verbal and written communication skills – In-depth
• Collaboration and team leadership skills – In-depth
• Influence and stakeholder management skills – In-depth
• Data-driven decision-making capability – In-depth
• Knowledge of lending, personal, and small business banking – Working
• Knowledge of competitive marketplace and product trends – Working

The above represents BMO Financial Group’s pay range and type.

Salaries will vary based on factors such as location, skills, experience, education, and qualifications for the role, and may include a commission structure. Salaries for part-time roles will be pro-rated based on number of hours regularly worked. For commission roles, the salary listed above represents BMO Financial Group’s expected target for the first year in this position.

BMO Financial Group’s total compensation package will vary based on the pay type of the position and may include performance-based incentives, discretionary bonuses, as well as other perks and rewards. BMO also offers health insurance, tuition reimbursement, accident and life insurance, and retirement savings plans. To view more details of our benefits, please visit: https://jobs.bmo.com/global/en/Total-Rewards

About Us

At BMO we are driven by a shared Purpose: Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. It calls on us to create lasting, positive change for our customers, our communities and our people. By working together, innovating and pushing boundaries, we transform lives and businesses, and power economic growth around the world.

As a member of the BMO team you are valued, respected and heard, and you have more ways to grow and make an impact. We strive to help you make an impact from day one – for yourself and our customers. We’ll support you with the tools and resources you need to reach new milestones, as you help our customers reach theirs. From in-depth training and coaching, to manager support and network-building opportunities, we’ll help you gain valuable experience, and broaden your skillset.

To find out more visit us at https://jobs.bmo.com/ca/en.

BMO is committed to an inclusive, equitable and accessible workplace. By learning from each other’s differences, we gain strength through our people and our perspectives. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. To request accommodation, please contact your recruiter.

Note to Recruiters: BMO does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. Any unsolicited resumes sent to BMO, directly or indirectly, will be considered BMO property. BMO will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. A recruiting agency must first have a valid, written and fully executed agency agreement contract for service to submit resumes.