Director, New Business and Underwriting

You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do. Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

Job Description:

Sun Life Canada is on an exciting journey of innovation and transformation to deepen our commitment to our One Sun purpose: to help clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. The New Business & Underwriting team oversees Life and Health insurance applications across multiple channels and client segments. From initial submission through underwriting decisions, issuance, and final settlement, this team ensures a seamless, client‑centric experience.

About the role:

The Director, New Business & Underwriting leads a large, multi-site team of Underwriters, Case Managers and New Business Administrators dedicated to delivering exceptional service to Top Advisors across the Sun Life and Independent Distribution channels.

Reporting to the AVP, New Business & Underwriting, this role provides strategic, operational, and people leadership to elevate advisor and Client experience, drive operational excellence, and champion continuous improvement.

What you will be doing:

Operational Leadership

• Lead daily operations with a focus on Client service, advisor satisfaction, efficiency, and quality.
• Consistently meet or exceed service performance targets in a cost‑effective manner.
• Optimize processes and workforce planning to support evolving New Business & Underwriting objectives.
• Embed strong management operating system principles to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and operational discipline.

People Leadership

• Build and mentor a high-performing, diverse, and talented team across multiple sites focused on delivering business results.
• Foster a positive, inclusive work environment that values people and encourages participation, learning, and empowerment in alignment with our brand.
• Develop strong, collaborative relationships with key partners across the organization.

Advisor & Client Service

• Champion a Client-centric culture and lead strategies to continuously improve advisor satisfaction.
• Oversee complex case escalations, ensuring root-cause resolution and prevention of recurrence.
• Represent Sun Life’s service strategy internally and externally, reinforcing commitment to client-centric service excellence.

Risk Management & Governance

• Implement and strengthen controls, governance, compliance practices, and reporting to ensure operational integrity.

What you need to succeed:

Qualifications & Experience

• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop large, high-performing teams.
• Strong influencing skills and ability to collaborate effectively across a complex organization.
• Exceptional relationship‑building and Client service orientation.
• Demonstrated success driving change, creating vision, and delivering measurable results quickly.
• Balanced analytical and creative problem‑solving skills with a data‑driven mindset.
• 5+ years of experience in financial services.

Assets/Nice to Have

• Knowledge of the Canadian retail insurance and distribution landscape.
• Life Insurance Underwriting experience with or working towards AALU or FALU designation.
• University degree.
• As this position is posted in several locations, we specify that bilingualism (French, English, both oral and written) is required for Quebec only for the frequent interactions with English and French-speaking colleagues or internal partners across Canada or worldwide.

What’s in it for you?

• Being a member of the Sun Life family, a group of people united by our Purpose: to help Clients and Employees achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives.
• As a hybrid organization, you and your leader use business and Client needs to choose where you work, at home or in the office.
• We’re committed to creating an inclusive and respectful environment. Our goal is to make sure all our employees have the chance to live up to their full potential.
• We are thrilled to be recognized by Excellence Canada with their top-level certification, the Canada Order of Excellence for Mental Health at Work®, for prioritizing employee well-being, fostering a positive work culture, and achieving excellence in mental health.

The Base Pay range is for the primary location for which the job is posted. It may vary depending on the work location of the successful candidate or other factors. In addition to Base Pay, eligible Sun Life employees participate in various incentive plans, payment under which is discretionary and subject to individual and company performance. Certain sales focused roles have sales incentive plans based on individual or group sales results.

Diversity and inclusion have always been at the core of our values at Sun Life. A diverse workforce with wide perspectives and creative ideas benefits our Clients, the communities where we operate and all of us as colleagues. We welcome applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds.

Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e-mail a request to thebrightside@sunlife.com.

We are proud to be a hybrid organization that offers our employees the choice and flexibility to work from both the office and virtually based on the needs of the business, our Clients and you! Several work options are available and can be discussed throughout the selection process depending on the role requirements and individual needs.

We may use artificial intelligence to support candidate sourcing, screening, interview scheduling.

We thank all applicants for showing an interest in this position. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

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