Manager, Strategic Initiatives

Job Description

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About the role:

The Manager, Strategic Initiatives is part of the Project and Portfolio Management (P&PM) team within Sun Life Canada’s Finance function. We are a collaborative, high‑performing team that brings structure to ambiguity, enables confident decision‑making, and ensures Sun Life Canada’s initiative portfolio is delivering meaningful business and financial value. The team is responsible for portfolio governance, value realization, and executive reporting across Sun Life Canada’s key initiatives.

The Manager partners closely with senior leaders, initiative owners, and cross‑functional teams to translate strategy into outcomes and should be comfortable with a flexible work environment, adapting to changing priorities and working on multiple projects.

What will you do?

• Manage monthly, quarterly and annual key initiative portfolio analysis, reporting and forecasting deliverables identifying key trends and insights across Sun Life Canada.
• Translate data into clear, decision‑oriented insights, rather than standalone analysis.
• Apply strong analytical judgment to assess initiative performance, delivery health, and value realization confidence.
• Produce and synthesize executive ready materials for governance forums by articulating progress, risks, value delivered, and key decisions required.
• Automate processes and implement AI solutions to streamline data collection, improve reporting quality and turnaround time, and enable faster data‑driven decision‑making.
• Act as a trusted thought partner to business leaders, Finance, and delivery teams.
• Navigate evolving priorities and competing perspectives with confidence and credibility.
• Build strong relationships and ground recommendations in insight and logic.
• Partner with the Value Realization Office (VRO) to articulate value realization and define benefits management, from business case through delivery and post‑implementation.
• Design and evolve business cases and reporting to enable consistent measurement of initiative outcomes.

What do you need to succeed?

• 3–5+ years of experience in Financial Reporting/Analytics, Strategy, and/or Consulting.
• Professional and/or educational background in finance, accounting or related field.
• Demonstrated experience producing executive level content and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Advanced analytical thinking with the ability to synthesize incomplete or imperfect information.
• Proficient in MS Office Suite Excel (experience with Pivot tables and V-look ups) and PowerPoint.
• As this position is posted in several locations, we specify that bilingualism (French, English, both oral and written) is required for Quebec only as the position reports to a unilingual English-speaking manager outside Quebec.

Preferred Skills:

• Professional designation is an asset (CPA, CFA, FSA/FCIA).
• Experience leading and managing change within a complex organization.
• Results oriented and critical thinking – high sense of ownership.
• Project management experience.
• Creativity and resilience in ambiguous, fast changing environments.

What's in it for you?

• Hybrid work environment
• A friendly, collaborative, and inclusive culture
• 20 vacation days per year
• Flexible Benefits from the day you join to meet the needs of you and your family
• Pension, stock and savings programs to help build and enhance your future financial security
• The opportunity to move along a variety of career paths with amazing networking potential
• Access to our Global Learning Centre, available 24/7 for your learning needs
• Wellness programs that support the three pillars of your health – mental, physical and financial

Recent Awards:

• We are honoured to be recognized as a 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 Best Workplaces in Canada by Great Place to Work® Canada
• Great Place to Work® list for Best Workplaces for #HybridWork 2022
• Great Place to Work® list for Best Workplaces for Professional Development in Canada 2022
• Named “Best Places to Work” by Glassdoor, 2021 and 2023