Manager, Product Development

Job Description

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Sun Life Retail Advice & Solutions (RA&S) is one of Canada’s leading financial institutions that offers Canadians holistic advice and innovative solutions spanning insurance, health, and wealth through a continuum of digital-first hybrid advice, proprietary career, and independent sales channels. Within RA&S, Insurance Solutions is responsible for designing and distributing leading-edge life and health insurance products to over 2 million individual retail clients across Canada.

Reporting to the Director, Product Development, the will be responsible for executing on initiatives to drive new product enhancements and innovations to our retail insurance new business portfolio. The successful candidate will be accountable for supporting the delivery of product development initiatives spanning our life (term, participating whole life, UL, perm whole life) and health (critical illness, long-term care, personal health insurance) insurance portfolios.

The ideal candidate is an analytical, challenge-seeking, results-oriented team player with a ‘get stuff done’ mentality, strong communication skills, and strategic mindset to optimize decisions involving trade-offs between Clients, advisors, and shareholders.

What you will do?

• Product Development – execute on product development initiatives from concept to implementation, including Client / advisor research, concept development and validation, business casing, oversight of build and go-to-market, and value realization

• Client / Advisor Research – conduct both qualitative and quantitative research on industry and market trends, competitor actions, etc. and bring forward the Voice of the Client and Voice of the Advisor. Leverage and champion design-thinking best practices to build creative solutions through empathy-driven, human-centered design

• Data-Driven Analysis – analyze both internal and external data to identify trends and opportunities, develop innovative enhancements that increase revenue, improve operational efficiencies, and enhance the Client / advisor experience

• Project Management – facilitate and lead cross-functional teams with conviction, discipline and strong communication to drive towards clear decisions and recommendations

• Communication – synthesize and present findings in a compelling manner; adapting communication and presentations to meet the unique needs of different audiences

What you need to succeed?

• Minimum 2 years related experience in the financial services industry, preferably in product management and/or strategy

• Experience with financial and product performance analysis. A good understanding of the Canadian retail insurance landscape would be an asset

• ‘Get stuff done’ in a fast-paced, challenging, and dynamic business environment

• Strong quantitative skills including data interpretation and information visualization

• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with keen attention to detail

• Strong presentation and written communication skills with track record of working directly with senior leadership

• Self-motivated, able to work both autonomously and collaboratively with multi-functional teams, managing diverse and evolving priorities

• Experience with client research methodologies including design thinking, survey design and execution, and focus-group facilitation

• Strong relationship management skills – ability to partner with key stakeholders and functional areas across the organization

• Robust understanding of compliance and risk management – ability to identify potential risk exposure in product design to ensure adherence to Sun Life's compliance and risk management framework and tolerance

• Agent of change – ability to embrace, adapt, and drive change as required to ensure business objectives are met

• 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?

• A collaborative and inclusive culture

• An environment of continuous learning and improvement

• Our unique Sabbatical Program gives you the opportunity to take up to 6 weeks off, every five years

• Anchored to our Purpose, our Sustainability Plan has three pillars which represent the areas where we have the greatest opportunity to drive positive impact in society: increasing financial security, fostering healthier lives, and advancing sustainable investing

• In 2025, Sun Life ranked among the top 100 most sustainable global corporations by Corporate Knights for the 15th consecutive year, leading Canadian insurers

• We are proud to be on the 2025 Best Workplaces in Canada list by Great Place to Work

• We’re also listed as one of the Best Workplaces for Women and Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams