Underwriting Consultant

Job Description

:

Location: hybrid

As an Underwriting Consultant, you’ll be joining one of Canada’s top insurers. We’re known for not only our strength in the market, but our commitment to our people. Underwriting goes beyond risk assessments here. We’re focused on making thoughtful, well-informed decisions that provide financial security to Canadians and their loved ones.

By joining Sun Life, you become part of a high-performing team, led by passionate professionals with extensive experience in the field, industry knowledge, and a passion for mentorship. Our continuous learning pathways and skills development opportunities ensure endless growth for you as you advance in your career. We offer various progression paths including individual life, health insurance, risk management, people management, innovation, and field sales.

If you’re ready to take the next step in your career journey—supported in an environment that values its people, their ambitions, and expertise—this is where you belong.

Life’s brighter under the sun

Joining our team at Sun Life means you can expect:

• A hybrid working environment, giving you the best parts of in-office collaboration and work from home flexibility
• Flexible Benefits from the day you join, meeting the needs of you and your loved ones
• Our stock ownership program and pension plan give you the chance to invest in Sun Life with company matching opportunities
• An annual bonus based on company and individual performance
• Paid vacation based on experience, 5 care days available for self-care or care of others (e.g. family or others you may support) and 10 personal illness days to support your well-being
• Our unique sabbatical program gives you the opportunity to take up to 6 weeks off, every 5 years
• Investment in not-for-profit organizations that are important to you
• Maternity/Paternity top-up program so you can focus on your growing family

What will you do?

• Analyze medical, personal, and financial information to assess eligibility for Life and Critical Illness insurance applications, leveraging quantitative and qualitative data to inform sound decisions.
• Assess and classify risk using underwriting guidelines and professional judgement; gather additional information (e.g., medical evidence) or refer cases as required.
• Make timely, well-reasoned decisions within your authority limits and submit cases exceeding limits for co-sign.
• Partner with reinsurers to negotiate optimal outcomes on complex or unfavourable decisions.
• Engage internal partners, business leaders, and advisors to deliver an advisor and Client-centric experience grounded in expertise, empathy, and trust.
• Communicate decisions clearly and confidently to advisors and (as required) Clients’ physicians—explaining rationale in a way that is respectful, transparent, and easy to understand.
• Respond to inquiries from advisors and general agents while protecting confidentiality.
• Document decisions and supporting rationale, ensuring clear, concise notes that demonstrate thoughtful risk evaluation.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance underwriting quality, efficiency, and consistency. Also contribute ideas that support innovation, automation, and better outcomes for Clients, advisors and Sun Life.
• Maintain strong medical knowledge and stay current on underwriting approaches, trends, and risk factors
• Embrace new tools and technology to improve efficiency and accuracy.

What do you need to succeed?

• Minimum 7 years of experience as an Individual Life Underwriter
• Existing life and critical illness signing authorities
• Analytical, judgement, problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Influencing and negotiation skills
• Knowledge of medicine and risk factors
• Service-oriented attitude with interpersonal skills to work collaboratively with our internal and external partners
• Proven ability to meet tight deadlines and work under pressure while prioritizing multiple tasks
• Specialized training: ALU certificate (or commitment to obtain), with a goal of attaining the Fellow, Academy of Life Underwriting (FALU) and Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI) designations
• 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.