Director Corporate Development

Permanent Full Time

The Corporate Development team plays a key role in helping Great-West Lifeco ("Lifeco" or "GWL") grow and create meaningful value, helping to deliver on our long-term strategy through inorganic actions (e.g., mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other partnerships). By working across Lifeco and its businesses, the team helps senior leaders and executives address some of Lifeco’s most critical strategic questions and deliver on inorganic opportunities.

Reporting to the Vice President, Corporate Development, the Director, Corporate Development is a fundamental role at GWL. The Director will work to evolve the company’s corporate development function and will play a key role in strategic capital allocation decisions. They will be a thought leader and innovator, contributing to the shape the future direction of GWL. The Director will support a greater focus on inorganic strategic capital allocation decisions at GWL, developing an inventory of potential actionable inorganic activities, and assessing and executing strategic transactions. They will work closely with a cohort of senior stakeholders across GWL and business units.

What you will do:

Strategic Transaction Analysis – Lead the evaluation of potential mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic partnerships. Assess opportunities through the lens of strategic fit, financial impact, and alignment with the company’s long-term growth objectives in the insurance, wealth and retirement sectors.

Financial Modelling & Valuation – Develop and oversee robust financial models incorporating industry-specific metrics.

Presentation & Executive Communication – Prepare high-quality presentations and investment materials for executive leadership, board members, and external stakeholders. Clearly communicate complex financial and strategic insights to support informed decision-making.

M&A Process Management – Manage the end-to-end M&A process, including target identification, due diligence coordination, internal stakeholder alignment, and post-deal integration planning.

Market Screening & Trends Analysis – Continuously monitor industry trends, regulatory developments, and competitive activity across the insurance, wealth and retirement landscape. Identify and assess new market opportunities and emerging threats to inform strategic planning.

Cross-Functional Collaboration – Partner with business unit leaders, finance, legal, and external advisors to ensure alignment and execution of strategic initiatives. Act as a key liaison between corporate development and operational teams.

Stakeholder Engagement – Build and maintain relationships with investment banks, consultants, and potential partners. Represent the company in strategic discussions and industry forums to enhance visibility and deal flow.

What you will bring:

Strong business acumen and judgement, with demonstrated aptitude for financial, strategic, analytical and critical thinking.

Demonstrated leadership, influencing, and relationship building skills.

Experience teaming with business unit / operational leads to articulate and execute complex initiatives.

Proven ability to ramp up quickly on new subjects.

Excellent analytical skills, including financial analysis and research.

Excellent communication skills (written and verbal).

Experience coaching and mentoring, especially in analytical, strategy and/or communications skills.

Technical mastery of PowerPoint and Excel.

MBA / CFA / CPA are positive, but not required.

5+ years relevant industry experience.

Preference for prior investment banking and / or corporate development experience.

The base salary for this position is between

$104,400 - $174,000

annually. This represents base salary only and does not represent other variable compensation components of our total compensation (i.e. annual bonus, commission etc). If you are selected to move forward in our recruitment process, your recruiter will be able to discuss additional details of our total rewards program with you.

Career opportunities will be open a minimum of 5 business days from the date of posting, closing dates will vary depending on the search activity. All applications received will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Grow with Great-West Lifeco Great-West Lifeco Inc is a Canadian headquarter, international financial services holding company with interests in life insurance, health insurance, retirement and investment services, asset management, and reinsurance businesses. We operate in Canada, the United States, and Europe under the brands: Canada Life, Empower and Irish Life. At the end of 2024, our companies had over 32,250 employees, 106,000 advisor relationships, and thousands of distribution partners – serving approximately 40 million customer relationships.

Great-West Lifeco trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the ticker symbol GWO and is a member of the Power Corporation group of companies.

What we offer

Career Development: Opportunities for career advancement, access to industry-leading learning programs and up to $2,000 annually towards education reimbursement.

Health & Wellness: Flexible health and dental benefits, plus a $5,000 mental health benefit to support your well‑being.

Time Off: In addition to regular vacation and personal days, we support community involvement with a volunteer day.

Financial Security: Company-matching pension plan, share ownership program and additional investment options.

Rewards and Recognition: Employee recognition programs, service milestone celebrations, employee discounts and more!

Emphasis on Community: We provide a workplace where employees feel connected and supported through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), mentorship programs, social clubs and events.

Learn more about Great-West Lifeco.

We’re committed to removing barriers and ensuring equal access to employment. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation during the application process may contact talentacquisitioncanada@canadalife.com. All information provided will be handled in accordance with applicable laws and Great-West Lifeco policies.

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