Program Director

Job Description

:

Director, ITE Value Realization Enablement (ITE VRE)

Role Purpose

The Director, ITE Value Realization Enablement (ITE VRE) is accountable for leading one or more enterprise ITE portfolios, ensuring technology investments are prioritized, governed, delivered, and measured for business value.

This role plays a critical leadership function in Sun Life’s transition from project‑centric delivery to a portfolio‑based operating model, providing clarity of ownership, delivery rigor, and measurable value realization across complex, cross‑portfolio initiatives.

What will you do?

Portfolio Leadership & Delivery

• Own end‑to‑end delivery of assigned ITE portfolios (e.g., Network, DQ, CRE, CCIO, SD), accountable for prioritization, sequencing, delivery outcomes, and risk management.

• Translate enterprise and ITE strategy into clear, executable portfolio roadmaps aligned to business priorities.

• Ensure delivery predictability across high‑volume, high‑complexity initiatives with global impact.

Value Realization & Governance

• Establish and maintain value‑based governance, ensuring benefits, outcomes, and success metrics are defined, tracked, and communicated.

• Drive transparency into portfolio health, financials, dependencies, and outcomes for executive and SteerCo audiences.

• Proactively manage demand intake, trade‑offs, and capacity to ensure focus on highest‑value work

People Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead, coach, and develop Senior PMs, PMs, and Scrum Masters across the portfolio, ensuring clear accountability, span of control, and role clarity.

• Address leadership capacity gaps caused by growth, contractor‑to‑FTE transitions, and increased portfolio demand.

• Build sustainable delivery capability through standards, coaching, and career pathing.

Stakeholder & Partner Management

• Act as a senior partner to Business Unit leaders, Technology leaders, and Enterprise stakeholders to align delivery outcomes with business needs.

• Collaborate closely with Vendor Management and delivery partners to ensure contractual alignment to outcomes and value.

• Support enterprise change, adoption, and communication strategies for high‑impact initiatives.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Drive consistency and quality in delivery practices, governance cadence, and reporting across portfolios.

• Reduce dependency risk, delivery friction, and capacity bottlenecks through continuous improvement and operating model refinement.

• Enable scalability as portfolio scope, funding, and delivery demand increase.

What do you need to succeed?

• 10+ years in technology delivery leadership, portfolio management, or enterprise program leadership.

• Proven experience leading large, complex portfolios with cross‑functional and global impact.

• Strong background in portfolio governance, financial management, and value realization.

• Demonstrated people leadership experience, including coaching senior delivery roles.

• Experience operating in regulated, enterprise‑scale environments preferred.

Key Success Measures

• Predictable delivery outcomes across assigned portfolios

• Clear, measurable value realization from ITE investments

• Improved transparency, governance rigor, and executive confidence

• Scalable leadership capacity and sustainable delivery maturity

Education and Experience:

• 10+ years of Program Management experience, leading large complex IT initiatives preferably in Enterprise Infrastructure at a Financial Institution

• 10+ years of progressive experience in project management

• Preference to those with an undergraduate degree/diploma

• Significant experience in presenting to and leading executive steering committees

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.

• Working together, sharing common values, and encouraging growth & achievement

• Flexible Benefits from the day you join to meet the needs of you and your family.

• In 2025, Sun Life ranked among the top 100 most sustainable global corporations by Corporate Knights for the 16th consecutive year, leading Canadian insurers.

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