Insurance Operations Manager

Insurance Operations Manager Location: Remote within Canada or Hybrid in Kingston The total target compensation (TTC) range, including salary and target bonus, is $99,568 - $145,600. This TTC range is applicable to permanent roles only. The actual base salary offered within this range will be determined by the successful candidate’s skills and experience, as well as internal equity. Empire Life is looking to hire an Insurance Operations Manager to join our Retail Operations team! We are actively seeking candidates to fill a current, open position. Why pursue this opportunity 1. Impactful work - get the opportunity to work on meaningful projects that have a positive impact on our customers, our company, and society as a whole. 2. Play an integral role - this is an opportunity that allows for you to grow your skills, while directly contributing to the business unit you are a part of. 3. Deliver excellence - provide a personal, accurate, professional, and courteous service and resolution to our customers. 4. Have your voice heard - with a fresh perspective, we welcome those that can highlight opportunities for improvement. We encourage creative and innovative thinking and welcome candidates who are not afraid to challenge the status quo. What you’ll be working on - Ensures effective decision-making and communication, and efficient performance of team members by providing consistent and strong leadership - Manages operations and performance of functions to ensure that teams and individuals are meeting or exceeding objectives and that service provided meets or exceeds established guidelines - Provides clear direction through the development of standards, policies and procedures and metrics - Ensures that the team responds to policyholder/advisor enquiries and business issues in a timely and accurate manner - Supports strategic change management, execution and measurement of operational deliverables and the implementation of project and process driven improvements to the operating model - Manage the business unit and guide the the team, including telecommuting employees, by planning, organizing, leading and monitoring operations and performance so that established operations and service targets are met and exceeded in order to achieve effective resolution to all enquiries, requests and concerns serving all distribution channels - Continually review and improve internal business processes on an on-going basis; implement operational changes as required - Develop and promote a customer service orientation for delivery of service, resolution of problems and escalations and collaborate in the Customer Relations Complaint process - Take appropriate action in response to various statistical, performance and quality reports for management review and analysis to ensure customer service objectives are met or exceeded - Acts as a contributing member of the Retail Operations management team - Provide technical expertise, make timely and effective decisions on products and project launches - Coach and mentor team members; identify employee training and development needs; participate in the hiring and employment process, set employee goals and objectives, manage employee performance - Monitor workload and workflow, adjust employee levels as required to sustain service standards - Create action plans; develop and maintain operational procedures for each function performed in the unit and update and revise procedures as needed. - Collaborate with leadership team to understand training gaps and improve individual, team and operational performance - Build and maintain relationships with sales team, management team and distribution partners and work proactively with distribution partners and our sales management teams to determine where efficiencies can be implemented to support service needs - Assist in the preparation of annual operating budget and manage within the budget allocation - Develop strategic departmental action plans, including annual capacity and development plans, which are updated on a quarterly basis, to ensure effective utilization of resources on an ongoing basis - Contribute to strategic insurance projects by participating in project meetings and providing input and feedback on operational impact of proposed changes - Support strategic change management by advocating for desired project or process change objectives, and manage potential resistance and performance gaps to facilitate the changes - Work closely with Process Improvement team to leverage automation and system integrations to reduce processing times - Monitor operational compliance legislation, risk management and operational policies, practices and procedures - Assist the Director, Operations with special projects or other assigned activities What we’re looking for you to have - 5+ years of work experience in insurance/financial services industry - Management or Supervisory experience - Knowledge of external and internal operational processes, operational Key Performance Indicators/metrics - Knowledge of Change Management principles is an asset - Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, email, internet, database and presentation computer software - Bilingualism (English/French) is an asset - Working towards completion of FLMI, ACS - Completion of a university degree in a business discipline or relevant experience - Ability to coach, develop and motivate others, to think logically and negotiate solutions, and to prioritize and balance multiple tasks or projects simultaneously - Well-developed analytical, organizational, decision-making and problem solving skills, interpersonal, customer relations and team facilitation skills, and communication, negotiation, persuasion and/or presentation skills - If you are applying for a position which is open to applicants across Canada, unless otherwise indicated in the position, language proficiency in English is required for communicating with customers, advisors, or employees across Canada. - Our hiring process includes AI screening for keywords and minimum qualifications. Recruiters review all results. Beyond the salary For permanent full-time positions, Empire Life offers a comprehensive total rewards package that includes: - Hybrid work model - Competitive salaries with annual pay increases - Annual bonus program, which recognizes both strong company performance and individual contributions, for non sales positions - Access to learning & development programs, and education/tuition reimbursement (role dependent), to support your professional growth and career advancement. - Competitive uncapped commission, for sales positions - A comprehensive employer-funded benefits package starting from day one of employment, that includes life insurance, health and dental and a generous health account - Flexible work arrangements and an annual allotment of personal health days. - Four weeks annual vacation from hire date - A defined contribution pension plan with generous employer matching - Top up programs for parental leave and compassionate leave - Employer-sponsored wellness and recognition programs - A cash employee referral program To learn more about working at Empire Life, visit https://www.empire.ca/workatempire. Get to know us Empire life is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity, are committed to creating an inclusive environment, and welcome everyone to participate in our application process. We encourage those of all backgrounds and experiences to apply, even if you don't believe you meet each unique qualification outlined. Applicants will receive equal consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or age. Empire Life is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to building an inclusive and barrier-free workplace. We welcome applications from people with disabilities and are committed to providing accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process. If you require a specific adjustment to help you present your best self, please let us know—we are happy to work with you. If you need this job posting in an alternative format or have any accessibility questions, please contact recruitment@empire.ca.