AVP, New Business and Underwriting

Job Description

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The AVP, New Business & Underwriting (NB/UW) is an operational leadership role accountable for the full NB/UW value chain, from application submission through underwriting to policy issuance, across all distribution channels, including Sun Life Financial Distributors, Individual Insurance Distribution, Prospr, and Group Benefits.

This role is responsible for delivering consistent, high-quality service outcomes, strengthening advisor and client experience, and advancing a unified operating model that enables scale, agility, and performance. The AVP leads a large, multi-layered organization and plays a critical role in modernizing underwriting capabilities, driving enterprise transformation priorities, and building a high-performing, future-ready workforce.

What will you do?

This role operates at the intersection of strategic execution and service delivery, ensuring that priorities translate into measurable improvements in service experience, speed and quality.

End-to-End Operations Leadership

• Lead the full NB/UW value chain from application submission through underwriting to policy issuance.

• Ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery across all client segments and distribution channels.

• Deliver measurable improvements in cycle time, productivity, and service outcomes.

• Drive standardized processes and segmentation-based service models to improve efficiency and experience.

Organizational Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead a large, complex organization comprising ~450+ FTEs across all segments of new business and underwriting in Canada and Asia.

• Establish strong governance, accountability, and performance management disciplines across teams.

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and operational excellence.

• Shape and execute talent strategies, including workforce planning, capability development, and leadership succession.

• Drive employee engagement and retention through inclusive leadership and development opportunities.

Advisor & Client Experience

• Deliver differentiated service experiences aligned to business and service delivery model.

• Strengthen the advisor support model, including escalation management and Tier 2 support capabilities.

• Improve placement rates, reduce cycle times, and enhance ease of doing business for firms, MGAs, advisors, plan sponsors, and clients.

• Partner closely with Distribution and Business Units to align service delivery with advisor and client expectations.

Transformation & Change Leadership

• Lead modernization of underwriting operations, including operating model redesign, digital enablement, and platform transformation.

• Drive optimization of a unified underwriting model to improve consistency and reduce duplication.

• Champion continuous improvement to increase agility and accelerate innovation.

• Partner with enterprise teams to deliver strategic priorities such as automation, cycle time reduction, and end-to-end process optimization.

Strategy, Governance & Enterprise Integration

• Align NB/UW priorities with enterprise strategy, ensuring clear linkage between service outcomes and business performance.

• Strengthen governance, risk management, and compliance practices across operations (aligned to Director accountability).

• Act as a key partner to Distribution, Business Units, and enterprise stakeholders to ensure alignment and integration.

• Maintain a focus on data-driven decision making, transparency, and continuous performance improvement.

• Drive employee engagement and retention through inclusive leadership and development opportunities.

Profile of the Leader

This role is suited for a large-scale operational leader and enterprise change agent who brings both strategic perspective and disciplined execution.

The successful candidate demonstrates:

• Proven experience leading large-scale operations (200+ FTEs) in insurance or financial services

• Deep expertise in underwriting, new business operations, or end-to-end insurance processes

• Ability to lead transformation and operating model redesign initiatives

• Strong track record of improving service performance and client/advisor experience

• Experience leading multi-layered leadership teams and building high-performing cultures

• Strategic thinker combined with strong execution and change leadership capability

In addition, the leader:

• Operates with an enterprise mindset across channels and functions

• Brings strong judgement and comfort leading through ambiguity and transformation

• Uses data and insights to drive decisions and continuous improvement

• Builds alignment through strong stakeholder management and collaboration

• Develops future-ready talent and inclusive, high-performing teams

What success looks like

• Service performance is consistent, predictable, and aligned across all distribution channels

• Cycle times and placement outcomes improve, with measurable gains in advisor and client experience

• The underwriting operating model is simplified, scalable, and aligned to service model

• Transformation initiatives deliver tangible outcomes (speed, efficiency, automation)

• Leaders at all levels are accountable, aligned, and delivering results through strong execution discipline

• Employee engagement, capability, and retention strengthen across the organization

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?

• 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.