AVP Expense Management and Accounting

You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do. Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

Job Description:

About the role

The AVP, Expense Management & Accounting is a leadership role within Retail Advice & Solutions, accountable for leading the Insurance accounting function and expense management discipline. This role provides strategic financial leadership, functional expertise, and disciplined oversight to support business performance, strengthen decision-making, and advance key priorities across the organization. The incumbent will partner closely with senior leaders to shape expense strategy, deliver clear and actionable insights, and drive accountability for forecasting, planning, reporting, controls, and cost optimization. Success in this role requires strong leadership presence, sound judgment, operational excellence, and the ability to influence outcomes across multiple stakeholder groups while maintaining a robust control environment and high standards of governance.

What you'll be doing

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, talent development, and continuous improvement
• Provide senior-level leadership and governance over financial reporting cycles, accounting processes, ledger controls, and the overall internal control environment
• Design, sponsor, and oversee end-to-end control and accounting process enhancements, ensuring effective implementation, adoption, and sustainable operational outcomes
• Own the full expense management mandate, including monthly expense reporting, forecasting, planning, budgeting, performance analysis, and business partner engagement
• Drive disciplined expense management and cost optimization across Retail Advice & Solutions, identifying efficiency opportunities and enabling productivity savings
• Prepare and present executive-ready materials for senior management, translating trends, risks, opportunities, and business drivers into clear recommendations and actionable insights
• Build trusted relationships with senior business partners, Finance leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders to influence decisions, align priorities, and deliver high-quality service to the business
• Champion process simplification, automation, and continuous improvement to strengthen operational efficiency, scalability, and financial management effectiveness

What you'll need to succeed

• Professional accounting designation or related credential, with 10+ years of progressive experience in senior finance, accounting, expense management, or financial leadership roles
• Proven people leader with demonstrated ability to attract, retain, coach, and develop high-performing teams while building succession depth and leadership capability
• Strong executive communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex financial information and present insights, recommendations, and trade-offs clearly to senior audiences
• Sound business judgment and management acumen, with the ability to prioritize competing demands, make informed decisions, and lead through ambiguity in a fast-paced environment
• High degree of discretion, professionalism, and integrity in handling confidential financial, business, and people-related information
• Demonstrated track record leading complex initiatives, process improvements, or cross-functional projects from strategy through execution and sustainable adoption
• Strong operational expertise in financial reporting, accounting systems, controls, and automation, with a continuous improvement mindset and focus on scalable, efficient processes
• As this position is posted in several locations, we specify that bilingualism (French, English, both oral and written) is required for Quebec only as the position includes managing both French and English‑speaking staff (Quebec and outside Quebec) and providing daily support to the team.

Assets

• Strong business knowledge and experience in the insurance and/or financial services industry, with an understanding of expense drivers, product economics, and financial performance management
• Experience operating in a medium to large organization with multiple divisions, functions, and lines of business, including exposure to senior leadership decision‑making forums
• Strong insurance product knowledge and the ability to connect product, distribution, expense, and financial reporting considerations to business outcomes

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.
• In 2024, Sun Life ranked among the top 100 most sustainable global corporations by Corporate Knights for the 15th consecutive year, leading Canadian insurers.
• We are proud to be on the 2024 Best Workplaces in Canada list by Great Place to Work.
• We’re also listed as one of the Best Workplaces for Women and Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams.
• Our unique Sabbatical Program gives you the opportunity to take up to 6 weeks off, every five years.
• Care Days available for self‑care or care of others (i.e., family or others you may support) and Sick Days to support your well‑being.

The Base Pay range is for the primary location for which the job is posted. It may vary depending on the work location of the successful candidate or other factors. In addition to Base Pay, eligible Sun Life employees participate in various incentive plans, payment under which is discretionary and subject to individual and company performance. Certain sales focused roles have sales incentive plans based on individual or group sales results.

Diversity and inclusion have always been at the core of our values at Sun Life. A diverse workforce with wide perspectives and creative ideas benefits our Clients, the communities where we operate and all of us as colleagues. We welcome applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds.

Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e‑mail a request to thebrightside@sunlife.com.

We are proud to be a hybrid organization that offers our employees the choice and flexibility to work from both the office and virtually based on the needs of the business, our Clients and you! Several work options are available and can be discussed throughout the selection process depending on the role requirements and individual needs.

We may use artificial intelligence to support candidate sourcing, screening, interview scheduling.

We thank all applicants for showing an interest in this position. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Salary Range: 140,000/140 000 - 225,000/225 000

Job Category: Finance

Posting End Date: 04/08/2026

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