Director Financial Planning & Analysis

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

Sun Life Canada’s Expense Management function provides first line of defense support to its business partners as well as consolidation, analytics, and reporting of the business’ expenses on a monthly and quarterly basis. As part of a dynamic team of Finance professionals, the Director will lead a team of Senior Financial Analysts furthering the financial planning and analysis agenda with a strong focus on detailed planning and value add insights, understanding key cost drivers and influencing people in the organization to optimize operational expenditures.

This role will be part of the critical transformation of Finance from optimizing the reporting and planning function to being a Trusted Financial Advisor to the business.

What you'll be doing

Reporting & Analysis

• Investigate and effectively communicate expense variances to all levels of management.
• Actively seek out expense savings opportunities and present action plans
• Attest to the accuracy of reports/information produced by establishing review processes
• Provide value add financial and non-financial insights to business partners

Planning & Forecast

• Lead expense & initiative components of Planning (Strategic and Final), Budgeting, and Forecasting including timely, clear communication of expense requirements and roll-forwards to all Sun Life stakeholders.

Finance Transformation

• Ability to recognize and implement continuous improvements
• Lead by example in establishing sustainable and repeatable processes

Other

• Build strong partnerships with business leaders and finance teams and become a trusted financial advisor
• Lead ad hoc financial analysis/consulting as required
• Understand, and be able to explain to business partners, expense drivers and Sun Life expense management process

What you'll need to succeed

• Financial designation with strong preference for CPA or MBA with commensurate experience
• 7+ years of financial planning, reporting and analysis experience; preferably in Financial Services
• Proficient in MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Knowledge of various data management tools (i.e. Tableau, Python, etc.)
• Experience leading a team
• Curious nature with a passion for investigative analysis, business impact and continuous improvement
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal
• Experience building executive-level presentation and content
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with multiple competing priorities

• 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.

Core Skills

• Results oriented and critical thinking – high sense of ownership
• Capable of distilling complex concepts into simple key messages and insights
• Curious mindset and comfortable with ambiguity and change
• Strong leadership and collaboration skills.
• Strong relationship management skills with a focus on client orientation; including excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both oral and written)
• Analytical thinking - designs/orchestrates use of financial and business analytics for decision making
• Problem solving skills with curiosity for root cause analysis to identify key levers of financial and operational performance
• Demonstrated strength and ability to design and implement processes and standards
• Strong prioritization and organization skills -- capable of meeting deadlines in a high-performance environment
• Strong financial analysis, reporting and presentation skills

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 [email protected].

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

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