Associate Director, Supplemental Health Claims Operations

Sun Life Financial, Inc.

$95K — $143K *
Healthcare
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or insurance-related credential preferred.
  • 5+ years of progressive claims leadership experience in insurance or health benefits.
  • Demonstrated success in managing complex operations and improving quality and productivity.
  • Experience in leading transformation initiatives in a regulated environment.
  • Strategic thinker with strong analytical and operational skills.

Responsibilities

  • Lead a high-performing Supplemental Health Claims team to enhance service delivery.
  • Drive modernization initiatives for claims operations and process improvement.
  • Establish operational performance standards and KPIs for accountability.
  • Oversee day-to-day claims operations ensuring efficiency and accuracy.
  • Develop and implement risk management strategies alongside compliance teams.

Benefits

  • Collaborative, high-performing team with significant visibility and impact.
  • Strong company culture focused on helping clients during critical moments.
  • Opportunities to influence strategy and shape Supplemental Health operations.
  • Leadership environment emphasizing continuous improvement and employee development.
Full Job Description

Job Description:

The Opportunity:

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a high-performing Supplemental Health Claims team within an organization known for its strong culture, commitment to clients, and focus on helping people in moments that matter. The Associate Director, Supplemental Health Claims, will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for claims and service functions, helping shape a best-in-class experience for claimants, clients, and partners. This leader will drive service excellence, modernize end-to-end claims operations, strengthen regulatory and operational controls, and develop talented teams that are accountable, collaborative, and focused on continuous improvement.

What you will do:

Why This Role Matters

  • Play a highly visible leadership role in a growing and important part of the business.
  • Lead meaningful transformation across claims operations, service delivery, digital enablement, and process improvement.
  • Work with a collaborative, high-performing team that values accountability, development, and a strong service mindset.
  • Partner with leaders across Product, Technology, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Customer Experience, and Operations to deliver better outcomes for clients and claimants.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Execution

  • Execute a forward-looking claims strategy aligned with enterprise objectives, client needs, and market expectations.
  • Lead modernization initiatives that improve speed, quality, consistency, and the overall claimant and client experience.
  • Establish clear operational performance standards, KPIs, quality benchmarks, and operating rhythms to drive accountability and continuous improvement.
  • Use data, insights, and operational expertise to identify opportunities, prioritize process improvements, and deliver measurable outcomes.

Operational Excellence

  • Oversee day-to-day claims operations across multiple product lines, ensuring work is handled accurately, efficiently, and with strong service discipline.
  • Ensure seamless handling of complex, high-visibility, or escalated claims and service matters.
  • Drive continuous process improvement using data insights, Agile and Lean practices, automation, and workflow optimization.
  • Monitor operational capacity, resource allocation, service levels, productivity, quality, and risk indicators.

People Leadership & Team Development

  • Lead, coach, and develop claims managers and team members, creating an environment where people can do their best work and grow their careers.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, collaboration, service excellence, and continuous learning.
  • Support workforce planning, training, talent development, engagement, and retention strategies.
  • Build team morale and strengthen employee experience through clear expectations, meaningful feedback, and visible leadership.

Compliance, Risk & Controls

  • Ensure adherence to federal and state regulations, internal policies, contractual obligations, and industry standards.
  • Partner with Legal, Compliance, Audit, Privacy, and operational risk teams to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks.
  • Maintain strong controls, documentation, and governance practices that protect data integrity, privacy, and operational resilience.
  • Promote a risk-aware culture while enabling efficient, client-centered execution.

Qualifications

  • Collaborate with Product, Underwriting, Technology, Finance, Customer Experience, and Operations teams to support business goals and strengthen service delivery.
  • Serve as a trusted claims subject matter expert in client meetings, escalations, audits, and strategic initiatives.
  • Represent the claims organization in cross-functional steering committees, enterprise projects, and transformation efforts.
  • Build strong relationships with internal and external partners to support client retention, operational readiness, and improved outcomes.

What you will bring with you:

Education & Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or industry designation such as CPCU, AIC, or a related credential preferred.
  • 5+ years of progressive claims leadership experience, ideally within insurance, health benefits, supplemental health, or a related service environment.
  • Demonstrated success leading teams, managing complex operations, and delivering measurable improvements in quality, service, productivity, and customer experience.
  • Experience leading change, modernization, or transformation initiatives in a regulated environment.

Skills & Competencies

  • Strategic thinker with strong analytical, operational, and business acumen.
  • Proven ability to inspire teams, build trust, communicate clearly, and lead through change.
  • Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to influence across functions and levels.
  • Comfort using workflow systems, digital workflows, dashboards, and data to improve decisions and outcomes.
  • Sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to balance service, quality, compliance, and operational efficiency.

What We Offer

  • A chance to join a collaborative, high-performing team with meaningful visibility and impact.
  • An organization with a strong company culture, clear purpose, and commitment to helping clients and claimants when they need support most.
  • Opportunities to lead transformation, influence strategy, and shape the future of Supplemental Health claims operations.
  • A leadership environment that values accountability, continuous improvement, employee development, and strong partnerships.

At our company, we are committed to pay transparency and equity. The salary range for this role is competitive nationwide, and we strive to ensure that compensation is fair and equitable. Your actual base salary will be determined based on your unique skills, qualifications, experience, education, and geographic location. In addition to your base salary, this position is eligible for a discretionary annual incentive award based on your individual performance as well as the overall performance of the business. We are dedicated to creating a work environment where everyone is rewarded for their contributions. National Average Salary Range: $95,700 - $143,600

Not ready to apply yet but want to stay in touch?   to stay connected until the time is right for you! 

Job Category:

Absence / Leave Management

Posting End Date: 31/07/2026

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