Job Description:Reporting to the Vice President, Distribution (SLFD), this role leads the Insurance Sales Director (ISD) team and translates Insurance Distribution strategy into consistent market execution. Operating with broad autonomy within the direction established by the Vice President, Distribution, the leader sets priorities, makes timely decisions, strengthens advisor and firm relationships, builds sales capability and enables sustainable life and health insurance growth anchored in Client needs.
Success at the AVP level requires creating clarity from complexity, connecting decisions to Purpose and Client outcomes, empowering experienced leaders within clear decision rights, influencing across organizational boundaries and balancing care with accountability.
What will you do?Shape strategy and market execution
- Shape and evolve the sales strategy for the ISD channel within the direction established by the Vice President, Distribution, Distribution.
- Translate enterprise priorities into clear outcomes, boundaries, decision rights and measures that enable the ISD team to act with ownership.
- Look beyond current practices and use market, competitive, advisor and Client insights to identify opportunities that create future value.
- Connect product, channel, digital and enablement roadmaps to frontline execution through strong enterprise partnership.
Lead sales performance and advisor growth
- Lead regional business planning that grows advisor relationships, expands advisor penetration and delivers life and health insurance sales outcomes.
- Establish an outcome-based operating rhythm and pipeline visibility; use data and human judgement to focus resources, remove barriers and make timely decisions.
- Strengthen advanced and large case support, including business owner and high-net-worth markets.
- Champion a consistent advisor experience and a differentiated Sun Life value proposition across regions.
Build a high-performing, future-ready team
- Set a clear, motivating direction and create accountability for individual and collective outcomes
- Build current and future capability through candid feedback, coaching, succession planning, talent mobility and targeted development
- Create trust, inclusion and psychological safety so diverse perspectives and constructive challenge improve decisions
- Prepare the team for digitally enabled ways of working and responsible use of data, AI and technology
- Balance care with accountability and address behaviours or systems that undermine impact
Deliver through enterprise partnership and governance
- Build trusted relationships across Distribution and with product, underwriting, marketing, operations, analytics, technology, finance, risk and compliance
- Integrate diverse perspectives, resolve competing priorities and work across boundaries to deliver shared Client and business outcomes
- Ensure sales activity complies with Sun Life policies, procedures, guidelines and external regulatory requirements
- Identify and manage material sales, conduct, operational and reputational risks; escalate appropriately and reinforce a strong risk culture
- Manage resources responsibly and measure success through outcomes and Client impact, not activity
What do you need to succeed?- Senior leadership experience in insurance or financial services distribution.
- Experience leading senior sales professionals or geographically dispersed teams.
- Deep knowledge of life and health insurance distribution, advisor practices, complex cases and Canadian regulation.
- Proven ability to translate strategy into practical plans and measurable results.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen, supported by data-driven decision-making.
- Enterprise mindset with the ability to influence senior leaders and align cross-functional partners.
- Strong people leadership across coaching, performance, talent, succession and change.
- Excellent executive communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills.
- Sound judgement, integrity and commitment to Client outcomes, inclusion, risk and compliance.
- University degree or equivalent education and experience
Assets- Professional financial planning or insurance designation such as CFP, CLU or equivalent
- Life and health insurance licence or prior licensing experience
- Experience in advanced markets, including business owner, high-net-worth, tax and estate planning solutions
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.
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.
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:Sales - Distribution Support
Posting End Date:12/10/2026
