Bilingual Director, Advanced Underwriting

Sun Life Financial, Inc.

$110K — $130K *
Finance & Insurance
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-15 years of experience as an Individual Life Underwriter
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent required
  • Exceptional analytical, judgment, and decision-making skills
  • Strong knowledge of medical and financial risk factors
  • Bilingual in French and English necessary for internal and external communications
  • Commitment to ongoing education with ALU certification and goals for FALU and FLMI designations
  • Proven client and results orientation with a proactive service mindset

Responsibilities

  • Analyze insurance applications and evaluate evidence of insurability
  • Apply holistic underwriting expertise across various factors for decision-making
  • Negotiate with reinsurers based on treaties and internal protocols
  • Communicate decisions effectively to advisors and clients' physicians
  • Build relationships with business leaders and distribution teams
  • Identify continuous improvement opportunities and recommend solutions
  • Mentor other underwriters and contribute to team development

Benefits

  • Hybrid work environment combining in-office and remote flexibility
  • Flexible benefits from the start to support employee and family needs
  • Stock ownership and pension plan with company matching
  • Annual performance-based bonus
  • Paid vacation, care days for personal or family needs, and illness days for wellness
  • Sabbatical program offering six weeks off every five years
  • Investment in non-profit organizations that are significant to employees
  • Maternity/Paternity top-up program to support growing families
Full Job Description

Job Description:


Location: hybrid, work from home

As a Director, Advanced Underwriting, you’ll be joining one of Canada’s top insurers. We’re known for not only our strength in the market, but our commitment to our people. Underwriting goes beyond risk assessments here. We’re focused on making thoughtful, well-informed decisions that provide financial security to Canadians and their loved ones.

By joining Sun Life, you become part of a high-performing team, led by passionate professionals with extensive experience in the field, industry knowledge, and a passion for mentorship. Our continuous learning pathways and skills development opportunities ensure endless growth for you as you advance in your career.

This role will be reporting to our Chief Underwriter and Claims Risk Officer. We’re looking for someone with extensive experience in both medical and financial risk selection. You must be comfortable working with management, product, and reinsurance partners to deliver positive outcomes on challenging files. A commitment to Client-first, proactive communication and partnership with our advisors and distribution team are critical aspects to this role.


Life’s brighter under the sun

Joining our team at Sun Life means you can expect:

  • A hybrid working environment, giving you the best parts of in-office collaboration and work from home flexibility
  • Flexible Benefits from the day you join, meeting the needs of you and your loved ones
  • Our stock ownership program and pension plan give you the chance to invest in Sun Life with company matching opportunities
  • An annual bonus based on company and individual performance
  • Paid vacation based on experience, 5 care days available for self-care or care of others (e.g. family or others you may support) and 10 personal illness days to support your well-being
  • Our unique sabbatical program gives you the opportunity to take up to 6 weeks off, every 5 years
  • Investment in not-for-profit organizations that are important to you
  • Maternity/Paternity top-up program so you can focus on your growing family


What will you do?

  • Analyze insurance applications and evidence of insurability
  • Apply holistic underwriting expertise in all areas of underwriting including medical, financial and lifestyle factors to make sound and competitive underwriting decisions
  • Negotiate decisions with our reinsurers, in accordance with reinsurance treaties and internal rules
  • Effectively communicate and explain decisions to advisors and/or Clients’ physicians, as required.
  • Build strong relationships with business leaders, distribution teams, and advisors while delivering exceptional service and expertise
  • Identify continuous improvement opportunities and bring forward recommendations for solutions
  • Contribute to a positive environment through teamwork, a spirit of innovation, and professional development
  • Attend and participate in regular High Net Worth case reviews to share knowledge and support team development.
  • Provide mentorship other underwriters 


What do you need to succeed?

  • Decision Making Authority >$10,000,000 + for Life, $1,000,000 of Critical Illness
  • Exceptional analytical, judgement, problem-solving and decision-making skills
  • Client and results focus, proactive service orientation to support our business goals
  • Strong knowledge of medical and financial risk factors
  • The ability to work in a fast-paced environment, meet tight deadlines and balance completing priorities
  • Strong interpersonal skills to work collaboratively with our internal and external partners
  • 10-15 years of experience as an Individual Life Underwriter
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent
  • Specialized training: ALU certificate and commitment to ongoing education with a goal of attaining the Fellow, Academy of Life Underwriting (FALU) and Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI) designations
  • Bilingualism (French, English, both oral and written) is required for the frequent interactions with English and French-speaking colleagues or internal partners across Canada and worldwide

Other Details

  • Some travel and representation at industry and sales events

    When a new position becomes available which matches your background and experience, the base pay range will be disclosed and correspond to the opportunity Sun Life will consider you for.


    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.

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