Position Title: Director, Operations Strategy, Risk and Controls
Reports To: Vice-President, Individual Operations
Department: Individual Insurance
Term: Permanent Full-Time

Work Arrangements: This is a hybrid role. You will work in our office in Waterloo, ON a minimum of two (2) assigned, consecutive days every other week, plus a fifth (5th) assigned day per month. You are welcome to work from the office more than the minimum requirement and there may be some roles that are required to work in our office more than the minimum requirement.

The Opportunity: Equitable is growing! We are looking for a Director, Operations Strategy, Risk and Controls to join our Individual Insurance Operations team! If you are naturally curious, have a strategic mindset, and possess proven leadership experience, we want to hear from you!

The Director, Operations Strategy, Risk and Controls is a high-impact role focused on delivering exceptional client experience while meeting risk and financial goals. This role supports the development of a high-performance service organization.

If you are passionate about strategic operations initiatives, apply today! Now is an exciting time to join one of the Waterloo Area's Top Employers for 2025 and Southwestern Ontario's Top Employers for 2024!

What you will be doing:

• Strategic Planning and Transformation:

• Develop and execute an Operations strategy and roadmap for client-centric service excellence.
• Foster collaboration across Operations, Underwriting, Distribution, and Product for seamless client journeys.
• Lead transformation for all Individual Operations teams, monitor progress, and present to senior leaders.
• Utilize data for decision making, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement.

• Operational Risk & Controls:

• Develop and embed an operational risk and internal controls framework.
• Partner with Risk, Compliance, and Audit teams to develop controls for new service models.
• Lead risk assessments and implement governance structures.

• Reporting and Insights:

• Develop dashboards and reporting frameworks for key performance indicators and operational efficiency.
• Leverage data to monitor performance and guide improvement efforts.

• Operations Innovation:

• Drive operations modernization, strategy, and data innovation.
• Identify operational levers for efficiency and scalability.
• Align operational strategy with distribution, service, and product strategies.
• Engage with external partners to evaluate solutions against strategic direction.
• Maintain understanding of market practices and competitor behaviors.
• Collaborate with data science teams for data-driven innovations.

• Change Management:

• Develop and implement change management plans for strategic initiatives.
• Ensure cohesive adoption of initiatives across Operations teams.
• Build presentation decks and summary documents.
• Collaborate with leaders in Underwriting, Distribution, Pricing, Finance, and Product.

• Leadership:

• Build and develop the strategy, risk, and controls team.
• Develop talent across Operations teams with a focus on risk, controls, data analytics, and change management.
• Lead, coach, and manage team performance.

What you will bring:

• Strong background in risk, data, and insurance modernization initiatives
• Post-secondary education, an emphasis on project management and business administration is considered an asset
• Proficiency with business and data analytics - working with various systems such as BI dashboards
• Creative and curious mindset
• Expert listening, communication, interpersonal, negotiation and influencing skills
• Expert knowledge of business risk and internal controls
• Proven leadership and change management experience
• Key attention to detail and strong financial acumen experience working with a complex budget
• Strategic mindset with excellent relationship management skills
• Ability to influence and thrive in a cross-functional environment
• 5 years experience in leading the development and successfully execution initiatives
• Established presentation and public speaking skills
• Demonstrated excellence in time management, problem solving and prioritization skills in a fast-paced working environment
• Experience working with external partners and vendors
• Experience in project management, process improvement implementations and working with cross-functional teams
• Strong knowledge of PowerBI, advanced excel and/or other analytical tools
• Ability to develop and coach a high-performing team

What's in it for you:

• A healthy work-life balance with employee wellness top of mind
• Annual bonus program, annual vacation allowance, and company-paid benefits program
• An additional paid volunteer day each year so you can spend time giving back to the community
• Immediate enrollment in the company's pension program with employer matching
• Employee resource groups that support an inclusive work environment
• Tuition support and specialized program assistance
• An onsite full-service cafeteria with a variety of daily options
• Discounts on company products and services, and access to exclusive employee perks
• Regular EQ Together events focused on company togetherness and collaboration
  
  

As part of the recruitment/offer process you will be required to:

• Provide two professional references (minimum one supervisor and above)

This role is open due to an existing vacancy.

To learn more about Equitable, we encourage you to explore our organization.

At Equitable, we are committed to providing equal access to employment opportunities across our organization. Please contact our HR team at careers@equitable.ca if you would like to receive our job postings in an alternative format or require an accommodation with the application process.

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