AVP, Business Operations and Innovation

Sun Life U.S. is one of the largest providers of employee and government benefits, helping approximately 50 million Americans access the care and coverage they need. Through employers, industry partners and government programs, Sun Life U.S. offers a portfolio of benefits and services, including dental, vision, disability, absence management, life, supplemental health, medical stop-loss insurance, and healthcare navigation. We have more than 6,400 employees and associates in our partner dental practices and operate nationwide.

Visit our website to discover how Sun Life is making life brighter for our customers, partners and communities.

Sun Life embraces a hybrid work model that balances in-office collaboration with the flexibility of virtual work.

The opportunity:

Health and Risk Solutions is evolving into a health value business, focusing on opportunities aligned with our core strengths.

The AVP - Business Operations and Innovation, is crucial in driving this transformation.

This role will optimize today's operations while shaping tomorrow's capabilities to support future growth, differentiation, and client value.

How you will contribute:

• Leadership and Strategy:
  • Provide executive leadership to the Business Operations and Innovation team, setting the vision and strategic direction.
  • Drive consistency, scalability, and efficiency through SOPs, process mapping, and governance.
  • Align stakeholders to the strategy, outcomes, and new ways of working work.
• Operational Excellence:
  • Partner with operational leaders to define and implement operations strategy, structure, and processes.
  • Develop and implement short- and long-term initiatives to improve efficiency, eliminate pain points, increase automation, and optimize performance across various business functions.
  • Establish and oversee a robust management process for identifying, tracking, measuring, and reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) and other critical business metrics; lead root cause analyses and remediation; build and maintain dashboards, performance reports, and executive summaries to inform decisions.
• Project Management:
  • Manage large-scale, complex projects, ensuring all work is executed in accordance with timelines and strategic objectives.
  • Monitor progress and control mechanisms to ensure timely execution of implementation plans.
  • Develop change management strategies and communications plans to enable a high-performance culture and drive adoption of new/revised processes and technology solutions.
• Innovation and Collaboration:
  • Drive adoption of new tools, processes, and ways of working by engaging stakeholders and fostering buy-in.
  • Identify and pilot innovative solutions, technologies, or business models that improve access to care, cost efficiency, or the member experience.
  • Serve as a champion for a culture of innovation, learning, and agility.
• Compliance and Risk Management:
  • Establish governance structures for initiatives to ensure accountability, timely delivery, and risk mitigation.
  • Collaborate with Compliance and Risk Management to ensure all operations are compliant with external regulations and internal policies.
  • Maintain awareness of the regulatory and compliance environment to ensure adherence to applicable laws and regulations.

What you will bring with you:

• Strategic thinking and financial management.
• Leadership and influencing skills to move teams forward through organizational change.
• Effective facilitator with the ability to provide insights and draw conclusions from data.
• Mission-driven and self-directed, with a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Outstanding project management skills, overseeing multiple work streams/projects simultaneously.
• Ability to navigate and adapt to ambiguous environments.
• Ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.
• Capable of building strong relationships and maneuvering initiatives through matrixed organizations.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to translate findings in meaningful ways to support executive decision-making.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, or related field; MBA preferred.
• Six Sigma or Lean certification or equivalent, preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in operations leadership with a proven track record of leading large-scale cross-functional projects, delivering process improvements, and facilitating innovation
• Deep understanding of healthcare, clinical, or insurance services.
• Comfortable with both daily execution and longer-term strategic thinking.
• Exceptional organizational and people skills, with the ability to lead through influence and manage without authority.

Salary:

161,000-257,600

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.

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We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all employees feel they belong, are supported and empowered to thrive. We are dedicated to building teams with varied experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and ideas that benefit our colleagues, clients, and the communities where we operate. We encourage applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds.

Life is brighter when you work at Sun Life

At Sun Life, we prioritize your well-being with comprehensive benefits, including generous vacation and sick time, market-leading paid family, parental and adoption leave, medical coverage, company paid life and AD&D insurance, disability programs and a partially paid sabbatical program. Plan for your future with our 401(k) employer match, stock purchase options and an employer-funded retirement account. Enjoy a flexible, inclusive and collaborative work environment that supports career growth. We're proud to be recognized in our communities as a top employer. Proudly Great Place to Work Certified in Canada and the U.S., we've also been recognized as a "Top 10" employer by the Boston Globe's "Top Places to Work" for two years in a row. Visit our website to learn more about our benefits and recognition within our communities.

We will make reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of otherwise-qualified individuals with disabilities or special disabled veterans, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. Please email thebrightside@sunlife.comto request an accommodation.

For applicants residing in California, please read our employee California Privacy Policy and Notice.

We do not require or administer lie detector tests as a condition of employment or continued employment.

Sun Life will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including applicable fair chance ordinances.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.