Assistant Vice President, Process Excellence

Permanent Full Time

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The Assistant Vice President, Business Delivery is a key leadership role within the Shared Services organization of Canadian Operations & Business Enablement. The role leads the Business Process Management team and a cross-functional centre of excellence responsible for business process management, process ownership, knowledge management, and the consistent, high-quality execution of core business processes and operational change. Together, the role and team provide critical capabilities that support Canadian operations across the Canada Life organization, bringing together business analysis, process and procedure development, and knowledge management to simplify how work is performed and improve efficiency, first-time quality, customer and employee experience, and continuous improvement.

As the key leader overseeing business process and knowledge management within Shared Services, the Assistant Vice President establishes the enterprise approach, governance, and standards for managing processes and operational knowledge across their lifecycles. This leadership position is central to enabling consistent, effective support for Canadian operations across the Canada Life organization. The role partners with business leaders and designated process owners to clarify accountability, align priorities, redesign & standardize processes, and translate business, regulatory, and technology change into sustainable operating practices, accessible knowledge, and measurable business outcomes.

Key Accountabilities

• Set the business delivery and process management strategy. Establish and advance an integrated centre of excellence spanning the Business Process Management team, business analysis, procedure development, and knowledge management, aligned to enterprise priorities and operating needs.
• Lead the Business Process Management team. Set direction and priorities for the team and govern the methodology, standards, tools, and lifecycle for process discovery, documentation, ownership, measurement, control, continuous improvement, and retirement.
• Establish process ownership and accountability. Partner with senior business leaders to identify accountable process owners, clarify decision rights, and ensure end-to-end processes have clear ownership, controls, performance measures, and improvement roadmaps.
• Simplify and improve how work is performed. Build an enterprise process inventory, identify duplication, fragmentation, unnecessary effort, and risk, and prioritize opportunities for standardization, redesign, automation, and scalable delivery.
• Lead operational change. Guide the business delivery of process redesign, technology-enabled change, strategic product initiatives, regulatory priorities, and continuous improvement, ensuring process and business readiness are embedded from design through adoption.
• Build trusted partnerships. Advise and constructively challenge senior leaders on process, operating model, and transformation decisions, balancing customer, employee, operational, financial, technology, and risk considerations.
• Deliver measurable and sustainable outcomes. Ensure solutions meet service, quality, timing, cost, control, and sustainability expectations; establish process performance measures and benefits tracking; and strengthen the continuity of expertise required to support Operations.

Leadership and People Management

• Build and sustain a high-performance culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, constructive challenge, disciplined execution, and customer value.
• Attract, develop, retain, and motivate professionals with expertise in business process management, business analysis, procedure development, knowledge management, and change delivery; maintain succession and capability plans as business and technology needs evolve.
• Provide clear goals, roles, decision rights, and performance expectations for leaders, employees, process owners, and vendors.
• Lead through influence across a complex, matrixed organization, bringing business and technology partners together around shared process outcomes and one integrated view of priorities, dependencies, and benefits.
• Manage a leadership structure with approximately 5–19 direct reports and an extended organization of approximately 80 indirect reports.

Key Relationships

• Senior Operations leaders: Provide strategic advice on process ownership, priorities, performance, customer impacts, financial considerations, risk, and operational requirements.
• Business process owners and subject-matter experts: Establish clear accountability for end-to-end processes, support governance and decision-making, and drive standardization, control, and continuous improvement.
• Operations support leaders: Align on process performance, analytics, reporting, critical issues, ongoing operations, and business and system enhancements.
• Technology delivery leaders: Partner on process redesign, automation, technology delivery, risk, controls, implementation readiness, and investment priorities.
• Knowledge management and change partners: Establish effective practices for creating, maintaining, governing, and sharing operational knowledge, and coordinate procedures, adoption support, and feedback for process and technology changes.

• External vendors and partners: Set expectations, manage performance, and ensure external services, methods, and investments support defined process and business outcomes.

Qualifications and Experience

• University degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• More than 10 years of progressive leadership experience, including at least five years in financial services, operations, or a similarly regulated environment.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise business process management, process ownership, operational excellence, large-scale transformation, and cross-functional delivery.
• Strong knowledge of process and knowledge management disciplines, including process architecture and inventory, governance, modelling, documentation, measurement, controls, continuous improvement, knowledge lifecycle management, and benefits realization.
• Proven ability to establish accountability and decision rights across organizational boundaries and influence senior leaders while maintaining trusted relationships.
• Strong financial discipline and experience with workforce planning, strategic vendor management, prioritization, and investment decisions.
• Lean Six Sigma, business process management, project management, or business analysis certification is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience building or leading a business process management centre of excellence and engaging accountable process owners is strongly preferred.
• Given the size and scope of our organization, we have the flexibility for this position to be located in the following head office locations: Toronto, London or Winnipeg

Leadership Capabilities

• Enterprise perspective and the ability to translate strategy into clear process ownership, governance, priorities, and execution plans.
• Visible, inclusive people leadership with a strong record of developing talent and building succession.
• Customer focus and a commitment to simplifying work and improving customer and employee experiences.
• Sound judgement in balancing service, risk, cost, quality, control, and speed.
• Clear, credible communication and the ability to create alignment and influence without relying on direct authority.
• Resilience, adaptability, self-awareness, and openness to constructive challenge.
• A continuous-improvement mindset, supported by data, disciplined process management, and focus on high-impact outcomes.

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The base salary for this position is between $151,100 - $201,100 annually. This represents base salary only and does not represent other variable compensation components of our total compensation ( i.e. annual bonus, commission etc). If you are selected to move forward in our recruitment process, your recruiter will be able to discuss additional details of our total rewards program with you.

Career opportunities will be open a minimum of 5 business days from the date of posting, closing dates will vary depending on the search activity. All applications received will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Grow with Canada Life

We’re united by a shared purpose: to improve the financial, physical and mental well-being of Canadians. Our company is trusted by 1 in 3 Canadians and contributes to the strength of communities across the country.

We’re looking for people who live our values everyday: we step up, we do the right thing, and we deliver – for our customers, communities and each other. Are you someone who always strives to do the right thing, who steps up for themselves and others, and who delivers with impact? Then we want to hear from you!

What we offer:

We’re committed to supporting our employees through every stage of their career. Here’s what you can expect as a full-time or part-time permanent team member:

• Career Development: Opportunities for career advancement, access to industry-leading learning programs and up to $2,000 annually towards education reimbursement.

• Health & Wellness: Flexible health and dental benefits, plus a $5,000 mental health benefit to support your well-being.

• Time Off: In addition to regular vacation and personal days, we support community involvement with a volunteer day.

• Financial Security: Company-matching pension plan, share ownership program and additional investment options.

• Rewards and Recognition: Employee recognition programs, service milestone celebrations, employee discounts and more!
• Emphasis on Community: We provide a workplace where employees feel connected and supported through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), mentorship programs, social clubs and events.

Learn more about Canada Life.

We’re committed to removing barriers and ensuring equal access to employment. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation during the application process may contact [email protected]. All information provided will be handled in accordance with applicable laws and Canada Life policies.

Canada Lifewould like to thank all applicants, however only those who qualify for an interview will be contacted.

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