Director, Agile Portfolio Management

You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do. Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.
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Sun Life Retail Advice & Solutions (RA&S) is one of the leading financial institutions that offer Canadians holistic advice and innovative solutions including insurance, wealth and health through a team of digitally-enabled and insights-driven human advisors. As part of Digital Enterprise (DE), we are on an exciting journey to transform the capabilities delivery model that drives greater speed, agility and impact to create remarkable Client and advisor experiences. Reporting to the AVP, Agile Portfolio Management, the Director, Agile Portfolio Management will lead Agile functions in partnership with delivery leads across RA&S portfolios including SLFD, IID, Prospr, wealth and insurance.
What will you do?
Initiative prioritization and pipeline management

• Own and facilitate agile portfolio management events and ceremonies as part of the DE model
• Monitor, report, and recommend portfolio changes based on evolving business priorities
• Facilitate regular portfolio Execution Group syncs to drive prioritization, resolve issues, and keep executives abreast of progress, risks and recommendations for priority changes
• Responsible for the initiative intake process, ensuring optimal prioritization to maximize the capacity of persistent teams
• Manage ongoing prioritization of RA&S initiatives (i.e. SLFD, IID, Prospr, insurance, wealth) to ensure alignment with business OKRs and Strategy

Value realization

• Responsible for establishing OKRs across agile portfolios in RA&S to enable business strategy
• Identify impediments to realizing value and partner with Journey and Platform leaders to overcome roadblocks
• As part of business planning, aggregate and align DE team OKRs to business OKRs
• Partner with DBTS and chapter teams to orchestrate regular reviews of DE team OKRs

Stakeholder management

• Navigate complex matrix delivery organization to collaborate with key partners such as RA&S business teams, Finance, DBTS, Platform and Journey leads
• Build and manage relationships with key partners at all levels, including effectively engaging senior executives
• Escalate and keep sponsors and stakeholders informed of key issues, risks and interdependencies

Communication and relationship management

• Tailor verbal and written communication based on audience and situation to maximize buy-in and establish productive working relationships
• Actively promote RA&S brand to attract talent and external partners
• Effectively communicate and influence with key insights, ideas, and strategies, to a senior executive level audience within RA&S business teams and leadership, and across Canada partners in a clear, compelling, and concise manner
• Proactively stay in touch with internal partners to maintain an understanding of new developments in their areas and identify opportunities for collaboration
• Effectively influence partners such as Journey/Platform leads with no direct reporting relationship

What do you need to succeed?
Portfolio management

• Experience leading large, complex projects with multiple work streams
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of project management practices and disciplines, tools, and methodologies
• A clear understanding of the agile delivery methodologies, including agile portfolio management processes and Digital Enterprise

Mindset and behaviours

• University degree preferred with emphasis on relevant areas of work and/or professional designation with over 10 years of program and portfolio experience
• Highly collaborative and able to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment professionally and positively
• Biased for action, empowering teams to go outside of their comfort zone to learn
• Empower self and others to fail, learn, and grow
• Experience in Sun Life Digital Enterprise is an asset
• PMP certification is required
• Possess a creative mindset and a passion to challenge the status quo, find new solutions, and drive out-of-the-box outcomes
• LPM certification is an asset
• Believe in a non-hierarchical culture of collaboration, transparency, safety, and trust

Initiative prioritization and pipeline management

• Manage ongoing prioritization of RA&S initiatives (i.e. SLFD, IID, Prospr, insurance, wealth) to ensure alignment with business OKRs and Strategy
• Responsible for the initiative intake process, ensuring optimal prioritization to maximize the capacity of persistent teams
• Own and facilitate agile portfolio management events and ceremonies as part of the DE model
• Facilitate regular portfolio Execution Group syncs to drive prioritization, resolve issues, and keep executives abreast of progress, risks and recommendations for priority changes
• Monitor, report, and recommend portfolio changes based on evolving business priorities

Value realization

• Responsible for establishing OKRs across agile portfolios in RA&S to enable business strategy
• Identify impediments to realizing value and partner with Journey and Platform leaders to overcome roadblocks
• As part of business planning, aggregate and align DE team OKRs to business OKRs
• Partner with DBTS and chapter teams to orchestrate regular reviews of DE team OKRs

Stakeholder management

• Build and manage relationships with key partners at all levels, including effectively engaging senior executives
• Navigate complex matrix delivery organization to collaborate with key partners such as RA&S business teams, Finance, DBTS, Platform and Journey leads
• Escalate and keep sponsors and stakeholders informed of key issues, risks and interdependencies

Communication and relationship management

• Actively promote RA&S brand to attract talent and external partners
• Proactively stay in touch with internal partners to maintain an understanding of new developments in their areas and identify opportunities for collaboration
• Tailor verbal and written communication based on audience and situation to maximize buy-in and establish productive working relationships
• Effectively communicate and influence with key insights, ideas, and strategies, to a senior executive level audience within RA&S business teams and leadership, and across Canada partners in a clear, compelling, and concise manner
• Effectively influence partners such as Journey/Platform leads with no direct reporting relationship

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.
Diversity and inclusion have always been at the core of our values at Sun Life. A diverse workforce with wide perspectives and creative ideas benefits our clients, the communities where we operate and all of us as colleagues. We welcome applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds.
Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process or those needing job postings in an alternative format may e-mail a request to [email protected].
At Sun Life we strive to create a flexible work environment where our employees are empowered to do their best work. Several flexible work options are available and can be discussed throughout the selection process depending on the role requirements and individual needs.
We thank all applicants for showing an interest in this position. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Salary Range:
105,000/105 000 - 165,900/165 900
Job Category:
Project Management - Process
Posting End Date:
29/06/2023