Associate Vice President, Risk & Control

The Co-operators Group Limited; Regina; Hybrid; CAD 143,000 - 238,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training and development

Flexible work options

Well-being programs

Volunteer days

Total rewards package

Job summary

CLIC, a leading Canadian financial services co-operative, seeks an AVP of Risk & Control to lead the 1st line function, strengthen risk management, and ensure regulatory compliance across enterprise programs.

You will drive reporting to senior leadership, oversee Model Risk Management and Third-Party Risk, and collaborate with Compliance, Internal Audit, and ERM to foster a high-performing risk-aware culture.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required or equivalent experience in Business, Finance, Actuarial Science, Statistics, Risk Management, or related field.
• CPA/FCIA/CERA/CIA/CIP/FCIP designation preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in the insurance industry.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop CLIC's First Line of Defense Risk & Control function, including team structure, capacity planning, talent development, and performance management.
• Act as the primary 1LoD lead for regulatory reviews, Internal Audit, 2LoD oversight activities, and third-party assessments, ensuring timely remediation and issue resolution.
• Provide reporting and insights to senior leadership on risk, control, audit, and compliance activities, highlighting key trends, outcomes, and improvement opportunities.
• Ensure risk assessments drive monitoring, testing, reporting, and remediation priorities across the business.
• Oversee the Model Risk Management program and ensure ongoing compliance with OSFI guidelines.
• Lead Third-Party Risk Management and Market Conduct oversight programs, including governance, monitoring, and escalation management.
• Partner closely with Compliance, Internal Audit, and Enterprise Risk Management (2LoD) teams to strengthen risk identification, ownership, and mitigation.
• Foster a high-performing, collaborative, and risk-aware culture through coaching, mentoring, and leadership development.

Skills

Leadership

Risk management

Audit

Compliance

ERM

Regulatory reviews

3LoD model

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Actuarial Science, Statistics, Risk Management, or related field

CPA/FCIA/CERA/CIA/CIP/FCIP designation preferred

Job description

Job Category: Legal/Compliance/Audit/Governance

Company: CLIC
Department: Finance - Life Operations
Employment Type: Regular Full-Time
Work Model: Hybrid (2 days in office)
Language: This role operates in English.
Additional Information: This/these role(s) is/are currently vacant

The Opportunity:

We are a leading Canadian financial services co-operative committed to being a catalyst for a sustainable and resilient society and our team is essential to deliver on this strategy. That's why we prioritize our people, to ensure we provide a strong culture and development opportunities which enables our team to thrive and to live our purpose. The best part is that you will work with people that care passionately about you, our clients and our communities.

The AVP, Risk & Control leads CLIC's Risk & Control function, providing independent oversight to strengthen risk management, internal controls, compliance, and fraud prevention. This role oversees enterprise certification and compliance programs, control testing and reporting, Business Continuity Planning (BCP), Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), model and third-party risk management, and market conduct oversight. The successful candidate will drive a strong risk culture, enhance governance frameworks and controls, ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and provide strategic risk reporting and insights to senior leadership.

How you will create impact:

• Lead and develop CLIC's First Line of Defense (1LoD) Risk & Control function, including team structure, capacity planning, talent development, and performance management.
• Act as the primary 1LoD lead for regulatory reviews, Internal Audit, Second Line of Defense (2LoD) oversight activities, and third-party assessments, ensuring timely remediation and issue resolution.
• Provide reporting and insights to senior leadership on risk, control, audit, and compliance activities, highlighting key trends, outcomes, and improvement opportunities.
• Ensure risk assessments drive monitoring, testing, reporting, and remediation priorities across the business.
• Oversee the Model Risk Management program and ensure ongoing compliance with OSFI guidelines
• Lead Third-Party Risk Management and Market Conduct oversight programs, including governance, monitoring, and escalation management.
• Partner closely with Compliance, Internal Audit, and Enterprise Risk Management (2LoD) teams to strengthen risk identification, ownership, and mitigation.
• Foster a high-performing, collaborative, and risk-aware culture through coaching, mentoring, and leadership development.

To join our team:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Actuarial Science, Statistics, Risk Management, or a related field.
• CPA, FCIA, CERA, CIA, CIP, or FCIP designation preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in the insurance industry.
• Experience in audit, assurance, enterprise risk management, or governance functions is an asset.
• Strong understanding of insurance operations, first-line business functions, and the Three Lines of Defence (3LoD) model.
• Expertise in enterprise risk management (ERM), risk and control frameworks, business continuity, and risk management methodologies.
• Knowledge of advanced analytics tools, data capabilities, and their application to risk and control activities.

How you will succeed:

• You initiate new strategies to capitalize on opportunities and lead the implementation of organizational change.
• You integrate complex information to identify solutions or solve problems and apply a strategic mindset to adjust business plans.
• You foster innovation and continuous improvement with a focus on client experience.
• You create a high-performance culture through alignment of your team's work with organizational goals and successfully convey messages with a sense of positive advocacy.
• You develop others to ensure the evolving needs of the organization will be met and build effective relationships to achieve key business objectives.

What you need to know:

• You will be subject to a Background check as a condition of employment, in the event you are the successful candidate.

What's in it for you?

• Training and development opportunities to grow your career.
• Flexible work options and paid time off to support your personal and family needs.
• A holistic approach to your well-being, with physical and mental health programs and a supportive workplace culture.
• Paid volunteer days to give back to your community.
• In addition to our competitive salary and incentive programs, eligible employees also benefit from a comprehensive total rewards package including group retirement savings plans, pension and benefits (e.g., health and wellness, dental, disability and life coverage), mental health support and an employee assistance program.

Expected salary: $ 142,526.00 to $237,544.00. The salary amount for the successful candidate is determined by Co-operators in its discretion and will vary depending on several criteria including but not limited to: local market conditions, geography and relevant job-related factors such as knowledge, skills, qualification, experience and education.

Employees may also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn additional compensation tied to individual and/or business performance, or other business metrics.