Director, Canadian Tax

Sunlife; Kitchener; Hybrid; CAD 135,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Sun Life in Canada seeks a Director of Canadian Tax to lead tax reporting and analysis for its insurance operations. The role drives efficiency, supports audits, and delivers forecasting insights.

You will provide guidance to management and collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement tax initiatives. Ideal candidates have 8+ years in corporate tax, CPA designation, and strong Excel/SAP proficiency, with a track record of process improvements and project leadership.

Qualifications

• CPA designation required; advanced tax courses preferred.
• Progressive tax experience in large corporate settings.
• Experience with Canadian tax financial reporting for corporate entities.

Responsibilities

• Lead Canadian tax financial reporting and analysis for IFRS provisions.
• Develop processes to improve efficiency and timeliness of tax deliverables.
• Support government income tax audits and financial reporting audits.
• Prepare tax projections for planning and forecasting.
• Analyze consolidated effective tax rate for Canadian and Corporate segments.
• Conduct tax research and interpret impacts of transactions.
• Provide tax advice to business units and corporate functions.
• Support implementation of projects and liaise with leadership.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Project management

Education

CPA designation

Tax qualification courses (MTax / CPA Canada In Depth)

Tools

SAP

Excel (Pivot tables, VLOOKUP)

Microsoft 365

Job description

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.

At Sun Life, we're driven by our Purpose: helping our Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. Our values shape how we work: caring, authentic, bold, inspiring, and impactful.

When you join Sun Life, you'll work with passionate colleagues and empowering leaders who support your growth and celebrate your contributions, so you can make a meaningful difference in our Clients' lives.

Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

Job Description

About The Role

The Director, Canadian Tax, will play a pivotal role in the tax financial reporting and compliance for Sun Life's Canadian insurance companies. The role will drive process improvements to enhance efficiency, support audits and regulatory inquiries, and provide tax analysis, forecasting, and effective tax rate insights.

What You'll Be Doing

• Help lead the Canadian tax financial reporting and analysis for Canadian insurance companies, ensuring the accurate and timely determination of quarterly income tax provisions under IFRS.
• Develop and implement processes to improve the efficiency and timeliness of various tax deliverables.
• Support both government income tax audits and financial reporting audits, preparing formal responses to queries and participating in walkthroughs.
• Prepare tax projections for planning and forecasting purposes.
• Prepare and analyze the consolidated effective tax rate for Sun Life’s Canadian and Corporate segments.
• Conduct tax research and interpret the impact of specific issues and/or transactions.
• Provide consultation and tax advice to business unit management and corporate functions.
• Support implementation of projects/initiatives and liaise with leaders throughout the organization.

What You'll Need To Succeed

• Minimum of 8 years of progressive tax experience in a large corporation and/or major accounting firm.
• CPA designation required; completion of a MTax program or CPA Canada In Depth Tax Course is strongly preferred.
• 8+ years of experience with Canadian tax financial reporting for corporate and non-corporate entities (such as partnerships and trusts).
• Proven experience implementing process improvements, including experience leveraging technology to implement automated solutions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate technical information.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to coordinate workflow for outsourcing arrangements and secondments.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications is essential. Proficiency with Excel (experience with pivot tables V/X-look ups).
• Experience with financial applications (preferably SAP).

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with Canadian Investment Fund tax regime (asset).
• Understanding of the investment management business and/or insurance business (asset).
• Experience in tax technology tools (e.g. Longview) is an asset.

What's in it for you

• Being a member of the Sun Life family, a group of people united by our Purpose: to help Clients and Employees achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives.
• In 2024, Sun Life ranked among the top 100 most sustainable global corporations by Corporate Knights for the 15th consecutive year, leading Canadian insurers.
• We are proud to be on the 2024 Best Workplaces in Canada list by Great Place to Work.
• We’re also listed as one of the Best Workplaces for Women and Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams.
• Our unique Sabbatical Program gives you the opportunity to take up to 6 weeks off, every five years.
• Care Days available for self-care or care of others (i.e., family or others you may support) and Sick Days to support your well-being.

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 [e-mail].

We are proud to be a hybrid organization that offers our employees the choice and flexibility to work from both the office and virtually based on the needs of the business, our Clients and you.

We may use artificial intelligence to support candidate sourcing, screening, interview scheduling.

We thank all applicants for showing an interest in this position. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Salary Range

135,000/135 000 - 195,000/195 000

Job Category

Finance

Posting End Date

24/11/2026