Director, Disability Strategy, Specialty Services & Excellence

Iaawg; Montreal (administrative region); On-site; CAD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible group insurance plans

Competitive retirement savings plan

Employee share purchase plan

Vacation and wellness days

EFAP

Job summary

iA Financial Group in Montreal seeks a Senior Director of Disability Claims to lead the evolution of the disability operating model, enhance service delivery, and drive digital transformation across Canada and internationally. You will partner with Operations, Modernization, Analytics, Sales and Service teams to deliver high-quality decisions and sustainable return-to-work outcomes.

The role emphasizes leadership through innovation, governance, and stakeholder engagement, with a focus on

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience within disability claims management or related insurance operations.

Responsibilities

• Oversee disability claims strategies, process improvements, and KPI attainment.
• Lead transformation, automation, and AI initiatives within disability operations.
• Coordinate with Product, Sales, Service, Finance and Technology to align strategies.
• Serve as disability subject matter expert for clients, advisors and industry partners.

Skills

Disability claims leadership

Strategy & governance

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder management

AI & digital transformation

Bilingual (English/French)

Job description

Job Description Build the future with us Reporting to the Senior Director, Disability Claims, this role is responsible for evolving and strengthening iA's disability operating model to meet the changing needs of plan members, clients, and the business in an increasingly digital environment. The incumbent provides national leadership for disability specialty services and Centres of Excellence, working closely with operational, modernization, innovation, analytics, sales, and service teams to improve service delivery, build organizational capability, and support the division's strategic priorities.

The role ensures specialty services work seamlessly with the teams they support, providing the expertise, tools, and solutions needed to deliver excellent high-quality service, timely decisions, recovery outcomes, and continuous improvement.

Working in partnership with Disability Operations leaders and internal partners, the incumbent engages with clients, advisors, employees, suppliers, and industry stakeholders to identify opportunities and advance practical solutions.

The role supports iA's long-term ambitions by strengthening our leadership in disability management through positive wellness, recovery, and sustainable return-to-work outcomes and an exceptional plan member and client experience.

What you'll accomplish with us

• Service Excellence & Performance (Operational Backbone) Oversee claim strategies, process improvements, quality assurance, appeals, litigation support, governance, regulation up-dates, performance outcomes, and KPI attainment. Optimize the frameworks, standards, governance of these services to align with our evolving business needs, driving improvement while protecting client and organizational financial outcomes. Ensure our specialized disability service team is accessible, aligned to business needs, delivers measurable operational value and remains aligned with key functional partners.
• Disability Strategy & Operating Model Evolution In close partnership with leaders, drive the strategy and transformation objectives. Translate strategic priorities into practical, scalable operating changes (processes, roles, how-to tools, governance). Lead cross‑functional alignment with Product, Sales, Service, Finance, and Technology. Monitor, measure and drive execution and adoption of transformation, automation and AI/digital initiatives.
• Innovation, AI & Continuous Improvement (Disability‑Specific) Work closely with our modernization teams to lead disability innovation, process improvement, automation, AI enablement, and digital transformation initiatives, with clear decision frameworks, KPIs, explainability and risk controls. Drive process standardization, efficiency, and sustainable operational improvements.
• Client & Market Leadership Serve as a disability subject matter leader for clients, advisors, and industry stakeholders. Leverage operational insights and market intelligence to strengthen client value and competitive differentiation. Support key client interactions, industry engagement, and business growth objectives.
• Vendor, Data & Governance Leadership Oversee vendor management strategies to improve outcomes and manage costs. Ensure compliance with regulatory, audit, and internal control expectations.
• Talent, Capability & Leadership Development Help build a future‑ready disability workforce with strong technical, leadership, and decision‑making capabilities. Develop canters of expertise and leadership pipelines and lead upskilling initiatives aligned with our evolving business needs.

What could accelerate your success in this role

We're looking for someone who:

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience within disability claims management, claims, or other related insurance operations.
• Strong expertise across claims operations, strategy, transformation, and governance
• Demonstrated success leading and guiding teams successfully through innovation and large‑scale change into production, with measured improvement outcomes and gains
• Exceptional leadership, coaching, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with a track record of building high‑performing teams and developing leaders.
• Deep understanding of disability trends, disabling conditions such as mental health, return‑to‑work practices, and regulatory environments
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders, clients, and industry partners
• Advanced proficiency in both French and English, as the incumbent will be required to collaborate daily, both verbally and in writing, with unilingual English‑speaking partners, teams, and stakeholders across Canada and internationally.

Why you'll love working with us

A work environment where learning and development merge with a collective pursuit of excellence; AI is in everyone's hands, empowering you to increase your personal effectiveness while supporting the organization's growth; A healthy, safe, fair, and inclusive environment where potential can be freely expressed and developed; The opportunity to work in a hybrid environment, supported by flexibility and access to inspiring and innovative workspaces.

Competitive Benefits

• Flexible group insurance plans
• Competitive retirement savings plan
• Employee share purchase plan
• Vacation program, wellness days, and personal development days
• Telemedicine services
• Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
• Ergonomic furniture program
• Performance bonus
• Discounts on iA products
• And much more!

Location(s) Montreal / 1981 McGill College Avenue Other Possible Location(s) Toronto / 26 Wellington Street East

Company iA Financial Group Posting End Date 2026-09-04

Company Overview iA Financial Group*

iA Financial Group* is the strength of a company with a human side, with its over 8,000 employees. Together, we have earned the trust of our more than four million clients and 25,000 advisors who have chosen us for their insurance, savings, and wealth management. With over $200 billion in assets and half a billion invested in technological innovation, we’re a key player in the financial services industry in Canada and the United States. The secret to our success? Investing in you, one person at a time. Because, for over 125 years, we have believed that it’s by supporting our employees and surrounding ourselves with the most reputable leaders in the industry, we will continue to innovate. At iA, we’re invested in you.

iA Financial group includes the following entities:

• iA Services financiers
• iA assurance auto et habitation
• iA Gestion privée de patrimoine
• PPI Management
• Investia
• iA Gestion de placements
• Prysm
• iA Clarington
• Michel Rhéaume et associés
• Garanties Nationales
• WGI Manufacturing
• WGI Service Plan Division
• Lubrico
• iA Financement auto

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion At iA Financial Group, we support and celebrate diversity. We strive to provide a workplace that is recognized as inclusive for all, regardless of ethnic origin, nationality, language, religious beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family situation, or physical or mental disability. Please note that if you need help or assistance to make the recruitment process more accessible for you, please Contact us here. Someone from our team will be happy to assist you with your needs. As a reflection of our employees’ appreciation and engagement, iA once again stands out this year as one of Canada’s top employers according to Forbes. In 2026, iA Financial Group also ranks 1st among major publicly traded Canadian insurers. At iA Financial Group, our differences make us unique. We are committed to supporting and celebrating diversity because we believe that it is by bridging our differences that we will be stronger. Our employees’ wellbeing is our priority. We are also committed to creating a stimulating and safe work environment, in addition to offering a real work-life balance with our flexible work model. As a reflection of our employees’ appreciation, iA has been ranked as one of the top employers in Canada in 2023 by Glassdoor and Forbes.