Director, Individual Portfolio Management

Equitable; Southwestern Ontario; Hybrid; CAD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incentive pay

Salary reviews

Benefits and pension matching

Paid volunteer day

Dress for your day

Job summary

Equitable is seeking a Director, Individual Portfolio Management to lead the Individual Insurance project portfolio. You will align initiatives with the division’s plan, partner with senior leaders, and drive delivery across agile, waterfall, and hybrid methodologies in a collaborative environment.

Based in Waterloo, ON, this hybrid role requires leadership of PMs and BAs, strong stakeholder engagement, and a focus on outcomes that support sales, retention, and total rewards strategies.

Qualifications

• Degree in Business, Economics, or equivalent discipline.
• PMI PMP designation and IIBA certification are assets.
• Minimum 10 years of insurance/financial services experience with senior PM responsibilities.
• Minimum 5 years of direct people leadership experience managing Project Managers; BA experience is a plus.
• Strong understanding of business and technology program delivery, planning, execution, dependencies, cross-functional collaboration.
• Experience leading projects and portfolios using agile, waterfall, and hybrid delivery methodologies.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills with executive engagement.
• Change agent with ability to manage competing priorities and drive organizational alignment.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, management, and execution of the Individual Insurance project portfolio aligned with objectives.
• Partner with senior leadership to establish OKRs and adjust actions to support goals.
• Lead annual portfolio planning, quarterly replanning, and monthly portfolio reviews.
• Chair Portfolio Steering Committee with regular portfolio health reporting.
• Oversee intake, prioritization, and strategic alignment of projects.
• Negotiate and coordinate resources across Product, Marketing, Finance, Administration, and IT.
• Provide leadership and coaching to PMs and BAs and foster a collaborative culture.
• Own and evolve project delivery framework and governance for agile, waterfall, and hybrid initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Agile delivery

Portfolio management

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

AI in portfolio planning

Education

Degree in Business/Economics

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Access

Job description

At Equitable, we believe work should be a place where you feel supported, inspired, and empowered to grow. In our caring and collaborative environment, your curiosity is encouraged, your passion is recognized, and your contributions truly matter. Together, we create meaningful impact, for our clients, our communities, and each other.

The Opportunity:

At Equitable, we believe great things happen when we work together. We’re a Canadian mutual company driven by purpose - putting people first and helping Canadians protect today and prepare for tomorrow. If you’re passionate about making a difference and growing your career in an inclusive and collaborative environment, we’d love to hear from you.

Our culture is built on care, passion and curiosity. We put people above all else, strive to be our best and welcome new ideas to deliver positive outcomes.

As the Director, Individual Portfolio Management, you will play a pivotal leadership role in shaping and delivering the Individual Insurance project portfolio, ensuring priorities align with the division’s annual plan and strategic objectives. You will partner closely with senior leaders to establish, monitor, and adapt portfolio priorities that support sales, expense, and inforce retention goals, while leading a team of Project Managers and Business Analysts. This highly strategic position combines portfolio governance, resource planning, program oversight, and people leadership, driving the successful delivery of key initiatives and business value across the organization.

Join one of the region’s top employers and be part of something that truly makes a difference.

Work Arrangements:

This is a hybrid role. You will work in our office in Waterloo, ON a minimum of two (2) assigned, consecutive days every other week, plus a fifth (5th) assigned day per month. You are welcome to work from the office more than the minimum requirement and there may be some roles that are required to work in our office more than the minimum requirement.

What you’ll do:

• Lead the planning, management, and execution of the Individual Insurance project portfolio, ensuring alignment with divisional objectives, business strategy, and approved annual plans
• Partner with senior leadership to establish, monitor, and evaluate objectives and key results (OKRs), recommending adjustments and corrective actions to support business goals
• Lead the annual portfolio planning process, quarterly replanning activities, and ongoing monthly portfolio reviews to assess performance, risks, dependencies, and resource requirements
• Chair the Individual Insurance Key Initiative Portfolio Steering Committee, providing regular reporting and insights on portfolio health, project delivery progress, and achievement of target business outcomes
• Oversee initiative intake, prioritization, and strategic alignment, ensuring projects support business objectives and deliver intended value
• Negotiate and coordinate resources across multiple business functions, including Product, Marketing, Finance, Administration, and IT, balancing portfolio priorities within budget and capacity constraints
• Provide leadership, coaching, and performance management to a team of Project Managers and Business Analysts while fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture focused on innovation and continuous improvement
• Own and evolve the project delivery framework and governance model, ensuring quality standards, delivery controls, and effective execution across agile, waterfall, and hybrid initiatives

What you’ll bring:

• Degree in Business, Economics, or an equivalent discipline; Project Management Professional (PMP) designation and IIBA professional certification are considered assets
• Minimum 10 years of insurance or financial services experience, including senior project management, program management, and portfolio management responsibilities
• Minimum 5 years of direct people leadership experience managing Project Managers; leadership experience with Business Analysts is considered an asset
• Strong understanding of both business and technology program delivery, including planning, execution, dependencies, and cross-functional collaboration
• Proven experience leading projects and portfolios using agile, waterfall, and hybrid delivery methodologies while coordinating resources across multiple work streams
• Exceptional communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to effectively engage executive leaders, facilitate strategic and financial planning discussions, and support delivery teams
• Demonstrated ability to act as a change agent by managing competing priorities, resolving resource conflicts, negotiating successful outcomes, and driving organizational alignment in a finite resource environment
• Strategic growth mindset with strong organizational skills, proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Access, and demonstrated experience leveraging AI capabilities to enhance portfolio planning, execution, monitoring, and reporting activities

What’s in it for you:

• Career Growth: Regular learning sessions and development opportunities
• Total Rewards: Incentive pay, annual salary reviews, employer-paid benefits and pension matching
• Time Away: Competitive vacation plus one paid volunteer day each year
• Flexibility: Healthy work-life balance with employee wellness always top of mind, complemented by a "dress for your day" approach

We’re committed to fair pay and an inclusive, accessible hiring experience. If you need accommodations or alternative formats at any stage, just reach out to us at [e-mail]. We’re happy to help.

If you’re selected to move forward, our Talent Acquisition team will walk you through all the details of our total rewards program, so you know exactly what’s included. This position is open and we are excited to find the right person to join our team. Your base pay will be based on your skills, qualifications, experience and education.

At Equitable, your resume will be reviewed by real people and all hiring decisions are made by our recruiters and hiring managers. AI tools may be used to support administrative and productivity tasks throughout the recruitment process, but we believe that evaluating experience, skills, and talent potential requires meaningful human interaction.

As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure and trusted workplace, candidates selected to move forward in the recruitment process will be required to complete a background screening in accordance with company policy.

Reports To: AVP, Individual Portfolio and Operational Enablement

Department: Individual Project Management

Term: Permanent Full-Time