Director, Individual Portfolio Management

Dayforce HCM; Southwestern Ontario; Hybrid; CAD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Equitable, a Canadian mutual company, is seeking a Director, Individual Portfolio Management to shape and deliver the Individual Insurance project portfolio. You will partner with senior leaders to align priorities with strategic objectives, ensuring value delivery and fiscal discipline across agile, waterfall, and hybrid initiatives.

In Waterloo, ON, this hybrid role combines portfolio governance, resource planning, and people leadership for Project Managers and Business Analysts.

Qualifications

• Degree in Business, Economics, or equivalent; PMP/IIBA assets.
• Minimum 10 years in insurance/financial services with PM/PMO roles.
• Minimum 5 years leading Project Managers; BA leadership is a plus.
• Strong business/tech delivery across agile, waterfall, and hybrid.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement with executives.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, management and execution of the Individual Insurance project portfolio.
• Partner with senior leadership to set OKRs and adjust actions.
• Oversee portfolio planning, replanning, and monthly reviews for risks and resources.
• Chair the Portfolio Steering Committee and report on health and progress.
• Manage intake, prioritization, and alignment with objectives and value.
• Coordinate resources across functions while respecting budget and capacity.
• Lead a high-performing team of PMs and Business Analysts.
• Evolve delivery governance for agile, waterfall and hybrid initiatives.

Skills

Portfolio management

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Agile

Waterfall

Hybrid delivery

Strategic planning

Excel

PowerPoint

Access

AI capabilities

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or related field

PMP certification

IIBA certification

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Access

Job description

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 developmentopportunities
• Total Rewards: Incentive pay, annual salary reviews, employer-paid benefits and pensionmatching
• 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