Director Operational Risk & Resilience | Great West

Canada Life; Toronto; On-site; CAD 128,000 - 178,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Education reimbursement — up to $2,000

Flexible health and dental benefits

$5,000 mental health benefit

Volunteer day

Job summary

Great-West Lifeco is seeking a seasoned Director, Operational Risk and Resilience to mature risk reporting into proactive, decision-focused insights. You will integrate risk data across domains, partner with Compliance, Technology and Fraud, and develop dashboards to highlight what matters and actions required.

You will lead a high-performing team, deliver narrative risk insights to senior leadership, and drive data discipline and governance while improving reporting quality and efficiency.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in risk management and related disciplines.
• Strong data, analytics and reporting skills.
• Ability to turn complex risk information into actionable executive insights.
• Experience developing or enhancing risk reporting frameworks.
• Solid understanding of operational risk, controls and regulatory expectations.
• Demonstrated leadership, judgement and execution skills.
• Interest in AI, automation and modern reporting practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of decision-focused Operational Risk & Resilience reporting and analytics.
• Deliver clear, actionable insights by translating complex risk information into narratives.
• Connect operational risk data across risks, controls, issues, events, losses and regulatory requirements.
• Provide independent challenge to ensure reporting is accurate and decision-focused.
• Develop dashboards, metrics, KRIs and analytics for proactive risk management.
• Partner with Risk, Compliance, Data and Technology to improve reporting and data quality.
• Identify emerging risk themes, trends, and forward-looking indicators.
• Establish reporting standards, governance and data discipline.
• Improve reporting processes, tools and production efficiency.
• Track team performance and continuous improvement outcomes.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships and drive cross-functional alignment.

Skills

Risk management

Operational risk

Analytics

Reporting

Leadership

Communication

AI/automation awareness

Job description

Permanent Full Time

Are you passionate about turning data into clear risk insight, practical action and informed business decisions?

Great-West Lifeco is seeking a Director, Operational Risk and Resilience to mature operational risk and resilience reporting into proactive, decision-focused insights. The Director will integrate operational risk and resilience information and, in partnership with reporting leads across Compliance, Technology, Model and AI Risk, and Fraud, coordinate a consolidated view of relevant risk themes, while accountability remains with each domain owner. As a trusted advisor, the Director will improve reporting quality and consistency and develop practical dashboards and narratives that highlight what matters most and the action required.

What you will do:

• Lead the development of decision-focused Operational Risk & Resilience reporting, analytics and insights that support effective management and governance oversight.


• Deliver clear, actionable insights by translating complex risk information into meaningful narratives.


• Connect operational risk data across risks, controls, issues, events, losses, resilience and regulatory requirements.


• Provide independent challenge to ensure reporting is accurate, balanced and decision focused.


• Develop dashboards, metrics, KRIs and analytics that support proactive risk management.


• Partner across Risk, Compliance, Data and Technology to collect risk inputs owned by other functions and to improve reporting, data quality and automation.


• Identify emerging operational risk and resilience themes risks, trends, control weaknesses and forward-looking indicators.


• Establish consistent reporting standards, governance and data discipline.


• Continuously improve reporting processes, tools and production efficiency.


• Track and report on operational risk and resilience team performance, maturity and continuous improvement outcomes


• Build strong stakeholder relationships and drive cross-functional alignment on operational risk themes and actions.


• Lead and develop a high-performing team while promoting a culture of informed decision-making and resilience.

What you will bring:

• 5+ years of experience in risk management, operational risk, compliance, audit, analytics, reporting, or a related discipline, preferably within financial services


• Strong data, analytics and reporting skills, with experience using dashboards, metrics and insights to support executive decision-making.


• Ability to turn complex risk and performance information into clear, actionable executive insights and recommendations.


• Experience developing or enhancing risk, governance and management reporting frameworks.


• Solid understanding of operational risk, controls, issue management, risk appetite, regulatory expectations and the three lines model.


• Demonstrated leadership, judgement and execution skills, with the ability to prioritize and deliver high-quality outcomes.


• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, curiosity, including the ability to translate complex concepts into clear and actionable insights for diverse audiences


• Interest in emerging risks, AI, automation and modern reporting practices, with the ability to assess opportunities and risks responsibly.


• Professional designation in risk, audit, compliance, analytics, finance or a related field is an asset.

The base salary for this position is between $128,200 - $178,200 annually. This represents base salary only and does not represent other variable compensation components of our total compensation ( i.e. annual bonus, commission etc).

Career opportunities will be open a minimum of 5 business days from the date of posting, closing dates will vary depending on the search activity. All applications received will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Grow with Great-West Lifeco

Great-West Lifeco Inc is a Canadian headquarter, international financial services holding company with interests in life insurance, health insurance, retirement and investment services, asset management, and reinsurance businesses. We operate in Canada, the United States, and Europe under the brands: Canada Life, Empower and Irish Life. At the end of 2024, our companies had over 32,250 employees, 106,000 advisor relationships, and thousands of distribution partners – serving approximately 40 million customer relationships.

Great-West Lifeco trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the ticker symbol GWO and is a member of the Power Corporation group of companies.

What we offer

We’re committed to supporting our employees through every stage of their career. Here’s what you can expect as a full-time or part-time permanent team member:

Career Development

Opportunities for career advancement, access to industry-leading learning programs and up to $2,000 annually towards education reimbursement.

Health & Wellness

Flexible health and dental benefits, plus a $5,000 mental health benefit to support your well-being.

Time Off

In addition to regular vacation and personal days, we support community involvement with a volunteer day.

Financial Security

Company-matching pension plan, share ownership program and additional investment options.

Rewards and Recognition

Employee recognition programs, service milestone celebrations, employee discounts and more!

Emphasis on Community

We provide a workplace where employees feel connected and supported through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), mentorship programs, social clubs and events.

Learn more about Great-West Lifeco.

We’re committed to removing barriers and ensuring equal access to employment. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation during the application process may contact [e-mail]. All information provided will be handled in accordance with applicable laws and Great-West Lifeco policies.