Group Underwriting Consultant

sunlife; Montreal (administrative region); Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Sun Life in Canada seeks a Group Underwriting Consultant to lead complex renewals, quotes, and plan updates with advanced risk analysis and decisive financial judgment. You will act as a strategic partner to Business Development, delivering client-focused outcomes while protecting profitability.

You will coach underwriters, drive transformation initiatives, and leverage analytics and AI-enabled insights to elevate decision quality across teams in a bilingual, hybrid Canadian environment.

Qualifications

• Advanced underwriting expertise to independently manage complex risk decisions end-to-end.
• Strong financial, client, and business acumen linking underwriting decisions to outcomes.
• Proven negotiation, strategic influence, and relationship-management skills with stakeholders.
• Experience coaching, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing across teams.
• Solid understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements.
• Experience with analytics and AI-enabled insights in underwriting.
• Ability to lead major renewals, quotes, or transformation efforts.
• Bilingualism in French and English (spoken and written) for Canada-wide collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex renewals, quotes, plan revisions, and inquiries end-to-end.
• Apply advanced risk analysis, financial evaluation, and underwriting judgment on complex cases.
• Present insights and recommendations translating data into business decisions.
• Partner with Business Development to support client management and negotiations.
• Deliver presentations, peer reviews, and training to strengthen team capabilities.
• Coach and mentor underwriters to improve judgment and practices.
• Support underwriting transformation initiatives and new tools.
• Leverage analytics, AI, and underwriting technology responsibly.

Skills

Advanced underwriting

Negotiation

Strategic influence

Relationship management

Leadership & coaching

Regulatory & compliance

Analytics & AI insights

Financial acumen

Bilingual: French/English

Tools

Excel

Underwriting software

Analytics tools

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:

As a Group Underwriting Consultant, you lead complex underwriting work, bringing advanced risk expertise, strong financial judgement, and strategic insight to support balanced pricing decisions and long-term, sustainable income for Sun Life. You are a trusted partner to Business Development, clients, and internal teams-using strategic influence, confident negotiation, and relationship management to deliver client-focused outcomes while protecting profitability.

What you will be doing:

• Lead complex renewals, quotes, plan revisions, and inquiries end-to-end, resolving independently and escalating only when required.
• Apply advanced risk analysis, financial evaluation, and underwriting judgement to assess complex and non-standard cases.
• Present clear insights and recommendations, translating data and analytics into actionable business decisions.
• Act as a strategic partner to Business Development, using strategic influence to support client management and lead high-value negotiations with clients, advisors, and brokers.
• Deliver effective presentations, peer reviews, and training to strengthen technical, commercial, and decision-making capability across the team.
• Coach and mentor underwriters, supporting skill development, sound judgement, and consistent underwriting practices.
• Support underwriting transformation initiatives, including pilots, new tools, and process improvements.
• Leverage analytics, AI, and underwriting technology as decision support, applying strong human judgement and ethical oversight.
• Champion continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, client experience, and outcomes.
• Model accountability, professionalism, and ethical standards while contributing to a positive, inclusive team culture.

What you need to succeed:

• Advanced underwriting expertise with the ability to independently manage complex work and risk decisions end-to-end.
• Strong financial, client, and business acumen to connect underwriting decisions to outcomes.
• Proven negotiation, strategic influencing, and relationship-management skills, including the ability to align stakeholders through complex client and partner discussions.
• Demonstrated leadership through coaching, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing.
• Solid understanding of the regulatory environment and compliance requirements.
• Experience working with advanced underwriting tools, analytics, and AI-enabled insights; ability to support adoption and coach others.
• Strong problem-solving skills, creativity, and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Ability to contribute to or lead projects and large-scale initiatives, including major renewals, quotes, or transformation efforts.
• A thoughtful approach to decision making with an ability to apply judgement to unique situations.
• Strong understanding of financial arrangements, with advanced mathematical and analytical skills to support sound underwriting decisions.
• Ability to use underwriting systems, reporting tools, and Excel to analyze trends, investigate triggers, and support data-driven decisions.
• Bilingualism (French, English, both oral and written) is required for the frequent interactions with English and French-speaking colleagues or internal partners across Canada and worldwide.

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.

As a hybrid organization, you and your leader use business and Client needs to choose where you work, at home or in the office.

We're committed to creating an inclusive and respectful environment. Our goal is to make sure all our employees have the chance to live up to their full potential.

We are thrilled to be recognized by Excellence Canada with their top-level certification, the Canada Order of Excellence for Mental Health at Work® , for prioritizing employee well-being, fostering a positive work culture, and achieving