Manager, Strategic Initiatives

Canada Life; Toronto; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Education reimbursement

Health benefits

Volunteer time off

Pension plan

Employee recognition

ERGs & mentorship

Job summary

Canada Life is seeking a Manager, Strategic Initiatives to drive health product strategy and execution within a leading financial services organization. You will develop market insights, build business cases, and lead cross-functional teams to deliver high-impact initiatives.

The role emphasizes stakeholder management, project governance, and delivering initiatives on time and budget, with ownership of end-to-end outcomes in a large corporate setting.

Qualifications

• Progressive experience in management consulting / strategy at a large corporation.
• Experience in health products, digital transformation, or group benefits is a strong asset.
• Strong business acumen to drive strategic initiatives and P&L growth.
• Leadership and communication to influence stakeholders.
• Analytical skills including financial modeling.

Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate new market, product, and growth opportunities across the Health business.
• Develop business cases articulating financial value, customer impact, and strategic fit.
• Lead cross-functional alignment and governance across initiatives.
• Translate strategy into actionable recommendations.
• Manage multiple initiatives from concept to completion.
• Deliver projects on time and on budget.

Skills

Management consulting/strategy

Stakeholder leadership

Analytical thinking

Strategic planning

Communication skills

Ownership mindset

Financial modeling

Education

Undergraduate degree in Business or Health

MBA (asset)

Tools

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Excel

OneNote

Job description

Permanent Full Time

The Manager, Strategic Initiatives plays a key role in driving key initiatives for the Health Products team, which is responsible for the direction, delivery and management of Canada Life’s health and wellbeing products and policies.

This role delivers against strategic priorities, ensures alignment with broader business unit and enterprise strategies, and supports strategic coordination across other teams at Canada Life. Reporting to the Director, Health Product Strategy, the Manager will drive insight‑led strategy development and execution across a range of initiatives.

What will you do?

Business strategy

• Identify and evaluate new market, product, and growth opportunities across the Health business.
• Develop and position high‑potential concepts and initiatives, creating business cases that articulate financial value, customer impact, and strategic fit.
• Determine impact of regulatory shifts to our customers and our business and propose options and recommendations. Provide thought leadership on industry trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging innovation.

Stakeholder management/communication

• Partner with the Health Products leadership team to define strategic initiatives and priorities.
• Lead early‑stage discussions with cross‑functional partners to obtain alignment, support, and resourcing.
• Communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively to senior stakeholders.

Project management

• Independently build structured project plans with clear deliverables, timelines, and governance.
• Drive accountability across working groups, coordinating activities and managing risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Prepare high‑quality project materials, documentation, and status updates.

Strategic initiative execution

• Lead a portfolio of simultaneous strategic initiatives from concept to completion.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and with exceptional quality.
• Translate strategy into actionable recommendations and implementation steps that drive measurable impact.

What do you need to succeed?

• Progressive experience in management consulting / strategy at a large corporation; financial services or healthcare experience preferred - in areas such as group life & health, life insurance, banking, wealth & asset management, or benefits & pensions
• Industry experience: Experience related to health products, digital transformation, or the group benefits industry is considered a strong asset.
• Strong business acumen - demonstrated aptitude for strategic, analytical, and critical thinking to drive key strategic initiatives and P&L growth
• Leadership & communication – Ability to influence and develop strong stakeholder relationships; excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Solution-oriented execution: Experience delivering initiatives to successful completion
• Ownership mentality & a positive attitude – bring a ‘can-do’ mindset; ask questions that elevate the team’s thinking; take full initiative and end-to-end ownership over your work
• Excellent research & analytical skills - including financial analysis and modeling
• Technical skills: Expert in Microsoft PowerPoint, strong in Excel, OneNote, etc.
• Education: Undergraduate degree in Business or Health, MBA considered an asset

The base salary for this position is between $110,200 - $135,200 annually. This represents base salary only and does not represent other variable compensation components of our total compensation ( i.e. annual bonus, commission etc). If you are selected to move forward in our recruitment process, your recruiter will be able to discuss additional details of our total rewards program with you.

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 Canada Life

We’re united by a shared purpose: to improve the financial, physical and mental well‑being of Canadians. Our company is trusted by 1 in 3 Canadians and contributes to the strength of communities across the country.

We’re looking for people who live our values everyday: we step up, we do the right thing, and we deliver – for our customers, communities and each other. Are you someone who always strives to do the right thing, who steps up for themselves and others, and who delivers with impact? Then we want to hear from you!

What we offer

• 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 additionalinvestment 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.

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 Canada Life policies.

Canada Life would like to thank all applicants, however only those who qualify for an interview will be contacted.