Program Director – Global Brand (24 month contract)

Sun Life Financial; Toronto; On-site; CAD 105,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services company seeks a Program Director to spearhead a major branding initiative. This 24-month contract role demands extensive program management experience and offers opportunities to influence the company's brand strategy globally. With a supportive work culture, this position is ideal for candidates looking to make a significant impact in the financial sector.

Benefits

Flexible work options

Supportive working environment

Career growth opportunities

Inclusion and respect culture

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of experience in program management leading branding initiatives.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills with influence over stakeholders.
• Experience in multi-national environments and familiarity with brand governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the full lifecycle of the branding program from planning to execution.
• Collaborate with various teams to ensure project alignment across touchpoints.
• Define KPIs and oversee vendors and creative agencies supporting the program.

Skills

Program Management

Stakeholder Communication

Brand Alignment

Change Management

Organizational Skills

Education

PMP or similar certification

Tools

Smartsheet

Wrike

Job description

Program Director – Global Brand (24 month contract) page is loaded

Program Director – Global Brand (24 month contract)

Apply locations Toronto, Ontario Montreal, Quebec Waterloo, Ontario time type Full time posted on Posted 12 Days Ago job requisition id JR00111401

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. Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

Job Description:

About the role:

We are seeking a strategic and experienced Program Director to lead a high-impact, enterprise-wide brand initiative. This role will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the program, from strategy to implementation across multiple markets. The ideal candidate will be a strong cross-functional leader with deep experience in program management, stakeholder communication, brand alignment, and change management at scale. This is a high-visibility role that offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on our organization's global presence and future growth. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in shaping and implementing a brand strategy that will resonate with our clients and employees worldwide. This is contract position, until the end of 2027.

What will you do?

Lead and manage the full lifecycle of the program—from planning and scope definition to execution and post-launch optimization. Collaborate with brand, marketing, design, legal, product, and regional teams to ensure consistency and alignment across all touchpoints. Develop and manage a detailed program roadmap with clear milestones, dependencies, and risk mitigation strategies. Oversee external vendors and creative agencies supporting the program. Develop enterprise-wide communications and presentations, including executive updates, global stakeholder briefings, and change management plans. Ensure on-time and on-budget delivery while balancing global scale with local relevance. Define and track KPIs to measure program success and adoption across regions and departments. Act as a brand steward and strategic advisor during a critical transformation moment for the company. Occasional early morning and late evening meetings are required to connect with colleagues in Asia.

What do you need to succeed?

• 8–12 years of experience in program management, with proven success leading large-scale branding or marketing initiatives.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills; able to influence and manage stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience working within matrixed organizations and across geographies.
• PMP or similar certification.
• Familiarity with project management tools such as Smartsheet or Wrike.
• Prior experience managing a corporate brand program.
• Experience working in multinational, cross-cultural environments.
• Background in enterprise tech, B2B, or global consumer brands.
• Strong understanding of global brand governance, visual identity systems, and multi-channel asset deployment.
• As this position is posted in several locations, we specify that bilingualism (French, English, both oral and written) is required for Quebec only for the frequent interactions with English and French-speaking colleagues or internal partners across Canada or worldwide.

What's in it for you?

• Supportive working environment, culture of collaboration, high performance teams.
• The opportunity to move along a variety of career paths with amazing networking potential.
• 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 proud to be on the 2024 Best Workplaces in Canada list by Great Place to Work.
• In 2025, Sun Life ranked among the top 100 most sustainable global corporations by Corporate Knights for the 16th consecutive year, leading Canadian insurers.

The Base Pay range is for the primary location for which the job is posted. It may vary depending on the work location of the successful candidate or other factors. In addition to Base Pay, eligible Sun Life employees participate in various incentive plans, payment under which is discretionary and subject to individual and company performance. Certain sales focused roles have sales incentive plans based on individual or group sales results.

Diversity and inclusion have always been at the core of our values at Sun Life. A diverse workforce with wide perspectives and creative ideas benefits our clients, the communities where we operate and all of us as colleagues. We welcome applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds.

Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process or those needing job postings in an alternative format may e-mail a request to [e-mail] .

At Sun Life we strive to create a flexible work environment where our employees are empowered to do their best work. Several flexible work options are available and can be discussed throughout the selection process depending on the role requirements and individual needs.

We thank all applicants for showing an interest in this position. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Salary Range:

105,000/105 000 - 180,000/180 000

Job Category:

Project Management - Process

Posting End Date:

15/06/2025

Shine together

At Sun Life, you can be your most brilliant self. Our supportive, flexible, and inclusive work environment is one where you – and your career – can thrive. Whatever your aspirations, collaborative leaders and colleagues are ready to help you learn, grow, and succeed.

We’re a global company with a passion for people. Our purpose is to help Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. As a team of 30,000 across 26 countries, our impact is far-reaching, and locally relevant There’s power in numbers. As part of Sun Life’s growing team, you have an impact on people in your community and around the world.

Shape the future

With an optimistic eye on a brighter future, we drive to innovate. Be part of leading change, push boundaries and try new ways of working. Use data to drive bold actions. Be agile and pivot as we test and learn. At Sun Life, we’re driving transformation, sustainability and innovation for our Clients, employees, partners, and communities. Join us. Together, we can make the future brighter.