Senior Advisor, IT Disaster Recovery and Resilience

iA Financial Group; Montreal; Hybrid; CAD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

iA Financial Group is seeking a Senior Advisor, IT Disaster Recovery and Resilience to own the IT recovery framework and lead the corporate technology recovery program. You will align IT with business continuity, risk management, and security while driving continuous improvement.

You will collaborate with IT teams, risk, and external partners to strengthen resilience, ensure regulatory preparedness, and oversee exercises that validate recovery capabilities across critical platforms and vendors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience.
• At least 10 years in IT with 5+ years in disaster recovery or resilience.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional programs and communicate with executives.

Responsibilities

• Govern the Technology Recovery Program with governance, roles, and escalation.
• Define IT recovery strategies aligned to RTO/RPO and business needs.
• Oversee recovery plans, dependencies, and vendor relationships.
• Plan and coordinate annual recovery exercises and post‑exercise reviews.
• Develop KPIs, dashboards, and risk registers for program maturity.
• Assist in technology crisis management during major incidents.

Skills

Disaster Recovery

IT Risk Mgmt

Regulatory Compliance

Stakeholder Engmt

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

VMware

Azure

SaaS

PaaS

Job description

Job Description

Senior Advisor, IT Disaster Recovery and Resilience

Build the Future with Us

Are you driven by operational resilience, business continuity, and technology risk management? Would you like to contribute to the mission of an organization that places trust and security at the heart of its priorities?

As a Senior Advisor, IT Disaster Recovery and Resilience , you will act as the owner of the IT recovery framework and as an influential leader of the corporate technology recovery program. You will play a strategic role in advancing the organization’s recovery capabilities by ensuring alignment among IT teams, business units, information security, risk management, business continuity, and external partners. You will contribute directly to strengthening operational resilience, regulatory preparedness, and the continuous improvement of technology recovery capabilities.

What You Will Accomplish With Us

As a Senior Advisor , you will be at the heart of our mission. Here are the main responsibilities:

Govern the Technology Recovery Program

• Establish, maintain, and evolve the governance framework, roles and responsibilities, corporate RACI, and escalation mechanisms associated with IT recovery.
• Ensure the program is aligned with business continuity, risk management, cybersecurity, and operational resilience objectives.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, internal control frameworks, and industry best practices.
• Present program progress, risks, and issues to the appropriate governance bodies.

Define IT Recovery Strategies

• Maintain the master IT recovery strategy covering critical infrastructure, cloud environments, and strategic vendors.
• Align business objectives, RTO/RPO targets, and available technology capabilities.
• Evolve recovery strategies based on emerging risks, audit findings, and technology changes.
• Assess the resilience and recovery capabilities of critical vendors.

Oversee Recovery Plans and Technology Dependencies

• Define standards, templates, and practices supporting the management of IT recovery plans.
• Support individuals responsible for critical platforms and assets in developing and updating their recovery plans.
• Maintain an integrated view of dependencies among applications, infrastructure, technology platforms, and critical business services.

Plan and Coordinate Recovery Exercises

• Establish the annual exercise calendar, disaster scenarios, and success criteria.
• Coordinate backup, failover, and recovery testing with internal teams and strategic vendors.
• Oversee post-exercise reviews and ensure follow-up on recommendations and action plans.

Measure Performance, Risk, and Continuous Improvement

• Develop performance indicators, executive dashboards, and program maturity metrics.
• Monitor key deliverables such as platform strategies, recovery playbooks, and recovery guides.
• Coordinate risk assessments, audit reporting, and the prioritization of mitigation initiatives.
• Act as the primary point of contact during audits related to operational resilience, business continuity, and IT recovery.

Contribute to Technology Crisis Management

• Support decision-making bodies during major incidents affecting critical technology services.
• Participate in the evolution of recovery strategies following cyber incidents in collaboration with information security teams.

What Could Accelerate Your Success in This Role

We are looking for someone who:

• Has more than 10 years of experience in information technology, particularly in infrastructure, IT operations, architecture, and business continuity, including 5 years in disaster recovery or operational resilience.
• Holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Technology Administration, or another relevant field.
• Is recognized for their influential leadership and ability to mobilize diverse stakeholders.
• Stands out for their rigor, organizational skills, and ability to manage complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Demonstrates strong analytical and problem-solving abilities in high-impact environments.
• Possesses excellent communication, writing, and presentation skills with technical, business, and executive audiences.
• Has proven experience coordinating cross-functional programs involving multiple teams, business units, and strategic vendors.
• Has strong knowledge of Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity, RTO/RPO, Risk Management, Cybersecurity, ITSM, and IT Governance concepts.
• Understands hybrid technology environments including VMware, Azure, SaaS, PaaS solutions, and outsourced technology services.
• Has an excellent command of French, both written and spoken.
• Has an intermediate level of English proficiency, as they will be required to coordinate recovery exercises, audits, resilience initiatives, and IT recovery activities with strategic partners on a weekly basis.
• Knowledge of the financial services and insurance industry is considered an asset.
• Holds one of the following certifications, considered a significant asset: CBCP (Certified Business Continuity Professional) or MBCI (Member of the Business Continuity Institute)

Deliverables and Success Indicators

• Governance framework, master recovery strategy, master technology recovery plan, critical asset inventory, activity sequencing, dependency mapping, annual exercise calendar, test reports, risk register, and compliance documentation.

Success Indicators

• Coverage of critical assets through a documented strategy, demonstrated recovery capabilities aligned with established objectives, adherence to the exercise schedule, completion of action plans, maturity improvement, and reduction of residual risk.

Why You’ll Love Working With Us

• An environment where innovation, resilience, and continuous improvement are central priorities.
• Strategic challenges that have a direct impact on the security, availability, and continuity of the organization’s services.
• A collaborative culture that values expertise, knowledge sharing, and professional development.
• The opportunity to work with multidisciplinary teams and influential business partners.
• A workplace that fosters autonomy, initiative, and career growth.
• Competitive employee benefits and an employee experience focused on well-being.

Location(s)

Quebec / 1080, Grande Allee West

Other Possible Location(s)

Montreal / 1981 McGill College Avenue

Company

iA Financial Group

Posting End Date

2026-10-23

Company Overview

iA Financial Group* is the strength of a company with a human side, with its over 8,000 employees. Together, we have earned the trust of our more than four million clients and 25,000 advisors who have chosen us for their insurance, savings, and wealth management.

With over $200 billion in assets and half a billion invested in technological innovation, we’re a key player in the financial services industry in Canada and the United States. The secret to our success? Investing in you, one person at a time. Because, for over 125 years, we have believed that it’s by supporting our employees and surrounding ourselves with the most reputable leaders in the industry, we will continue to innovate.

At iA, we’re invested in you.

* iA Financial group includes the following entities: iA Services financiers, iA assurance auto et habitation, iA Gestion privée de patrimoine, PPI Management, Investia, iA Gestion de placements, Prysm, iA Clarington, Michel Rhéaume et associés, Garanties Nationales, WGI Manufacturing, WGI Service Plan Division, Lubrico, iA Financement auto

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At iA Financial Group, we support and celebrate diversity. We strive to provide a workplace that is recognized as inclusive for all, regardless of ethnic origin, nationality, language, religious beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family situation, or physical or mental disability.

Please note that if you need help or assistance to make the recruitment process more accessible for you, please Contact us here. Someone from our team will be happy to assist you with your needs.