Senior Advisor, IT Disaster Recovery and Resilience

iA Financial Group; Quebec; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

iA Financial Group is seeking a Senior Advisor, IT Disaster Recovery and Resilience in Canada. You will own the IT recovery framework and lead the corporate technology recovery program, aligning IT, business units, information security, risk, and external partners to strengthen resilience.

You will govern the recovery program, define strategies, oversee plans, coordinate exercises, and drive continuous improvement with strong leadership and regulatory awareness.

Qualifications

• Requires >10 years IT experience with infrastructure, IT operations, architecture and business continuity.
• Includes at least 5 years in disaster recovery or operational resilience.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Technology Administration, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Govern the Technology Recovery Program with governance, roles, RACI, and escalation.
• Define IT recovery strategies covering critical infrastructure, cloud environments, and vendors.
• Oversee recovery plans, dependencies, and templates for IT recovery management.
• Plan and coordinate annual recovery exercises, backup, failover, and recovery testing.
• Measure performance with dashboards, risk registers, and audit coordination.
• Support crisis management during major incidents affecting critical services.

Skills

Disaster Recovery

Business Continuity

IT Governance

Risk Management

Stakeholder Leadership

VMware & Azure

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT

Tools

VMware

Azure

SaaS/PaaS

ITIL

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.