Senior Innovation Consultant

Wawanesa; Toronto; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company in North York, ON is seeking a Senior Innovation Consultant to identify opportunities and develop strategies that add value for our business, brokers, and policyholders. You will collaborate with senior leaders to explore trends and craft actionable insights.

This role requires strong research, data-driven storytelling, and the ability to lead cross-functional teams through workshops and presentations.

Qualifications

• Three to five years’ experience in business analysis, management consulting, foresight or innovation strategy.
• Bachelor’s or post-secondary degree in business, economics, public policy or equivalent experience.
• Excellent research and analysis skills with ability to synthesize large data into insights.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication for senior leaders.
• Strong understanding of the insurance industry and related KPIs.
• Experience with innovation methodologies (Innovation Engineering, Foresight, Scenario Planning, Business Model Canvas).
• Ability to unravel ambiguity and think creatively and strategically.
• CIP or other industry designations are assets; Six Sigma or Design Thinking assets.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on high-value consumer, technology, and industry trends to support innovation.
• Lead analysis to identify signals, business value and prioritization of opportunities.
• Prepare compelling artifacts and presentations for senior leadership.
• Monitor developments in insurance and competitive intelligence.
• Support ideation through cross-functional collaboration and insights sharing.
• Coordinate cross-functional meetings to share critical information.
• Facilitate workshops and primary research using established methodologies.
• Promote and evolve the innovation process across the organization.

Skills

Research

Stakeholder management

Communication

Insurance industry knowledge

Innovation methodologies

Ambiguity handling

Leadership

CIP/Design Thinking assets

Six Sigma assets

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Location: North York - Toronto, ON (Hybr, CA Winnipeg, MB (Hybrid), CA

Job ID:10243

Employment Type: Existing Role

Work Environment: We offer a hybrid work environment that offers flexibility to our employees in balancing in-office (2 days per week OR 15 hours per week in a Wawanesa office) and remote work. You may work from any of the following locations: Winnipeg, MB; Toronto (North York), ON.

Working Business Language: English

Salary: At Wawanesa, salary is only one component of a holistic, comprehensive and competitive offering that we provide to our employees. In addition to salary, full-time and part-time permanent employees are eligible for an annual bonus plan, leave of absence top-up programs and provided with generous vacation time, personal days, premium free benefits and pension plan. The salary offered for this role is determined with consideration to various factors, including but not limited to: your work location, local labour market conditions, external market salary data, internal pay equity and the knowledge, skills, experience and anticipated proficiency in the role. The salary offered is estimated to be within the following range: $110,000 - $130,000. Candidates with salary expectations outside of the range are still encouraged to apply.

About The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company

Founded in 1896, The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, 100% owned by its members, with more than $4.1 billion in annual revenue and $12.5 billion in assets. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Wawanesa is the parent company of Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance solutions throughout Canada, and Western Financial Group, a leading national distributor of personal and business insurance. In March of 2026, Wawanesa entered into an agreement to acquire Everest Insurance Company of Canada to strengthen its commercial insurance capabilities and advance its long-term growth strategy.

Wawanesa proudly serves more than 1.8 million members and we are home to more than 3,000 employees across Canada. The company actively gives back to organizations that strengthen communities, donating more than $4 million annually to charitable organizations, including more than $2 million each year in support of people on the front lines of climate change. Learn more at wawanesa.com.

We are currently looking for dedicated, driven, and enthusiastic individuals who thrive in an environment that welcomes change and are looking for an opportunity for diverse experience and advancement on a growing team.

Job Overview

As part of Wawanesa’s Strategy & Innovation team, the Senior Innovation Consultant works collaboratively to identify key areas for innovation and develop strategies that create new opportunities and add value for our business, brokers, and policyholders.

In this role, you will contribute to a broad spectrum of strategic research and innovation projects in partnership with senior leaders and stakeholders from across the organization. You’ll build insights into emerging consumer, technology, and industry trends, and work cross-functionally to build strategies that help to address the needs of our members today and in the future and enable our long-term success.

As a Senior Innovation Consultant, you are passionate about innovation, have a knack for sourcing information and backing up your findings with data, and can synthesize large volumes of information into compelling reports and presentations for senior leadership.

Job Responsibilities

• Under minimal supervision, conduct research and analysis on high value consumer, technology, and industry trends to support innovation across the insurance value chain.
• Leverage a strategic mindset and structured approach in leading research that contributes to the identification of emerging signals and threats, evaluation of business value and impact, and prioritization of innovation opportunities.
• Lead the preparation and delivery of compelling business artifacts and presentations that ensure the effective communication of learnings and promote openness and collaborative knowledge sharing across the organization.
• Lead deliverables that contribute to regular insight gathering, monitoring, and reporting on developments in insurance, including industry mega-trends, emerging products and business models, and competitive intelligence.
• Participate in innovation initiatives and assist business partners by providing supporting insights to help develop and refine their ideation, problem solving, and exploration.
• Coordinate and facilitate cross-functional team meetings to share critical information, establish work plans, and share business insights.
• Prepare and collaboratively facilitate workshops and primary research using established methodologies, frameworks, and tools.
• Act as an advocate for our innovation process, passionately promoting innovation and demonstrating new ways of thinking and problem solving.
• Practice continuous learning and professional development, staying up to date on novel innovation focused research, research techniques, and industry changes.
• Contribute to the maintenance and organization of business artifacts on the organization’s intranet, contributing to communication and knowledge sharing strategies.

Qualifications

• Three to five years’ experience in business analysis, management consulting, foresight or innovation strategy.
• Bachelor’s or post-secondary degree in business, economics, public policy or equivalent experience.
• Excellent research and analysis skills, with demonstrated ability to synthesize and consolidate large amounts of data to deliver compelling insights.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey ideas in a concise and persuasive manner suitable for consumption by senior leaders.
• Strong understanding of the insurance industry and related KPIs and financials.
• Strong change and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build mutually beneficial relationships, motivate cross functional teams, and execute on innovation goals.
• Experience working with innovation methodologies, frameworks, and tools (i.e., Innovation Engineering, Foresight, Scenario Planning, Business Model Canvas, etc.).
• Ability to unravel ambiguity and conceptual ideas, creative and lateral thinker with strong problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to lead collaboratively to deliver research initiatives and mentor others.
• Completion of CIP or other industry designations considered an asset.
• Innovation Engineering Blue Belt or Black Belt, Six Sigma, or Design Thinking certifications considered an asset.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced skills in building presentations and reports.

Diversity Equity, Inclusion& Belonging

At Wawanesa, we are committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) and believe that our strength lies in the diversity of our people – this is supported by having a representative workforce.

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including racialized persons, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, gender-diverse and neurodiverse individuals, and anyone who can contribute to the further diversification of thought and ideas.

We aim to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all candidates. If you require accommodations during any stage of the recruitment process, please reach out in confidence to [e-mail] .

Please note that the recruitment process for this position may involve the use of AI tools to screen, assess, or select applicants. All final decisions are taken or reviewed by human recruiters and human hiring leaders in compliance with all applicable legislation.