VP, Life Operations

IVARI; Toronto; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Health benefits

Dental benefits

Pension plan

Hybrid work arrangement

Vacation and PTO

Professional development

Wellness programs

Job summary

ivari is seeking a Vice President, Operations to lead operations for the outsourcing relationship and drive process optimization and user experience initiatives at our Toronto office. This role reports to the EVP and COO, focusing on contract governance, regulatory compliance, and cost management while ensuring a seamless customer experience.

You will shape the operations strategy, manage key metrics with our outsourcing partner, and align front and back office processes to deliver excellence

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education or relevant experience.
• 15+ years in financial services, preferably life insurance.
• Thorough knowledge of insurance products and external operations.
• Experience with outsourcing management and customer service.
• Strong leadership and ability to influence senior management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the administration of the outsourcing relationship, strategy for new business and in-force book.
• Ensure operations comply with government regulations and industry best practices.
• Act as relationship manager for the TPA and contract interpretation/negotiation.
• Drive operations strategy, vision, and platform improvements to reduce manual work and paper.
• Define and monitor service goals for departments, focusing on customer experience.
• Oversee risk identification/mitigation and budget management.

Skills

Operations leadership

Vendor management

BPO expertise

Insurance product knowledge

Regulatory compliance

Contract negotiation

Process optimization

Customer experience

Job description

Let us introduce ourselves. With 300+ employees across Canada, ivari is a company that’s making a difference in the world of life insurance. How? By finding and hiring employees who are passionate about helping people protect their families, and by giving them the best, most supportive workplace possible.

ivari is part of Sagicor Financial Corporation, a leading financial services provider with over 185 years of history operating across the Caribbean, US and Canada. We offer a wide range of products and services, including life and health insurance, annuities, pension administration and investment services.

At ivari, everyone is welcome! It is our mission to attract, develop, and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and the communities in which we do business. We offer an inclusive and accessible work environment where all employees and customers feel valued, respected, and supported.

Here’s the job opportunity…

We are looking for a Vice President, Operations to join our dynamic ivari team based in Toronto. This role will report to the EVP and Chief Operating Officer. The successful candidate will provide leadership and direction for all ivari’s operations to ensure a consistent experience for internal and external stakeholders. They will act as the key point of contact for our outsourcing relationship, ensuring metrics, policies, and procedures are being administered as per the contract. They will also be responsible for driving ivari’s user experience strategy and process optimization initiatives, whereby the use of technology is being maximized to reduce manual processes and paper consumption while enhancing the customer experience and Fair Treatment of Customer requirements.

You will…

• Lead the overall administration of the operations outsourcing relationship by:
  • Establishing and executing the strategy for new business and the in-force block of business
  • Ensuring operations compliance with all government regulations
  • Implementing industry best practices to manage the business.
  • Act as the key point of contact and relationship manager for ivari with our TPA.
• Provide successful contract interpretation and negotiation for issues that arise in managing the book of business.
• Participate in corporate strategy development while taking ownership of the development and implementation of the operations strategy and vision.
• Define, maintain, and improve service goals for each department, focusing on excellence in the customer experience.
• Maintain and improve risk identification and mitigation processes, including activities and controls associated with meeting contractual, regulatory, and legislative requirements.
• Successfully implement new solutions on the platform of choice, keeping ivari competitive within the marketplace as a user-friendly and cost-effective provider of insurance including our Illustration, eApp and Advisor/Customer portal.
• Align both the front office and back office processes to create a consistent and frictionless experience.
• Be accountable for the division’s cost centres, working with the management team to set annual budgets, monitor and review monthly variances.

What we are looking for…

• Post-secondary education or relevant experience.
• 15 + years’ experience in the financial service industry, preferably in the individual life insurance industry.
• Thorough knowledge of insurance products and/or Financial Service products with a solid understanding of operations and business process outsourcing (BPO).
• In-depth understanding of operations with focus on outsource management and customer service satisfaction; strong understanding of life insurance business operations with respect to systems functionality, policy administration, and best practices.
• Knowledge and experience with designing and interpreting what a frictionless user experience is by leveraging available technology.
• Demonstrates leadership skills in guiding and coaching teams to successful implementation of projects and objectives.
• Ability to work with senior management level and demonstrates high diplomacy and persuasion in influencing strategic and critical decisions.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; ability to communicate complex or critical information to all levels and to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to seek and identify opportunities through research by identifying market trends.
• Ability to use knowledge and creativity to resolve non-standard situations (problems are complex and undefined) where no precedent or existing policies exist, demonstrating strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Pro-active in identifying issues and leading the implementing of solutions.
• Demonstrates ability to develop solutions to significantly improve existing methods and processes. Very strong team and service partner orientation.
• Proven ability to meet challenges, goals and objectives with enthusiasm, drive and initiative.
• Proven ability to develop effective partnerships, focus on common goals and implement integrated solutions.
• Ability to plan at both a strategic and operational level; Committed to taking accountability and ownership of strategy and tactics.
• Able to perform in a fast-paced environment with multiple demands and priorities.

What's in it for you

At ivari, it's important for us to keep our people motivated, recognized and rewarded. We offer competitive base salaries plus a bonus, one of the many reasons ivari is a great place to work.

We also offer health and dental benefits for the entire family from Day 1! But that’s just the beginning. When you join the ivari team you also get…

• Competitive compensation and annual bonus opportunity
• Comprehensive health and dental benefits [for you and your family]
• Pension and employee savings plans with company matching contributions
• Hybrid work arrangement with dedicated in-office collaboration days
• Competitive vacation and paid time-off programs
• Professional development and continuous learning opportunities
• Collaborative culture where individual contributions have visible impact
• Wellness programs supporting physical and mental health

Who you are…

You are a team player who not only understands our core values but lives them every day. You know the importance of…

• Bringing clarity and focus to your work;
• Taking ownership and doing what you say you will;

ivari strives to attract, develop, and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and the communities in which we do business.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible work environment where all employees and customers feel valued, respected, and supported.

Our commitment to inclusivity is reflected in the safeguards, policies and commitments we have in place to remove barriers and provide equal opportunities to prospective and current employees, without discrimination.

A Human Resources representative is available to consult with applicants who require accommodation in the application or recruitment process. Any information shared by the applicant about an accommodation will be treated as confidential. If you do require an accommodation, please email [e-mail] .