Manager, Private Wealth Expense Management

sun life assurance company of canada singapore branch; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Sun Life Private Wealth invites a Manager, Private Wealth Expense Management to lead budgeting, forecasting, and cost governance across global teams in Singapore and Bermuda, partnering with regional controllers to optimize expenses using data analytics and AI.

This high-impact role drives cost discipline, develops allocation methodologies, and supports finance transformation projects, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver faster, data-driven insights with strong governance.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with a CPA or CA designation (required).
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field (Masters or MBA a plus).
• 7+ years of progressive experience in finance roles such as expense management, FP&A, or controllership.

Responsibilities

• Lead Strategic Budgeting and Planning across the business.
• Expense Forecasting and Analysis with periodic cycles.
• Cost Allocation and Chargebacks with regional collaboration.
• Expense Governance and Control ensuring policy compliance.
• Performance and Savings Optimization through cost analysis.
• Finance Transformation and Innovation including automation and AI integration.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration with global teams and stakeholders.

Skills

CPA/CA designation

Advanced Excel

Data analytics tools

SAP

Hyperion

Alteryx

AI / data analytics exposure

Global/remote collaboration

Analytical skills

Cost saving mindset

Self-starter

Agile / change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting

Masters or MBA (plus)

Tools

SAP

Hyperion

Alteryx

Advanced Excel

Job description

At Sun Life, we cultivate a High-Performance, Caring Culture that empowers our people to achieve outstanding results, embrace continuous growth, and create meaningful impact. We succeed together by fostering an inclusive environment where wellbeing, collaboration, and accountability are equally valued.

When you join Sun Life Private Wealth

Our Sun Life Private Wealth Finance organization is a trusted strategic partner to the business, enabling performance through insights, financial discipline and forward-looking guidance. Within this, the Expense Management function plays a critical role in driving cost transparency, operational efficiency and sustainable expense management across the Private Wealth business.

In this high impact role, the Manager, Private Wealth Expense Management, will drive strategic expense management for our Private Wealth business, going beyond traditional reporting to influence decision-making and efficiency across the business. Reporting to theDirector, Private Wealth Expense Management, you will collaborate closely with a small, high-performing team (including a peer Manager) and partner with international controller teams inSingaporeandBermuda. This opportunity is ideal for an innovative, qualified finance professional who is passionate aboutoptimizingexpenses, enabling business growth through financial insights, andleading transformation– including leveragingdata analytics and AIto enhance processes.

What you will be doing

• Lead Strategic Budgeting and Planning:Support theannual budgeting process, coordinating inputs across the business and ensuring budgets align with Private Wealth strategic goals. Challenge assumptions and ensure final budget allocations support businessobjectivesand cost discipline.

• Expense Forecasting and Analysis:Manageperiodic forecasting cycles(e.g. quarterly, monthly), analyzing actuals vs. plan and providingtimelyinsights and recommendations to leadership for course corrections. Develop forecast models that enhance accuracy and agility in expense management.

• Cost Allocation and Chargebacks:Develop andmaintaineffectiveexpense allocation and chargeback methodologies. Work closely with regional controller teams, in Singapore and Bermuda, to ensure fair, transparent distribution of costs across units and compliance with internal policies and accounting standards.

• Expense Governance and Control:Implement robustexpense governance frameworksand internal controls. Ensure compliance with corporate policies and financial regulations, safeguarding the integrity of expense reporting and proactively addressing any variances or risks.

• Performance and Savings Optimization:Conduct in-depthexpense analysestoidentifycost savings opportunities and efficiency improvements.Drive productivity initiativesby uncovering waste, benchmarking costs and partnering with business leaders to implement actionable solutions thatoptimizespending without compromising business goals.

• Finance Transformation and Innovation:Championcontinuous improvementin finance processes. Lead or support finance transformation projects, from introducing process automation to integratingAI and advanced analytics, with the goal of streamlining expense management, reducing manual work, and delivering faster, data-driven insights.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:Serve as a strategic finance partner to cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders. Collaborate with global finance colleagues, including controllers in Singapore and Bermuda, Private Wealth FP&A, Regional Office finance stakeholders, and business unit leaders to ensure cohesive expense management and share best practices across the organization

Who you will be working with

• Private Wealth leadership team to provide actionable insights, challenge assumptions and support long term value creation

• Function heads to understand cost drivers and align spend with priorities

• Private Wealth Finance and Private Wealth FP&A to integrate expense insights into forecasting, planning and reporting

• Procurement to assess third party spend and support strategic sourcing initiatives

• Product, Technology, Operations, Underwriting, Compliance, Risk, Finance and HR to manage functional cost bases and Private Wealth initiatives

What we are looking for

• Qualified accountantwith aCPA or CA designation(required)

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field (Masters or MBAa plus)

• 7+ years of progressive experiencein finance roles such as expense management, financial planning & analysis, or controllership. Prior experience managing budgeting, forecasting and expense reporting processes in a large corporate or financial services environment is strongly preferred.

• Strong financial acumen andproficiencywithfinancial systems and tools(e.g.SAP, Hyperion, Alteryx, advanced Excel, data analytics platforms)

• Familiarity with automation or data analytics/BI tools, and interest in emerging AI technology are highly valued

• Experience working in a global environmentor partnering across different geographic regions is an asset. Ability to work effectively with remote teams and adapt to cultural nuances.

• Exceptional analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex financial data, discern key insights and implications, and makestrategic recommendationsthat drive business value

• Aself-starterwho takes initiative toidentifyissues and opportunities. Demonstratedtrack recordof deliveringcost savings

• Agile andopen to change, with a continuous improvement mindset. Able to navigate a dynamic, evolving business environment, and motivated by building new capabilities (e.g.finance transformation,AI integration).

• High ethical standards infinancial managementwith a commitment toaccuracy, compliance and governance.Takesownership of results and fosters a culture of accountability and excellence within the team.

• This role may include early morning or evening hours to accommodate time zone differences between North America and Asia. Flexibility and willingness to adjust working hours as needed are essential for this role.

We encourage you to explore our Private Wealth page to learn more about our business, solutions, and latest developments: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sun-life-private-wealth/