You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do. Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.
At Sun Life, we look for optimistic people who want to make life brighter for our Clients. We understand the value of diverse cultures, perspectives, and identities, and want you to bring your full and authentic self to work. Every day, you’ll be empowered and challenged by working with dynamic colleagues to find new and innovative ways to make Sun Life the best benefits company in America.
Sun Life embraces a hybrid work model that balances in-office collaboration with the flexibility of virtual work.
The AVP, Employee Relations Enterprise develops, implements, and assesses outcomes of innovative employee relations (ER) strategies and actions across the enterprise that uphold legal and regulatory requirements and Sun Life’s Code of Conduct, reinforce our desired culture, a key strategic factor in achieving our Purpose: to help Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives.
The incumbent will collaborate with HR and Legal & Compliance partners to strengthen our standards, insights, and programs globally to help predict and manage employment practices risk. Builds strong relationships, partnership, and connection between functions and co-creates to deliver seamless, consistent outcomes for our business and people (e.g., ER and Compliance investigations, ER and Legal employment actions, ER and Compensation impacts, ER and Performance Excellence guidance).
When needed, in partnership with BG ER Leads, they will act as a trusted advisor to business and HR Leaders on complex ER cases, providing advice and exercising challenge as appropriate. They will lead, inspire, and develop a global team of curious, capable, and caring ER professionals that design and deliver solutions to drive key business outcomes, as well as overseeing the business-as-usual work of the function.
What will you do:
- Strategy: Understands the external environment and Sun Life’s business strategy and culture as context to set ER strategies and priorities that support Leaders and Employees in knowing what to do, or what not to do, at our company. Contributes to creating an environment where it is safe to speak up and clear, decisive action is taken on behaviours that are not aligned to our standards and culture. Proactively monitors emerging trends and identifies actions to safeguard our work environment.
- Governance: Leads the design, implementation and monitoring of a firm-wide strategic governance framework and set of policies, guidelines, and practices for ER designed to ensure the fair and consistent treatment of Employees and effective communication between Employees and managers. Scope will include a wide variety of workplace conduct matters, including but not limited to, discipline, addiction, mental health, harassment, discrimination, privacy etc. Leads 20+ ER professionals, including investigators, and collaborates with key stakeholders to ensure effective implementation and application across the organization, including overseeing the handling of escalated, complex investigation of ER matters. Ensures Sun Life ER complies with relevant legislation and regulation.
- Case Management: Oversees and optimizes an ER case management system to ensure ER issues are identified, actioned and resolved effectively and efficiently. Supports HR and business leaders with escalated issues, collaborating as needed with third parties (legal, compliance, security / investigations etc.). When needed, in partnership with BG ER Leads, provides advice and guidance to senior HR practitioners throughout the organization on broad policy and strategy for employment standards, employment law and related subjects.
- Reporting: Identifies key ER metrics, leads and/or directs research, analysis and reporting of trends – in collaboration with HR Analytics - in identified metrics, and recommending appropriate action to HR leadership. May establish and oversee a variety of listening channels or other mechanisms to monitor ER issues across the organization. Supports overall management of HR risk issues with insight on ER issues.
- People Leadership: Partners with HR Leaders to inspire and engage a leading team with the mindset, expertise, and capability to achieve our ER and HR strategies. Provides context and meaning for priorities and how the work of the team aligns to and supports achievement of those priorities. Promotes team adaptability, resilience, and a psychologically safe work environment. Cultivates a development culture with direct feedback, coaching, opportunities to cross and up skill, and stretch opportunities, in which success is celebrated, and performance concerns are addressed directly and promptly. Drives behaviour change in alignment with Sun Life objectives (i.e., BOLDER mindset, ACE/DARE decision making). Models and sets expectations for talent scouting and desire to build the best ER team.
- Functional Leadership: Builds strong, open relationships with HR colleagues. Brings new research, ideas, opportunities, and challenges to leadership tables. With the team, contributes to HR strategic priorities and programs as appropriate (e.g., input for manager effectiveness and performance excellence, content for training programs). Engages in discussion and is willing to both challenge and support to drive to better business outcomes. Finds opportunities to showcase team talent and high impact work. Embraces and promotes change to realize broader ER and HR goals.
- Financial management: Demonstrates owner’s mindset and financial discipline in managing ER strategies with a goal of optimizing spend. Builds financial metrics into measurement of outcomes as much as possible.
What do you need to succeed:
- Expertise: Broad and deep Employee Relations and Investigations expertise, skilled at policy development and HR analytics and reporting.
- Mindset: Possesses a growth mindset with willingness to look externally, challenge the status quo, try new things, test & learn and empower others to do the same. Innovates and finds new solutions that solve business problems or create business opportunities, including leveraging technology. Prioritizes time for own learning and growth.
- Data and Measurement Focus: Grounds decisions in facts, leverages data to generate new insights and opportunities, clearly defines and measures business outcomes to identify course corrections and measure success. Informs strategies and decisions through knowledge of current internal and external research and trends.
- Relationship Management: Builds connections across functions and geographies, partners to validate priorities and desired business outcomes, collaborates and co-creates to develop solutions, and supports a safe environment where people can be themselves and deliver their best.
- Talent Development Orientation: Focuses on developing people through coaching, continuous feedback, and sharing expertise. Builds the team and pipeline for future success including identifying opportunities to expose team members to new experiences and skill building. Drives active use of development plans and supports time for team learning and growth.
- Delivery: Ability to engage and influence stakeholders including navigating in a matrix organization, manage, adapt, and pivot through ambiguity and change, address challenges and meet timelines. Experience working in agile is an asset.
- Executive-level Presentation Skills: Ability to shape, produce, and deliver ideas, presentations, and documents tailored to Executive and Board-level audiences independently and through others.
Do you see yourself in this role even if you haven’t checked all the boxes above? We welcome all talented candidates and are committed to a culture that represents diversity in all forms. If you think you might thrive in this setting, we would love to hear from you.
Not ready to apply yet but want to stay in touch? Join our talent community to stay connected until the time is right for you!
Life is brighter when you work at Sun Life
- Excellent benefits and wellness programs to support the three pillars of your well-being – mental, physical and financial – including generous vacation and sick time, market-leading paid family, parental and adoption leave, a partially-paid sabbatical program, medical plans, company paid life and AD&D insurance as well as disability programs and more
- Retirement and Stock Purchase programs to help build and enhance your future financial security including a 401(k) plan with an employer-paid match as well as an employer-funded retirement account
- A flexible work environment with a friendly, caring, collaborative and inclusive culture
- Great Place to Work® Certified in Canada and the U.S.
- Named as a “Top 10” employer by the Boston Globe's “Top Places to Work” two years running
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
Salary Range: $158,500 - $253,600
At our company, we are committed to pay transparency and equity. The salary range for this role is competitive nationwide, and we strive to ensure that compensation is fair and equitable. Your actual base salary will be determined based on your unique skills, qualifications, experience, education, and geographic location. In addition to your base salary, this position is eligible for a discretionary annual incentive award based on your individual performance as well as the overall performance of the business. We are dedicated to creating a work environment where everyone is rewarded for their contributions.
We consider various factors in determining actual pay including your skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition to salary, this position is eligible for incentive awards based on individual and business performance as well as a broad range of competitive benefits.
Sun Life Financial is a leading provider of group insurance benefits in the U.S., helping people protect what they love about their lives. More than just a name, Sun Life symbolizes our brand promise of making life brighter -for our customers, partners, and communities. Join our talented, diverse workforce and launch a rewarding career. Visit us at www.sunlife.com/us to learn more.
At Sun Life we strive to create a flexible work environment where our employees are empowered to do their best work. Several flexible work options are available and can be discussed throughout the selection process depending on the role requirements and individual needs.
Our Affirmative Action Program affirms our commitment to make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitation of otherwise-qualified individuals with disabilities or special disabled veterans, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. Please email thebrightside@sunlife.com to request an accommodation.
At Sun Life we strive to create a flexible work environment where our employees are empowered to do their best work. Several flexible work options are available and can be discussed throughout the selection process depending on the role requirements and individual needs.
Human Resources
15/04/2025
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
