AVP, Employee Benefits US

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.

Job Description:

Location: We support US flexible working arrangements in the contiguous 48 states, however for this role we prefer candidates who reside within a commutable distance to either Wellesley Hills, MA or Portland, ME.   

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.  

The opportunity:  

As the US Benefits Leader, you will be responsible for overseeing and executing a comprehensive employee benefits strategy that supports the achievement of Sun Life’s purpose of helping people achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives.

In this position you will play a key role in driving the design and delivery of innovative, cost-effective, and employee-centric benefits programs that support the business strategy, talent management objectives, and total rewards strategy for employees in the US. As a leader in the function, you will have the opportunity to engage with partners in various geographies to share best practices and identify areas of synergy across the broader enterprise.

How you will contribute:

• Innovate: Identify opportunities to enhance our programs to deliver a modern, compelling, and integrated benefits experiences for US employees. Conduct periodic reviews of the benefits portfolio and benchmarking against industry peers to ensure plans remain competitive and aligned with evolving workforce trends. Leverage internal and external data to design, evolve and sunset programs to ensure we have competitive, market-aligned benefits programs that attract, retain, and engage top talent.  

• People Leadership: Lead, inspire, and develop a team of 12 benefits professionals. Create a culture of curious, capable, data oriented, agile, and caring benefits professionals who deliver benefits, retirement, and wellness initiatives to drive key business outcomes and support the foundational work of the function. Develop people through coaching, continuous feedback, sharing expertise, and providing new experiences.

• Strategic Communications: Support employees through simple, streamlined, and impactful communications regarding available benefits, eligibility, enrollment, and plan changes in a way that drives participation and empowers employees to make decisions. Develops a communication strategy to enable easy access to information within our complex benefits system.

• Relationship Management: Manage relationships with benefits vendors, carriers, and brokers to negotiate favorable contracts and resolve any issues that arise. Develop relationships with internal business partners to support the delivery of cutting edge programs to our employees and clients. Work with internal stakeholders across business groups to ensure there is alignment and coordination on changes or new programs that impact employees.

• Financial Acumen: Analyze benefits utilization and claims data to identify opportunities for cost savings or plan enhancements that optimize the return on investment while still providing a compelling and comprehensive benefits package. Prepare and ove