AVP, Business Operations and Innovation

Sun Life U.S. is one of the largest providers of employee and government benefits, helping approximately 50 million Americans access the care and coverage they need. Through employers, industry partners and government programs, Sun Life U.S. offers a portfolio of benefits and services, including dental, vision, disability, absence management, life, supplemental health, medical stop-loss insurance, and healthcare navigation. We have more than 6,400 employees and associates in our partner dental practices and operate nationwide.

Visit our website to discover how Sun Life is making life brighter for our customers, partners and communities.  

Job Description:

Sun Life embraces a hybrid work model that balances in-office collaboration with the flexibility of virtual work.

The opportunity: 

Health and Risk Solutions is evolving into a health value business, focusing on opportunities aligned with our core strengths.  

The AVP – Business Operations and Innovation, is crucial in driving this transformation.  

This role will optimize today’s operations while shaping tomorrow’s capabilities to support future growth, differentiation, and client value.  

How you will contribute: 

• Leadership and Strategy:
  • Provide executive leadership to the Business Operations and Innovation team, setting the vision and strategic direction.
  • Drive consistency, scalability, and efficiency through SOPs, process mapping, and governance.
  • Align stakeholders to the strategy, outcomes, and new ways of working work.
• Operational Excellence:
  • Partner with operational leaders to define and implement operations strategy, structure, and processes.
  • Develop and implement short- and long-term initiatives to improve efficiency, eliminate pain points, increase automation, and optimize performance across various business functions.
  • Establish and oversee a robust management process for identifying, tracking, measuring, and reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) and other critical business metrics; lead root cause analyses and remediation; build and maintain dashboards, performance reports, and executive summaries to inform decisions.
• Project Management:
  • Manage large-scale, complex projects, ensuring all work is executed in accordance with timelines and strategic objectives.
  • Monitor progress and control mechanisms to ensure timely execution of implementation plans.
  • Develop change management strategies and communications plans to enable a high-performance culture and drive adoption of new/revised processes and technology solutions.
• Innovation and Collaboration:
  • Drive adoption of new tools, processes, and ways of working by engaging stakeholders and fostering buy-in.
  • Identify and pilot innovative solutions, technologies, or business models that improve access to care, cost efficiency, or the member experience.
  • Serve as a champion for a culture of innovation, learning, and agility.
• Compliance and Risk Management:
  • Establish governance structures for initiatives to ensure accountability, timely delivery, and risk mitigation.
  • Collaborate with Compliance and Risk Management to ensure all operations are compliant with external regulations and internal policies.
  • Maintain awareness of the regulatory and compliance environment to ensure adherence to applicable laws and regulations.

 What you will bring with you: 

• Strategic thinking and financial management.
• Leadership and influencing skills to move teams forward through organizational change.
• Effective facilitator with the ability to provide insights and draw conclusions from data.
• Mission-driven and self-directed, with a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Outstanding project management skills, overseeing multiple work streams/projects simultaneously.
• Ability to navigate and adapt to ambiguous environments.
• Ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.
• Capable of building strong relationships and maneuvering initiatives through matrixed organizations.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to translate findings in meaningful ways to support executive decision-making.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, or related field; MBA preferred.
• Six Sigma or Lean certification or equivalent, preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in operations leadership with a proven track record of leading large-scale cross-functional projects, delivering process improvements, and facilitating innovation 
• Deep un