Counsel, Group/Employee Benefits

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:  

Sun Life Legal Team Opportunity: Counsel, Group/Employee Benefits with a focus on producer compensation and services supporting Sun’s product suite of group disability, supplemental health (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity), life insurance and other service offerings. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to Sun Life's high-caliber Legal Team, partnering closely with business units, other attorneys and compliance professionals to provide practical legal guidance and creative solutions.

This is a rare opportunity to join a collaborative team offering sophisticated work, to assist in Sun Life’s growing organization, and to be united by Sun Life’s purpose – Helping Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives.

How you will contribute:

• Provide legal advice on group/employee benefits, focusing on sales/distribution, producer relationships, underwriting and other areas as needed. Partnering with the product, sales/distribution team and others on Requests for Proposals and Information (RFPs or RFIs)

• Draft and review contracts, including producer agreements and service agreements, periodically supporting the business unit’s vendor contracting and procurement functions to include technology and SaaS vendors

• Conduct legal research and provide guidance on business impacts of relevant regulatory matters, engaging with Compliance, Risk and Government Relations teams as appropriate

• Other legal duties as needed or required to support various aspects of the Sun Life Employee Benefits business

What you will bring with you:

• 5+ years’ experience as an attorney or compliance counsel, preferably in-house with a group benefits carrier, group benefits agency/broker firm; licensed to practice in at least one U.S. state

• Strong Expertise in group disability, supplemental health, life insurance and related service products

• Strong contract negotiation and drafting skills, including efficient review and redlining of contract documents. Ability to take a business-oriented and collaborative approach to  contract negotiation, with a demonstrated ability to mitigate risk and achieve mutual party business goals

• Ability to confidently engage, partner and build influential relationships at all levels, including senior leadership, to identify and solve for critical issues and risks and to understand and help execute on business, legal and enterprise goals

• Skilled at simplifying complex legal concepts to provide proactive and practical advice in a clear and concise manner

• A team player able to work collaboratively where colleagues often share ideas, best practices, and pinch-hit for one another when necessary

• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision, and to communicate succinctly and regularly with manager regarding key issues, risks, and recommendations

• A self-starter with a strong business acumen and the ability to effectively support simultaneous projects, meet deadlines and prioritize tasks effectively. Able to take a risk-based approach to prioritize work in a high-volume environment

• A curious learner, proactively engaged to keep up with a dynamic and changing business and legal landscape

Salary:  

$119,400 - $179,100 

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