Associate Director, Events & Experience

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.

At Sun Life, we're driven by our Purpose: helping our Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. Our values shape how we work: caring, authentic, bold, inspiring, and impactful.

When you join Sun Life, you'll work with passionate colleagues and empowering leaders who support your growth and celebrate your contributions, so you can make a meaningful difference in our Clients' lives.

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

Sun Life embraces a hybrid work model that balances in-office collaboration with the flexibility of virtual work.  Our team members and leaders are expected to foster connection and teamwork by being present in the office at least 2 days per week.

Location: Wellesley Hills, MA, with regular travel required to other sites.

The opportunity:  

The Associate Director, Events & Experience is accountable for shaping and advancing Sun Life’s enterprise workplace events and experience strategy across the United States. This role defines how in‑office, offsite, and hybrid experiences come together as a cohesive, branded, and intentional system, supporting culture, leadership connection, collaboration, and business outcomes.

As the senior-most US leader for Events & Experience, this role provides strategic oversight and people leadership to the US Events & Experience Manager and site team, ensuring consistent application of enterprise standards while enabling high-quality local execution. 

Operating with enterprise perspective and executive presence, this Associate Director partners closely with senior leaders, Events & Experiences team, Technology, Corporate Real Estate, Security, Health & Safety, and key business stakeholders to design scalable experience frameworks, define governance and service models, and ensure consistent, high‑quality execution across all US locations.

This role orchestrates the ecosystem, balancing strategic intent with operational excellence, evolving ways of working, and the needs of a highly distributed workforce.

How you will contribute:

Strategic Accountabilities

• Own and continuously evolve the US Events & Experience strategy, ensuring alignment to enterprise priorities, leadership expectations, and Sun Life’s workplace and culture agenda.

• Define a cohesive experience model across all US locations (Wellesley, Portland, Hartford, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Kansas City, and offsite venues, Waterford), ensuring consistency while allowing for local nuance.

• Act as a strategic advisor to senior leaders and business partners on how events, moments of connection, and workplace experiences enable engagement, performance, and organizational effectiveness.

• Establish governance, enterprise standards, and success measures for US event delivery, hospitality services, food & beverage, and employee experience programs.

• Translate enterprise strategy into clear operating models, decision frameworks, and expectations for site teams and vendor partners.

• Apply deep organizational and corporate intelligence to anticipate leadership needs, understand enterprise dynamics, and design events and experiences that reinforce business priorities.

• Exercises significant judgment and decision‑making authority within established enterprise governance, escalating only material strategic, financial, or repu