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:

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.

• 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.