AVP, Technology Lead Digital

Role Summary

The AVP Technology Lead Digital is a strategic technology leader responsible for enabling scaling and modernizing Sun Life Canadas shared digital platforms that support secure connected and frictionless Client and advisor experiences. This role provides technology leadership across core digitalassetsincluding Secure Web Public Web&Secure Mobile and related enablement platformssuch as client identity and access management andan internaldesign system.

The role combines strategic leadership technical oversight people leadership delivery execution operational accountability and vendor/financial management to drive technology excellence and measurable business value. The AVP partners closely with Product Client Experience Architecture Cybersecurity Operations Engineering and Business leaders to ensure digitalassetsare resilient scalable secure reusable and aligned to enterprise priorities.

This role operates in a complex high-visibility environment where digital platform reliability modernization and cross-business enablement are critical to Client outcomes. The leader must be able to bring clarity to a broad mandate make decisions in ambiguity and build a high-performing technology organization that balances speed stability security and long-term platform health.

What will you do

1. Technology Strategy Platform Enablement & Engineering

• Shape communicate and align the digital technology strategy acrossbusiness units ensuring it supports near-term delivery commitments and longer-term modernization objectives.

• Partner with Business Leads Product Client Experience Architecture Cybersecurity Operations and Enterprise Technology to define platform roadmaps OKRs sequencing and investment priorities.

• Provide thought leadership on the evolution of shared digital platforms including identity web mobile integration data enablement and reusable digital capabilities.

• Promote technology stack standards modern engineering practices automation and architectural discipline balancing build vs. buy vs. partner decisions in a complex technology ecosystem.

• Ensure design and engineering decisions account for reusability scalability security maintainability accessibility and technical debt reduction.

• Create the conditions for exceptional digital experiences by enabling business and product teams with reliable scalable secure and reusable platforms.

2. Platform Delivery & Execution

• Accountable for end-to-end delivery of digital platform capabilities including oversight of internal delivery teams vendors system integrators and total cost of ownership.

• Drive delivery excellence by improving velocity quality reliability predictability and agile maturity across multiple squads.

• Track delivery metrics identify bottlenecks and implement targeted productivity and delivery maturity improvements.

• Serve as the primary escalation point for platform delivery vendor and dependency-related issues enabling rapid resolution in a complex environment.

• Ensure delivery is integrated across product architectureengineeringoperations cybersecurity and business priorities.

• Embed test-and-learn automation and continuous improvement practices to improve speed quality and sustainability.

3. People Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead mentor and develop technology leaders and teams fostering a collaborative inclusive accountable and execution-focused culture.

• Design and optimize team structures to supportclearownership delivery outcomes modernization priorities and clear accountabilities.

• Partner with Chapter Engineering Product and Business leaders on workforce planning role clarity succession planning and capability development.

• Build internal capability indigitalengineeringenablement agile delivery vendor management and operational excellence.

• Coach leaders to manage performance effectively clarify ownership and build resilient teams through change and transformation.

4. Financial & Vendor Management

• Lead budget management including annual planning cost tracking capitalization forecasting and investment prioritization.

• Manage strategic vendor and system integrator relationships holding partners accountable for delivery quality outcomes knowledge transfer and value realization.

• Drive cost transparency and technology spend optimization across applications infrastructure security vendor and platform investments.

• Identify opportunities to reduce long-term dependency on external partners while strengthening internal platform ownership and capability.

5. Operational Excellence Risk & Security

• Ensurestability security technology currency resiliency and end-of-life decommissioning for applications within scope.

• Establish governance processes that balance speed of delivery with risk management audit regulatory cybersecurity and control requirements.

• Partner withApplicationOperations to ensure effective incident management change management disaster recovery and business continuity planning.

• Proactively manage operational riskapplicationhealth technical debt and service reliability across shared digital capabilities.

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a strategic technology partner to leaders across Product Client Experience Business Operations Architecture Cybersecurity and Enterprise Technology.

• Communicatedigitalstrategy delivery status risks trade-offs and dependencies with clarity and transparency.

• Represent the Digital technology function in executive forums bringing enterprise perspective external insight and pragmatic recommendations.

• Strengthen alignment between technology investments business priorities Client experience outcomes and enterprise digital strategy.

Accountabilities

• Align digital strategy with business objectives Client outcomes enterprise standards and shared technology priorities.

• Define and monitor roadmaps OKRs modernization priorities and delivery sequencing.

• Oversee execution across delivery teams vendors system integrators and enterprise partners.

• Establish governance track delivery metrics and drive productivity quality and reliability improvements.

• Manage budgets vendor relationships and cost optimization opportunities.

• Build and sustain a high-performing engaged inclusive and platform-oriented technology organization.

• Ensure digital platforms are secure scalable resilient reusable and positioned to support future growth.

What you need to succeed

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelors degree in Computer Science Engineering or related field; advanced degree or MBA is an asset.

• 10 years of experience in senior technology leadership roles with demonstrated success delivering complex mission-critical digital platforms.

• Experience leading modernization and enablement of digital platforms such as identity web mobile integration or client/advisor experience platforms.

• Proven ability to lead technology teams through transformation platform ownership and operating model evolution.

• Strong financial acumen with experience managing sizable technology budgets vendor portfolios and total cost of ownership.

• Strong stakeholder management executive communication and organizational leadership skills.

• Experience in regulated financial services is valuable; depth in digital enablement engineering excellence and vendor-heavy delivery environments is prioritized.
  

• As this position is posted in several locations we specify that bilingualism (French English both oral and written) is required for Quebec only for the frequent interactions with English and French-speaking colleagues or internal partners across Canada or worldwide

Mindset & Behaviours

• Decisive leader comfortable operating in ambiguity complexity and transformation.
  

• Strong technical credibility with the ability to challenge architecture delivery practices platform decisions and CI/CD approaches.

• Builder mindset with equal focus on fixing scaling enabling and simplifying.

• Pragmatic outcomes-driven decision-maker who balances speed stability risk and long-termapplicationhealth.

• Collaborative leader who builds trust drives momentum and creates clarity across complex stakeholder groups.

• Critical thinker who challenges the status quo constructively and drives continuous improvement.

• Strong coaching orientation with a commitment to developing leaders teams and internal capability.