AVP, New Business and Underwriting (Mumbai)

AVP, New Business and Underwriting Experience: Not Available to Not Available years Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Skills: underwriting, new business operations, insurance processes, transformation, operating model redesign, data-driven decision making, stakeholder management, collaboration, employee engagement, leadership, performance management Job Description You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, youll 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. The AVP, New Business & Underwriting (NB/UW) is an operational leadership role accountable for the full NB/UW value chain, from application submission through underwriting to policy issuance, across all distribution channels, including Sun Life Financial Distributors, Individual Insurance Distribution, Prospr, and Group Benefits. This role is responsible for delivering consistent, high-quality service outcomes, strengthening advisor and client experience, and advancing a unified operating model that enables scale, agility, and performance. The AVP leads a large, multi-layered organization and plays a critical role in modernizing underwriting capabilities, driving enterprise transformation priorities, and building a high-performing, future-ready workforce. What will you do This role operates at the intersection of strategic execution and service delivery, ensuring that priorities translate into measurable improvements in service experience, speed and quality. End-to-End Operations Leadership Lead the full NB/UW value chain from application submission through underwriting to policy issuance. Ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery across all client segments and distribution channels. Deliver measurable improvements in cycle time, productivity, and service outcomes. Drive standardized processes and segmentation-based service models to improve efficiency and experience. Organizational Leadership & Talent Development Lead a large, complex organization comprising ~450+ FTEs across all segments of new business and underwriting in Canada and Asia. Establish strong governance, accountability, and performance management disciplines across teams. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and operational excellence. Shape and execute talent strategies, including workforce planning, capability development, and leadership succession. Drive employee engagement and retention through inclusive leadership and development opportunities. Advisor & Client Experience Deliver differentiated service experiences aligned to business and service delivery model. Strengthen the advisor support model, including escalation management and Tier 2 support capabilities. Improve placement rates, reduce cycle times, and enhance ease of doing business for firms, MGAs, advisors, plan sponsors, and clients. Partner closely with Distribution and Business Units to align service delivery with advisor and client expectations. Transformation & Change Leadership Lead modernization of underwriting operations, including operating model redesign, digital enablement, and platform transformation. Drive optimization of a unified underwriting model to improve consistency and reduce duplication. Champion continuous improvement to increase agility and accelerate innovation. Partner with enterprise teams to deliver strategic priorities such as automation, cycle time reduction, and end-to-end process optimization. Strategy, Governance & Enterprise Integration Align NB/UW priorities with enterprise strategy, ensuring transparent linkage between service outcomes and business performance. Strengthen governance, risk management, and compliance practices across operations (aligned to Director accountability). Act as a key partner to Distribution, Business Units, and enterprise stakeholders to ensure alignment and integration. Maintain a focus on data-driven decision making, transparency, and continuous performance improvement. Drive employee engagement and retention through inclusive leadership and development opportunities. Profile of the Leader This role is suited for a large-scale operational leader and enterprise change agent who brings both strategic perspective and disciplined execution. The successful candidate demonstrates: Proven experience leading large-scale operations (200+ FTEs) in insurance or financial services Deep expertise in underwriting, new business operations, or end-to-end insurance processes Ability to lead transformation and .