Associate Director, Portfolio Strategy & Analytics - SLC Management

Sun Life • Waterloo, ON

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

SLC Management is a growing global asset management firm providing innovative and diversified investment solutions to institutional investors. With over CA$422/US$304 billion in assets under management (AUM), it is a subsidiary of Sun Life. The firm is performance-driven, focusing on a development-focused, inclusive culture with core values of being client obsessed, valuing each other, acting with speed, and having an owner’s mindset. The role of Director of Portfolio Strategy & Analytics is crucial for shaping the future of the global investment landscape and driving transformative change. It acts as a strategic bridge between SLC’s Front Office investment teams (SLC Fixed Income, Crescent, BentallGreenOak, InfraRed) and Sun Life stakeholders across ALM, Capital Management, Risk, and Finance. The position focuses on delivering enterprise-wide investment insights and portfolio construction leadership for Sun Life’s Global General Account, advancing SLC Management’s insurance asset management value proposition by leveraging public and private fixed income, real assets, and alternative investment capabilities to support Sun Life’s long-term risk-adjusted return, capital efficiency, and liquidity objectives. The role offers unparalleled insights into SLC's entire product suite, including all asset classes and investment solutions offered, and how they complement Sun Life's risk- and capital-adjusted return profile.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in investment strategy / asset management or a related field, with a deep and comprehensive understanding of modern portfolio theory, asset pricing, and risk management.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to explain complex topics to both technical and non-technical audiences in a clear, compelling, and impactful manner.
• Proven track record in delivering innovative, industry-leading solutions and cultivating strong, collaborative working relationships across various functional areas.

Nice To Haves

• Extensive knowledge of broad asset classes and a working knowledge of Sun Life's liability profiles (a distinct advantage).
• Proficiency in utilizing financial tools and software, such as Bloomberg, BlackRock Aladdin, or Morningstar Direct (a plus).
• University degree in Finance, Business, or Economics, with a CFA designation (or equivalent) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve our proprietary Portfolio Optimization framework tailored to insurance balance sheets, incorporating Sun Life–specific constraints including capital, ALM, Accounting (IFRS), liquidity, and regulatory requirements across geographies.
• Establish and maintain consistent risk/return assumptions, correlations, and capital efficiency parameters used in Investment Strategy Reviews, ensuring methodological consistency and governance globally.
• Partner with various teams to align portfolio construction with liability characteristics, surplus objectives, and enterprise risk appetite.
• Leverage SLC Management’s diversified platform across investment‑grade fixed income, private credit, real estate, infrastructure, and alternatives to enhance portfolio outcomes for insurance clients.
• Support Tactical Asset Allocation (TAA) discussions for the General Account, translating macro, valuation, and relative value views into actionable portfolio tilts.
• Drive engagement with public fixed income trading and portfolio management desks to design and implement tactical strategies across rates, credit, curve positioning, sector rotation, and relative value opportunities.
• Coordinate cross‑asset investment ideas, ensuring alignment between public markets, private assets, and derivative overlays to maximize implementation efficiency and capital usage.
• Support performance assessment frameworks for Sun Life insurance portfolios, including attribution, benchmarking, and value‑add analysis across asset classes and strategies.
• Develop portfolio‑level analytics that link performance outcomes to SAA, TAA, security selection, and alternative asset allocations.
• Support the placement of affiliate‑managed alternative strategies (Crescent, BentallGreenOak, InfraRed) within the Sun Life General Account.
• Drive synergies between Asset Management and Insurance, ensuring alternative investments are deployed in structures that optimize yield, capital efficiency, liquidity, and risk diversification.
• Act as a central coordination point for evaluating new alternative strategies and scaling existing capabilities for insurance use cases.
• Support the Office of the Chief Investment Officer on strategic initiatives, including enterprise investment reviews, portfolio transformation programs, and innovation in insurance asset management.
• Prepare executive‑level materials and insights that articulate portfolio positioning, strategic trade‑offs, and forward‑looking opportunities.
• Lead governance for global investment policies and operating guidelines, ensuring consistency across regions, asset classes, and legal entities.
• Partner with Risk, Compliance, and Portfolio Management to ensure policies remain fit‑for‑purpose as markets, regulations, and SLC capabilities evolve.

Benefits

• Excellent benefits and wellness programs to support the three pillars of your well-being – mental, physical and financial
• generous vacation and sick time
• market-leading maternity, parental and adoption leave top up program
• a partially-paid sabbatical program
• Pension, stock and savings programs with an employer-paid match to help build and enhance your future financial security
• A flexible work environment
• career growth development

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees