AVP, Business Proposition Enablement

Pacific Life Re•Toronto, ON

2d•CA$160,290 - CA$187,005

About The Position

The AVP, Business Proposition and Enablement role within the North America Client Solutions Team is responsible for Product/Market Proposition development to support the strategy and growth targets in North America. This role also supports client enablement activities such as new business flow and inforce quotes, inforce account management (working with Operations, Corporate Actuarial, R&D etc), execution of treaties and addendums. The position leads and provides technical support for risk, pricing, and underwriting perspectives on client related requests. The individual will develop deep knowledge on clients’ requirements, internal policies, internal processes, and market trends. They will be one of the main clients contact points for Pricing, Underwriting, and Risk teams in relation to technical aspects of new product initiatives. Working closely with the Global Enablement Team, the role involves conducting new market, segment and proposition development for North America to identify growth opportunities beyond those already within our existing plans. This includes developing new products and propositions based on market research, quote activities, and clients’ strategic needs, and managing end-to-end processes including internal teams responsible for technical assessment, risk approvals, and compliance perspectives. The role also leads communications with internal Pricing, Risk and UW teams, supports preparation and presentation of risk papers and Management Information packs, including DRMC approval documents and Quarterly Business Reports, and develops initial stage gates and fail fast criteria. The role also involves client and other external interactions, supporting the North America front office team and other stakeholders in external meetings and workshops to understand clients’ needs and assist in new opportunities and proactive solutions/pitches. It drives interactions with external partners and SMEs such as consultants, insurers and reinsurers to understand trends and to identify new product propositions. Regular market research is conducted to support new potential initiatives and market trends to identify client opportunities. The role supports the VP, Client Solutions to create assets and concepts to build and maintain a strong deal pipeline to achieve growth targets, and supports cross-functional deal teams, including Pricing, Underwriting & Claims, Legal and Operations representatives, to ensure alignment and timely client delivery of new business and in-force initiatives. It also supports Client Solutions delivery of internal processes and reporting related to new business. Strategically, the role works closely with the North America leadership to understand the business strategy to develop business proposition strategy for North America, works closely with technical teams to execute strategy, and develops objectives and key results.

Requirements

At least 7 years of life (re)insurance industry experience
Strong analytical skills, combined with sound judgement and commercial awareness, to produce justifiable and practical business case even where information is sparse or not available
Proficiency extracting, manipulating, analyzing and drawing conclusions from data
Proven track record in developing strategies and seeing them through to successful execution
Very strong communication (written and verbal) and presentation skills, and ability to deliver difficult/challenging messages
Strong interpersonal skills to influence and lead others regardless of reporting lines
Ability to quickly cut through detail and focus on what is important, being decisive and accountable
Strong analytical skills combined with sound judgement, commercial awareness and business acumen
Ability and desire to communicate with business customers at all levels across the business and to work well within a team environment
Organized, conscientious, and deadline focused with an attention to detail
Ability to manage competing demands and deal with non-standard and unstructured requests, at short notice
Motivated to take ownership of work and to seek further responsibility

Nice To Haves

Product development and/or Pricing experience
Technical background in Actuarial, Underwriting, Finance
Client Solution Experience in a B2B environment

Responsibilities

Product/Market Proposition development to support the strategy and growth targets in North America
Supporting client enablement activities such as new business flow and inforce quotes, inforce account management (working with Operations, Corporate Actuarial, R&D etc), execution of treaties and addendums
Leading and providing technical support for risk, pricing, and underwriting perspectives on client related requests
Develop deep knowledge on clients’ requirements, internal policies, internal processes, and market trends
Be one of the main clients contact points for Pricing, Underwriting, and Risk teams in relation to technical aspects of new product initiatives
Conducting new market, segment and proposition development for North America to identify growth opportunities beyond those already within our existing plans
Develop new products and propositions based on market research, quote activities, and clients’ strategic needs
Manage end-to-end processes including internal teams responsible for technical assessment, risk approvals, and compliance perspectives
Lead communications with internal Pricing, Risk and UW teams
Support preparation and presentation of risk papers and Management Information packs, including DRMC approval documents and Quarterly Business Reports
Development of initial stage gates and fail fast criteria
Supporting the North America front office team and other stakeholders in external meetings and workshops to understand clients’ needs and assist in new opportunities and proactive solutions/pitches
Drive interactions with external partners and SMEs such as consultants, insurers and reinsurers to understand trends and to identify new product propositions
Perform regular market research to support new potential initiatives and market trends to identify client opportunities
Support VP, Client Solutions to create assets and concepts to build and maintain a strong deal pipeline to achieve growth targets
Support cross-functional deal teams, including Pricing, Underwriting & Claims, Legal and Operations representatives, to ensure alignment and timely client delivery of new business and in-force initiatives
Support Client Solutions delivery of internal processes and reporting related to new business
Work closely with the North America leadership to understand the business strategy to develop business proposition strategy for North America
Work closely with technical teams to execute strategy
Develop objectives and key results
Ensuring a strong risk culture exists within the North America Protection team
Demonstrating awareness and understanding of risk policies, key risks and associated controls and how North America meets the global goals
Translating risk management principles and objectives into priorities, processes and activities that make sense to team members
Fostering a culture of risk management in the team through training and performance management
Taking a pro-active approach to identifying, fixing and learning from control failures
Where relevant, report and effectively manage issues and/or loss events as they arise

Benefits

23 days of annual leave (Regular employees) with option to buy or sell more days
Fertility leave
Generous parental leave
Group Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment coverage for all permanent employees
Dental & Optical benefits
RRSP: company-matched contributions
Employee and Family Assistance Program
Subsidized gym membership
Time off for volunteering
Charitable matching of employee donations