Director, Underwriting Strategy and Planning

Equitable•Waterloo, ON

16d•Hybrid

About The Position

At Equitable, work is a place where employees feel supported, inspired, and empowered to grow in a caring and collaborative environment. Curiosity is encouraged, passion is recognized, and contributions matter, creating meaningful impact for clients, communities, and each other. Equitable is a Canadian mutual company driven by purpose, focusing on putting people first and helping Canadians protect today and prepare for tomorrow. The company values making a difference and career growth in an inclusive and collaborative environment, with a culture built on care, passion, and curiosity. The Director, Underwriting Strategy and Planning is a pivotal member of the Individual Underwriting leadership team, requiring curiosity, a strategic lens, and proven leadership. This role offers an opportunity to join one of the region’s top employers and contribute to meaningful work. This is a hybrid role, requiring work in the Waterloo, ON office a minimum of two assigned, consecutive days every other week, plus a fifth assigned day per month.

Requirements

Strong background of 5 or more years in risk, data, and insurance modernization initiatives
University degree with a focus on social or actuarial science, risk management
Strong knowledge of various underwriting risk management tools, including analytics, rules engines, and traditional requirements
Proficiency with business and data analytics – working with various systems such as BI dashboards
Creative and curious mindset
Proven leadership & change management experience
Prior underwriting innovation or actuarial/risk-based innovation experience
Key attention to detail and strong financial acumen experience working with a complex budget
Strategic mindset with excellent relationship management skills
Ability to influence and thrive in a cross-functional environment
Established presentation and public speaking skills
Demonstrated excellence in time management and prioritization skills
Proficiency in all MS Office products
Experience working with external partners and vendors

Responsibilities

Lead strategic initiatives in Individual Underwriting
Drive the use of data in underwriting, in rules engines, business and predictive analytics, and potential new sources of data
Develop and drive key management results, based on insights from business intelligence
Develop and manage the annual underwriting budget, working closely with VP underwriting on understanding and managing key drivers
Ensuring all initiatives align with expected mortality and morbidity, regulatory, ethical, and operational risk frameworks
Develop change management plans, work with Underwriting and Individual Insurance leaders to ensure smooth execution of strategic initiatives