Insurance Operations Manager

THE EMPIRE LIFE INS. CO•Kingston, ON

12h•Hybrid

About The Position

Empire Life is looking to hire an Insurance Operations Manager to join our Retail Operations team! We are actively seeking candidates to fill a current, open position. This opportunity allows for you to grow your skills, while directly contributing to the business unit you are a part of. You will provide a personal, accurate, professional, and courteous service and resolution to our customers. With a fresh perspective, we welcome those that can highlight opportunities for improvement. We encourage creative and innovative thinking and welcome candidates who are not afraid to challenge the status quo.

Requirements

5+ years of work experience in insurance/financial services industry
Management or Supervisory experience
Knowledge of external and internal operational processes, operational Key Performance Indicators/metrics
Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, email, internet, database and presentation computer software
Completion of a university degree in a business discipline or relevant experience
Ability to coach, develop and motivate others, to think logically and negotiate solutions, and to prioritize and balance multiple tasks or projects simultaneously
Well-developed analytical, organizational, decision-making and problem solving skills, interpersonal, customer relations and team facilitation skills, and communication, negotiation, persuasion and/or presentation skills
If you are applying for a position which is open to applicants across Canada, unless otherwise indicated in the position, language proficiency in English is required for communicating with customers, advisors, or employees across Canada.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of Change Management principles is an asset
Bilingualism (English/French) is an asset
Working towards completion of FLMI, ACS

Responsibilities

Ensures effective decision-making and communication, and efficient performance of team members by providing consistent and strong leadership
Manages operations and performance of functions to ensure that teams and individuals are meeting or exceeding objectives and that service provided meets or exceeds established guidelines
Provides clear direction through the development of standards, policies and procedures and metrics
Ensures that the team responds to policyholder/advisor enquiries and business issues in a timely and accurate manner
Supports strategic change management, execution and measurement of operational deliverables and the implementation of project and process driven improvements to the operating model
Manage the business unit and guide the the team, including telecommuting employees, by planning, organizing, leading and monitoring operations and performance so that established operations and service targets are met and exceeded in order to achieve effective resolution to all enquiries, requests and concerns serving all distribution channels
Continually review and improve internal business processes on an on-going basis; implement operational changes as required
Develop and promote a customer service orientation for delivery of service, resolution of problems and escalations and collaborate in the Customer Relations Complaint process
Take appropriate action in response to various statistical, performance and quality reports for management review and analysis to ensure customer service objectives are met or exceeded
Acts as a contributing member of the Retail Operations management team
Provide technical expertise, make timely and effective decisions on products and project launches
Coach and mentor team members; identify employee training and development needs; participate in the hiring and employment process, set employee goals and objectives, manage employee performance
Monitor workload and workflow, adjust employee levels as required to sustain service standards
Create action plans; develop and maintain operational procedures for each function performed in the unit and update and revise procedures as needed.
Collaborate with leadership team to understand training gaps and improve individual, team and operational performance
Build and maintain relationships with sales team, management team and distribution partners and work proactively with distribution partners and our sales management teams to determine where efficiencies can be implemented to support service needs
Assist in the preparation of annual operating budget and manage within the budget allocation
Develop strategic departmental action plans, including annual capacity and development plans, which are updated on a quarterly basis, to ensure effective utilization of resources on an ongoing basis
Contribute to strategic insurance projects by participating in project meetings and providing input and feedback on operational impact of proposed changes
Support strategic change management by advocating for desired project or process change objectives, and manage potential resistance and performance gaps to facilitate the changes
Work closely with Process Improvement team to leverage automation and system integrations to reduce processing times
Monitor operational compliance legislation, risk management and operational policies, practices and procedures
Assist the Director, Operations with special projects or other assigned activities

Benefits

Competitive salaries with annual pay increases
Annual bonus program, which recognizes both strong company performance and individual contributions, for non sales positions
Access to learning & development programs, and education/tuition reimbursement (role dependent), to support your professional growth and career advancement.
A comprehensive employer-funded benefits package starting from day one of employment, that includes life insurance, health and dental and a generous health account
Flexible work arrangements and an annual allotment of personal health days.
Four weeks annual vacation from hire date
A defined contribution pension plan with generous employer matching
Top up programs for parental leave and compassionate leave
Employer-sponsored wellness and recognition programs
A cash employee referral program