Manager Planning & Intake

The Canada Life Assurance Company • Toronto, ON

1d • CA$90,400 - CA$140,400 • Hybrid

About The Position

Canada Life is strengthening enterprise delivery through the continued build-out of a centralized Business Project Management Office (BPMO) within COBE. The Manager, Planning & Intake is a key leadership role responsible for leading and developing a high-performing Planning & Intake team while overseeing intake management, demand planning, portfolio reporting, and governance support activities. This role serves as a critical partner to Portfolio Directors by providing the operational leadership, analysis, and planning support required to enable informed prioritization, investment, and delivery decisions. Working closely with Portfolio Directors, Business stakeholders, Technology, Finance, Risk, Architecture, and Delivery teams, this leader fosters strong cross-functional collaboration.

Requirements

• 5+ years of progressive experience in project, program, or portfolio management, including direct experience with portfolio governance, reporting, and prioritization processes.
• 2+ years of people leadership experience, with a demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and manage the performance of a team.
• Strong analytical and reporting capability, skilled at synthesizing portfolio data into accurate dashboards and executive-ready insights.
• Working knowledge of financial management practices, including forecasting, variance tracking, and resource/capacity planning.
• Strong organizational discipline and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and governance cycles concurrently.
• Experience in a regulated environment (financial services preferred) and comfort working with Finance, Risk, and governance bodies.
• University degree in business, technology, or a related discipline

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Clarity is a strong asset.
• PMP, PfMP, and/or Agile/Scrum credentials are considered assets.

Responsibilities

• Lead the intake and demand management process across the Canada Life organization.
• Oversee portfolio intake pipelines and provide Portfolio Directors with visibility into demand trends and capacity impacts.
• Partner closely with Portfolio Directors on planning, prioritization, and investment discussions.
• Support preparation of quarterly and annual planning inputs.
• Develop and maintain portfolio dashboards and reporting that provide accurate, timely transparency on business and technology initiatives, including delivery health, financials, and resource utilization.
• Strengthen data quality and reporting discipline across the portfolio, partnering with delivery leads to ensure consistent, reliable information.
• Support portfolio governance routines, stage gates, status cycles, health checks, and reporting cadences, ensuring initiatives comply with BPMO standards and investment frameworks.
• Build and maintain strong relationships across Business, Technology, Finance, Risk, Architecture, and Delivery teams.
• Lead, coach, and develop the team, setting clear objectives, managing performance, and building capability across portfolio management practices.
• Foster a collaborative, service-oriented team culture that positions the BPMO as a trusted partner to business and delivery stakeholders.
• Plan and allocate team workload across the teams, ensuring coverage, quality, and responsiveness to changing priorities.
• Contribute to the evolution of BPMO tools, templates, and processes, identifying opportunities to standardize, automate, and improve portfolio management practices.

Benefits

• Career Development: Opportunities for career advancement, access to industry-leading learning programs and up to $2,000 annually towards education reimbursement.
• Health & Wellness: Flexible health and dental benefits, plus a $5,000 mental health benefit to support your well-being.
• Time Off: In addition to regular vacation and personal days, we support community involvement with a volunteer day.
• Financial Security: Company-matching pension plan, share ownership program and additional investment options.
• Rewards and Recognition: Employee recognition programs, service milestone celebrations, employee discounts and more!
• Emphasis on Community: We provide a workplace where employees feel connected and supported through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), mentorship programs, social clubs and events.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager