Operational Risk & Controls Lead Job Toronto area,Ontario Canada,Business

The Insurance Operations & Distributor Services team is seeking an experienced, analytical, and collaborative leader to join our team as Operational Risk and Controls Lead.

In this role, you will partner directly with operational leaders and risk partners to strengthen the control environment across core Insurance and Distributor Service processes. You will help identify and mitigate operational risks, support regulatory and audit readiness, drive continuous improvement, and ensure key controls remain effective as the business evolves.

The successful candidate will bring strong operational knowledge, a deep understanding of insurance and service processes, and a proven ability to translate risk and control concepts into practical business solutions that improve customer, operational, and business outcomes.

Position Responsibilities:

Partner with business leaders to identify, assess, and manage operational risks across Insurance Operations and Distributor Services.

In collaboration with Line 1b, support risk and control assessments (RCSAs) for all Insurance Ops and Distributor Services parent business processes.

Support audit, regulatory, and compliance reviews, including coordination of evidence, management responses, and corrective action plans.

Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of key controls and recommend improvements to strengthen the control environment.

Maintain risk, process, and control inventories and ensure supporting documentation remains accurate and current.

Conduct root cause analysis for operational incidents, errors, and control failures and drive sustainable remediation actions.

Support audit and regulatory engagements, including evidence collection, management responses, and remediation activities.

Analyze operational, quality, risk, and performance metrics to identify emerging trends, issues, and opportunities for improvement.

Support the timely delivery of Corrective Action Plans (CAPs), including tracking, reporting, challenge, and closure validation.

In collaboration with the Ops leaders, promote a culture of accountability, risk awareness, and continuous improvement across the business.

Build strong partnerships with Operations, Compliance, Legal, Technology, Finance, and Risk stakeholders to support effective business outcomes.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Risk Management, or a related discipline.

5-7 years of experience in Insurance Operations, Distributor Services or a related financial services environment.

Strong understanding of insurance servicing, policy administration, claims, distributor operations, and customer service processes.

Experience identifying and improving operational risks, controls, quality processes, and business outcomes.

Experience supporting audits, regulatory reviews, issue remediation, and corrective action planning.

Demonstrated leadership experience, including coaching and developing employees.

Experience supporting business transformation, process improvement, or technology implementation initiatives.

Knowledge of risk management practices, control frameworks, and governance processes within financial services.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with Archer or other Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) platforms is an asset.

Strong understanding of end-to-end insurance and distributor service processes.

Ability to identify risks, control gaps, and operational improvement opportunities.

Strong analytical, problem-solving, and root cause analysis skills.

Ability to simplify complex information and communicate effectively with all levels of management.

Strong stakeholder management, facilitation, and relationship-building capabilities.

Ability to challenge constructively and influence decision-making.

Highly organized…