Director, Insurance Operations

Director, Insurance Operations - Toronto

Director, Insurance Operations at CI Financial in Toronto, ON, CA. This Full time on site position offers great opportunities for career growth. At CI, we see a great place to work as one that is a safe place for everyone to have a voice, where people are empowered to take ownership over meaningful work, where there is an opportunity to grow through stretching themselves, where they can work on innovative products and projects, and where employees are supported and engaged in doing so.

CI Financial is seeking a Director, Insurance Operations to lead the modernization and ongoing performance of our Canadian individual life insurance Operations function. This role combines daily operational leadership with a significant transformation mandate. You will strengthen case progression and carrier advocacy, build actionable Operations Intelligence, improve operational data and technology, develop differentiated advisor service, and lead an established team through sustained change.

Lead the daily performance and modernization of Insurance Operations. Assess current services, processes, systems, operational data, capacity, and cross-functional handoffs. Lead the development and phased implementation of an approved future operating model aligned with CI's insurance growth, advisor-support, and client-service priorities. Build Operations Intelligence that turns pipeline progression, aging, service levels, capacity, carrier performance, and financial information into clear actions and decision-ready recommendations.

Strengthen case ownership, underwriting follow-up, carrier advocacy, escalation, delivery, placement, and oversight of complex, high-value, or aging cases. Develop practical pre-submission navigation and complex-case routing while preserving clear boundaries between operational support, insurance advice, and underwriting authority. Design differentiated advisor and in-force service models, including enhanced support where internal involvement adds meaningful value. Define operational technology, data, automation, and self-service requirements in partnership with Technology teams and vendors.

Deliver practical improvements within the current operating environment while longer-term modernization work proceeds. Assess future capability requirements and recommend the team design, development priorities, and resources required to deliver the approved operating model. Specific modernization priorities, sequencing, performance measures, and resource requirements will reflect the operating baseline, business priorities, available resources, and appropriate approval processes.

At least 7 years of progressive experience specifically in Canadian individual life insurance Operations, including a minimum of 3 years in a formal operational people-leadership role with direct accountability for people, workload, service quality, capacity, priorities, and escalations. Strong knowledge of Canadian individual life insurance products, carrier practices, application processing, underwriting requirements, medical and financial evidence, issue, delivery, placement, and in-force servicing.

Proven experience modernizing an operation while continuing to deliver effective daily service. Experience implementing meaningful process, service, data, or technology improvements that achieved sustained adoption and measurable results. Strong analytical and commercial judgment, including the ability to challenge incomplete data, establish credible measures, and translate findings into action. Practical experience defining business requirements and working with Technology teams or vendors through assessment, testing, implementation, adoption, and post-launch improvement.

Experience leading an established team through material change with respect, clarity, and accountability. Bilingual English and French capability is preferred but not required. CLU, MBA, or relevant insurance, business, operations, technology, or change-management credentials are considered assets.

You are equally comfortable reviewing an aging case queue, challenging unreliable reporting, working with carriers, coaching experienced employees, and presenting recommendations to senior leadership. You can modernize an operation without losing control of daily service. You create useful intelligence from imperfect data rather than waiting for perfect systems. You simplify and clarify processes before…