AVP Expense Management, Accounting

Sun Life

AVP, Expense Management & Accounting at Sun Life leading financial strategies and operations. Drive cost optimization and team development to support business decisions and financial performance.

Posted 7/22/2026full-timeWaterloo • 🇨🇦 CanadaLead💰 CA$140,000 - CA$225,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in financial leadership, expense management, and accounting processes, with a strong focus on team development, operational efficiency, and strategic decision-making. Proven ability to communicate complex financial insights to senior management and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Professional Accounting DesignationFinancial Reporting ExpertiseExpense ManagementTeam LeadershipExecutive Communication Skills

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Financial ReportingAccounting ProcessesExpense ForecastingBudgetingPerformance AnalysisProcess ImprovementAutomationControls ManagementOperational EfficiencyCost Optimization

Soft Skills

CoachingCollaborationInfluencingDecision-MakingIntegrity

Certifications & Qualifications

Professional Accounting Designation

Industry Keywords

Financial LeadershipContinuous ImprovementBusiness Partner EngagementCross-Functional ProjectsOperational Scalability

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, talent development, and continuous improvement.
Provide senior-level leadership and governance over financial reporting cycles, accounting processes, ledger controls, and the overall internal control environment.
Design, sponsor, and oversee end-to-end control and accounting process enhancements, ensuring effective implementation, adoption, and sustainable operational outcomes.
Own the full expense management mandate, including monthly expense reporting, forecasting, planning, budgeting, performance analysis, and business partner engagement.
Drive disciplined expense management and cost optimization across Retail Advice & Solutions, identifying efficiency opportunities and enabling productivity savings.
Prepare and present executive-ready materials for senior management, translating trends, risks, opportunities, and business drivers into clear recommendations and actionable insights.
Build trusted relationships with senior business partners, Finance leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders to influence decisions, align priorities, and deliver high-quality service to the business.
Champion process simplification, automation, and continuous improvement to strengthen operational efficiency, scalability, and financial management effectiveness.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Professional accounting designation or related credential, with 10+ years of progressive experience in senior finance, accounting, expense management, or financial leadership roles.
Proven people leader with demonstrated ability to attract, retain, coach, and develop high-performing teams while building succession depth and leadership capability.
Strong executive communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex financial information and present insights, recommendations, and trade-offs clearly to senior audiences.
Sound business judgment and management acumen, with the ability to prioritize competing demands, make informed decisions, and lead through ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
High degree of discretion, professionalism, and integrity in handling confidential financial, business, and people-related information.
Demonstrated track record leading complex initiatives, process improvements, or cross-functional projects from strategy through execution and sustainable adoption.
Strong operational expertise in financial reporting, accounting systems, controls, and automation, with a continuous improvement mindset and focus on scalable, efficient processes.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Our unique Sabbatical Program gives you the opportunity to take up to 6 weeks off, every five years.
Care Days available for self-care or care of others (i.e., family or others you may support) and Sick Days to support your well-being.
Diversity and inclusion have always been at the core of our values at Sun Life.