AVP, Advisor Recruitment and Retention Strategy

You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do. Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

Job Description:

Role Summary

Reporting to the SVP, Distribution & Channel Management within Sun Life’s Retail Advice & Solutions business, the AVP, Advisor Recruitment and Retention Strategy will be accountable for the end-to-end advisor and associate advisor recruitment strategy for Sun Life Financial Distribution (SLFD) ensuring that we have strong individuals appointed in these roles who can make the most of each client opportunity and increase shareholder value.  The AVP will be accountable for planning and implementing strategies to grow the SLFD salesforce in alignment with D&CM business strategies and objectives.

What will you do?

Recruiting Strategy & Execution

• Accountable for the development and execution of SLFD  Sales Power (advisor recruitment and retention) Strategy, develop and implement various recruitment initiatives and corresponding tactics to attract and appoint new-to-industry and experienced advisors and associate advisors from key demographics to Sun Life.

• Working with key business stakeholders, develop appropriate assessment processes and platforms to attract, qualify, select, and onboard quality Advisors and associate advisors ensuring a high-quality candidate experience.

• Partner with CoEs, Executive and Distribution leadership teams to forecast Sales Power needs and develop appropriate strategies, programs and plans to address current and future needs.

• Partner with Advisor Business Organizations (ABOS) and Dealer(s) partners to implement and monitor onboarding and transition processes for experienced advisor recruits with block acquisitions.

• Provide market intelligence on current issues and emerging market/recruiting trends and understand the implications for current and future talent required to achieve business objectives.

• Understand the competitive landscape to understand how to support and increase recruitment of experienced advisors.

• Identify and implement analytics and key metrics to monitor progress of initiatives and overall program effectiveness.

• Scope includes all elements of recruiting and selection:

- Sourcing / pipeline management / lead & referral generation

- Assessment tools including screening and interviewing

- End-to-end recruitment and selection process engineering

- Advertising, events, campus programs

- Data analytics, metrics

Field Relationship management

• Collaborate and partner closely with Regional leaders to gather feedback, identify strengths and opportunities to improve the recruitment process and candidate experience.

• Participate and collaborate with members of Salesforce Advisory Council and the Management Committee to develop and refine new recruitment programs & initiatives to achieve current & future sales power objectives

Leadership and People Management

• Lead and develop a diverse team of Directors who manage recruiting operations and marketing support teams as well as a team of recruitment consultants. Ensure consistent performance and people management practices – performance management, staff development, coaching and mentoring.

Partnership

• SLFD Leadership team

• Regional & District leadership teams

• Digital Business & Technology Solutions team

• Centres of Excellence

What do you need to succeed?

• Requires Financial services industry experience and in-depth understanding of the advisory career

• Excellent communication skills including public speaking, 1:1 communications, and ability to influence and negotiate

• Ability to address issues strategically and execute operationally

• Ability to influence and interact with all levels of the organization

• Strong business acumen, and high level of emotional intelligence

• Strong flexibility to adapt to business needs in a fast-paced and constantly changing environment

• Excellent analytical and creative problem-solving skills with an ability to continually improve job processes and procedures

• Proven leadership and interpersonal skills, ability to lead people through change

• Requires strong verbal and written communication skills with strong interpersonal and relationship building skills

• As this position is posted in several locations, we specify that bilingualism (French, English, both oral and written) is required for Quebec only for the frequent interactions with English and French-speaking colleagues or internal partners across Canada or worldwide.

Education, Licensing & Accreditation

• Post secondary degree with minimum of 10 years progressively responsible for leading, developing and implementing recruitment and business strategies

• Professional financial services designation would be an asset

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary and bonus structure influenced by market range data

• Pension, stock and savings programs to help build and enhance your future financial security

• Flexible Benefits from the day you join to meet the needs of you and your family

• 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.

• A friendly, collaborative and inclusive culture

• We are proud to be on the 2025 Best Workplaces in Canada list by Great Place to Work.

• Great Place to Work Certified for Most Trusted Executive Team in Canada - 2025, 2024 and 2023

The Base Pay range is for the primary location for which the job is posted. It may vary depending on the work location of the successful candidate or other factors. In addition to Base Pay, eligible Sun Life employees participate in various incentive plans, payment under which is discretionary and subject to individual and company performance. Certain sales focused roles have sales incentive plans based on individual or group sales results.  

Diversity and inclusion have always been at the core of our values at Sun Life. A diverse workforce with wide perspectives and creative ideas benefits our Clients, the communities where we operate and all of us as colleagues. We welcome applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds.

Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e-mail a request to thebrightside@sunlife.com.

We are proud to be a hybrid organization that offers our employees the choice and flexibility to work from both the office and virtually based on the needs of the business, our Clients and you! Several work options are available and can be discussed throughout the selection process depending on the role requirements and individual needs.

We may use artificial intelligence to support candidate sourcing, screening, interview scheduling.

We thank all applicants for showing an interest in this position. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Salary Range:

140,000/140 000 - 225,000/225 000

Job Category:

Sales - Distribution Support

Posting End Date:

28/01/2026