Assistant Vice President, Enterprise Project Management Office

Job Description

Role Description

Canada Life has historically operated its Project Management (PM) and delivery functions in a fully federated model.  This role is being established for the purpose of centralizing and optimizing common PM and delivery functions (“Central Function”) across the enterprise and for providing cross company orchestration and reporting in cases as needed.  This role will report directly to the Canada Life CIO, and will work in collaboration with the federated delivery functions.

This role is accountable and responsible for the following primary functions across Canada Life (CL):

• Project management standards and methodologies
• Project management effectiveness 
• Supporting and evolving Canada wide initiative governance and program level reporting 
• PMO Center of Excellence and Communities of Practice

Accountabilities:

• Project management standards and methodologies:
  • Streamline and standardize our project management and solution delivery processes, in increasingly agile ways, to serve internal stakeholders
  • Ensure that projects are developed and carried out in line with company standards
  • Define and deliver a vision for a next generation Project Management organization that aligns with our Canada Business strategy and expectations of business partners
• Project management effectiveness
  • Establish and measure key performance indicators (KPIs) and continuously improve project management methodologies for IT and business-led project delivery

• Initiative governance and Program reporting 
  • Work with IT, BU and Finance Leaders in the facilitation and coordination of the initiative governance and approval process for key initiatives in the Canadian business units
  • Provide overall governance and reporting on key initiatives as well as on operational metrics across Canada
  • Develop and publish self-serve reports and dashboards to provide a consolidated view of Canada wide initiatives
  • Financial reporting and tracking (aggregation across business / functions) as it relates to strategic initiatives

•  PMO Center of Excellence and Communities of Practice
  • Create and maintain a PMO CoE in order to recommend or mandate certain practices, methodologies or templates be used across Canada Life
  • Create and maintain a CoP for PMs across Canada Life, enabling PMs to share experiences with a common goal of improving how they deliver projects across Canada

Qualifications and Competencies:

• 10+ years of portfolio, program or project management experience
• Experience working in a large, complex enterprise organization  
• Business degree; or equivalent work experience 
• Specialized knowledge/experience working with a PMO
• Ability to articulate a program’s strategy and objectives and assesses how it will impact a business 
• Financial reporting and tracking (aggregation across business / functions) as it relates to strategic initiatives
• Expert negotiator and problem solver to work with BU initiative owners to identify and prioritize the roadmap that will achieve the desired business value realization. Complex, and at times difficult conversations in negotiating agreed to timelines, sequencing, and interdependencies of initiatives.
• Adept at navigating complex organizational structures. Collaborative partnerships required with Initiative Leads and across BU leaders, and partnership roles in support organizations such as Finance, HR, Risk, Audit, Security, etc.
• Results-oriented with respect to driving work and enabling value realization by ensuring work outcomes are aligned with business needs and expectations in a timely manner
• While communications are predominately internal the discussions can be challenging
• Highly empowered to make decisions with the best information available, involving key stakeholders and relying on experience and good judgment
• Multi-faceted analysis across multiple BUs, and predominantly in a resourcing, and financial and risk context. It is important to understand levers to impact earnings goals.
• Ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organization
• You will have demonstrated a high level of innovation, the ability to utilize and implement best practices, as well as creating new ways of working, rolling out and implementation across a group 

 Our Story 

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Canada Life is a leading insurance, wealth management and benefits provider focused on improving the financial, physical and mental well-being of Canadians. For more than 170 years, individuals, families and business owners across Canada have trusted us to provide sound guidance and deliver on the promises we’ve made.  

As of January 1, 2020, Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life became one company – Canada Life, and today, we proudly serve more than 13 million customer relationships from coast to coast to coast. 

Discover your opportunity….Apply today! 

Canada Life offers competitive compensation, great benefits such as medical, dental, life insurance, wellness account and personal days not to mention onsite cafeteria and fitness in our head office facilities. ?If you’d like to join our team submit your information online and introduce yourself. 

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Canada Life serves the financial security needs of more than 13 million people across Canada, with additional operations in Europe and the United States. As members of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies, we’re one of Canada’s leading insurers with interests in life insurance, health insurance, investment and retirement savings. We offer a broad portfolio of financial and benefit plan solutions for individuals, families, businesses and organizations. 

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We are committed to providing an inclusive, accessible environment, where all employees and customers feel valued, respected and supported. We are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we live, and to creating an environment where every employee has the opportunity to reach their potential. 

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Canada Life would like to thank all applicants, however only those who qualify for an interview will be contacted