Manager, Rewards & Recognition

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:

We are seeking a Manager, Rewards & Recognition to lead the delivery and continuous improvement of recognition programs for advisors and field leaders across Sun Life Financial Distribution. In this role, you will manage a national portfolio of incentive and recognition programs, ensuring strong execution, high-quality service to the field, and progress toward simpler, more scalable program design. You will balance operational excellence with continuous improvement, helping evolve recognition practices while ensuring programs are delivered with precision, integrity, and a positive participant experience.

What will you do?

Program Leadership & Delivery

• Lead the end-to-end design, execution, and administration of recognition and incentive programs

• Ensure accurate, timely delivery with a strong participant experience

• Act as the primary escalation point for complex advisor and field leader issues

Customer Service & Field Experience

• Deliver a high-quality service experience for advisors and field leaders

• Resolve complex escalations with sound judgment, fairness, and professionalism

• Establish and uphold service standards across the team

Operations, Governance & Controls

• Oversee program operations, including award fulfillment, reconciliation, and reporting

• Manage vendors, budgets, and approvals

• Ensure strong controls, compliance, and audit readiness

• Maintain clear documentation and process discipline

Data, Reporting & Insights

• Partner with analytics teams to deliver accurate, timely reporting

• Use data to identify issues, generate insights, and support decision-making

Program Improvement & Modernization

• Identify opportunities to simplify and streamline programs and processes

• Support the transition away from manual or complex legacy practices

• Strengthen playbooks, governance, and consistency across programs

Leadership

• Lead and develop a team of specialists

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and customer focus

What you need to succeed?

• 6+ years of experience in program management, incentives, or recognition

• Experience leading and developing a team

• Strong ability to manage complex programs and multiple priorities

• Proven track record of high-quality execution and attention to detail

• Strong customer service orientation and experience managing escalations

• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills

• Comfort operating in fast-paced, evolving environments

• Flexibility to support peak periods (e.g., month-end, year-end cycles)

Nice-to-have

• Experience in financial services or advisor distribution environments

• Exposure to process improvement or transformation initiatives

What’s in it for you?

• The opportunity to move along a variety of career paths with amazing networking potential

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

• We’re committed to creating an inclusive and respectful environment. Our goal is to make sure all our employees have the chance to live up to their full potential

• We’re honoured to be recognized as a 2025 Best Workplaces in Ontario by Great Place to Work® Canada

• We are thrilled to be recognized by Excellence Canada with their top-level certification, the Canada Order of Excellence for Mental Health at Work®, for prioritizing employee well-being, fostering a positive work culture, and achieving excellence in mental health

• LI-MS

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.

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