Senior Specialist, Supplier Strategy & Integration

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.

At Sun Life, we're driven by our Purpose: helping our Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. Our values shape how we work: caring, authentic, bold, inspiring, and impactful.

When you join Sun Life, you'll work with passionate colleagues and empowering leaders who support your growth and celebrate your contributions, so you can make a meaningful difference in our Clients' lives.

Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

Job Description:

The Senior Specialist, Supplier Strategy & Integration supports supplier relationship governance across an assigned portfolio of suppliers and contributes to the research, analysis and implementation of supplier relationships, tools, processes and reporting within the Supplier Strategy & Integration team.

The role manages and coordinates key supplier lifecycle and governance activities, including supplier onboarding and integration, contract renewals, supplier performance, service levels, scorecards and business reviews, risk management, annual due diligence, escalations and ongoing supplier governance.

Working collaboratively with Canadian business units, suppliers and internal partner functions, the Senior Specialist monitors supplier obligations and performance, identifies and manages supplier risks and issues, supports continuous improvement, and helps ensure consistent and effective supplier relationship management practices.

What you will do?

• Manage ongoing supplier relationship governance across an assigned portfolio of suppliers, including performance, service levels, contractual obligations, risks, issues and escalations.
• Coordinate supplier lifecycle activities, including onboarding and integration of new suppliers and services, contract renewals, amendments, change requests and other ongoing governance requirements.
• Coordinate supplier scorecards, KPIs, operating reports and business review meetings, providing clear visibility into supplier performance, risks, issues and required actions.
• Identify, track and coordinate the resolution of supplier risks, performance issues, breaches and escalations in partnership with appropriate business and internal stakeholders.
• Support annual supplier due diligence and risk assessment activities and help ensure appropriate supplier governance practices and processes are followed.
• Conduct supplier research, benchmarking, market intelligence, competitive analysis and spend analysis to support supplier and business decision-making.
• Capture the Voice of the Supplier and Business Partners through surveys and discussions and incorporate feedback into recommendations and continuous improvement opportunities.
• Participate in supplier-related initiatives and projects, including new supplier onboarding, outsourcing initiatives, supplier integrations and implementation or enhancement of internal technologies, tools, processes and practices.
• Partner with Canadian business units, external suppliers and internal functions including Sourcing, Legal, Compliance, Risk, Finance and other specialized teams on supplier, contractual, performance, risk and governance requirements.
• Maintain accurate supplier governance information, procedures, reporting, presentations and templates while identifying opportunities to continuously improve SRM processes and practices.

What you need to succeed?

• Strong knowledge of supplier relationship management, supplier governance, sourcing, contracting and supplier performance and risk management practices.
• Experience managing supplier performance, contractual obligations, service levels, KPIs, risks, issues and escalations.
• Experience supporting contract renewals, amendments, change requests and other supplier lifecycle activities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to analyze supplier performance, service levels, contractual requirements, financial information and data.
• Experience developing or coordinating supplier scorecards, business reviews, governance reporting and performance discussions.
• Strong research and analytical capabilities, including supplier benchmarking, market intelligence, competitive analysis and spend analysis.
• Strong written and verbal communication, collaboration and influencing skills with business stakeholders, suppliers and cross-functional internal partners.
• Strong objective reasoning and sound judgment, with the ability to support recommendations and appropriately communicate and escalate material supplier risks, issues and performance concerns.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple suppliers, projects, priorities and deadlines in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• A continuous improvement mindset with a focus on delivering an exceptional stakeholder experience and improving supplier governance processes, tools and practices.
• Experience with projects and business analysis, including identifying and analyzing key performance indicators.
• Strong Microsoft 365 skills, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Teams and SharePoint.
• Relevant post-secondary education or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• Experience working in a regulated or financial services environment is considered an asset.

What's in it for you?

• Working together, sharing common values, and encouraging growth & achievement
• Flexible Benefits from the day you join to meet the needs of you and your family.
• We are proud to be on the 2026 Best Workplaces in Canada list by Great Place to Work.
• We’re also listed as one of the Best Workplaces for Women and Best Workplaces with Most Trusted Executive Teams.
• Join one of our many Inclusion Networks. These voluntary, employee-led groups are dedicated to creating connection, fostering inclusivity, and building community.
• Charitable giving through our You Give, We Give program lets you give back to your community – and in many cases, we’ll match your contributions.

Unique Requirements

This role requires Reliability Status Clearance. In addition to a law enforcement inquiry and a credit check, as part of your application, the Government of Canada will ask if you lived or travelled outside of Canada for 6-consecutive months during the last 5 years, and you must account for all activities during this time. Important: Obtaining Reliability Status Clearance in advance of the start date is a condition required to start employment for this role at Sunlife.

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 [email protected].

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.

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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