Director, Business Services and Continuity

At Equitable, we realize that your work life is not just about performing a job; it's about being part of a workplace that helps you grow and reach your full potential. Within our friendly and collaborative work environment, we recognize that the key to our growth and success is a dedicated, motivated and client-responsive staff. Join Equitable today.

Position Title: Director, Business Services and Continuity
Reports To: Executive Vice-President, Human Resources and Chief Communications Officer
Department: Corporate Services
Term: Permanent Full-Time
Work Arrangements: This is a hybrid role. You will work in our office in Waterloo, ON a minimum of two (2) assigned, consecutive days every other week, plus a fifth (5th) assigned day per month. You are welcome to work from the office more than the minimum requirement and there may be some roles that are required to work in our office more than the minimum requirement.

The Opportunity: Equitable is growing We are looking for a Director, Business Services and Continuity to join our Corporate Services team This role will provide oversight and direction for the Business Continuity, Document Services, Facilities and Supply functions for Equitable. As the Director, Business Services and Continuity, the successful incumbent will ensure all areas maximize productivity while seeking efficiencies and work with leadership to develop and deliver a strategic approach that supports our line of businesses with their goals.

What you will be doing:

• Design and implement the business continuity and crisis management strategy, and all related governance, in alignment with business operational goals and risk management framework.
• Work with business, risk, compliance, and data governance functions to define business continuity strategies.
• Lead enterprise-wide Business Impact Analysis, establish processes for the assessment and analysis of critical business functions, processes, and systems to determine potential risks, impacts, and recovery priorities.
• Manage the creation and regular updates of business continuity and crisis management plans. Ensure plans are well-documented, actionable, and aligned with industry best practices.
• Partner with technology teams for the development, implementation, testing and maintenance of comprehensive Disaster Recovery plans and procedures.
• Lead and coordinate incident response efforts during business disruptions, disasters, or other emergencies. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure timely and effective incident response and crisis management, communication, and recovery efforts.
• Deliver an effective process to document major incidents (post event report – lessons learned). Ensure each report is completed with input from relevant stakeholders.
• Monitor regulatory requirements, industry standards, and emerging trends related to business continuity and IT disaster recovery.
• Develop and deliver training programs to enhance overall business continuity and disaster recovery awareness and preparedness.
• Facilitate the development and delivery of an annual tabletop testing and ongoing improvement of the response, recovery and restoration strategies and plans to ensure that organization can effectively respond, manage, and recover from major disruptions.
• Effectively oversee the management teams dedicated to Document Services and Facilities to ensure maximum efficiency, and contribution to Equitable’s overall service delivery requirements.
• Liaise with technical service teams and trades people both internal (IT / Operations) and external (service providers) to ensure continued functionality of all equipment and processes.
• Responsible for up-to-date and comprehensive policy and procedures for Business Continuity, Imaging Services and Facilities. These policies must be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure they are up-to-date, and the department is following all policies and procedures in accordance with Canadian regulatory & legal requirements.
• Provide strong leadership, coaching and development to the team to achieve excellent client delivery.
• Ensure continued understanding and commitment to process improvement.
• Ensure appropriate tracking and measurement for all functions, is collected, and reported regularly.
• Develop budget and ensure we meet goals.

What you will bring:

• Experience in designing, implementing, optimizing, and running BCM, Crisis Management, and Technology Disaster Recovery programs.
• Program management experience in a complex multi-faceted organization.
• Professional designation or certification; CBCP or MBCI industry certification or equivalent is preferred. Professional designation or certification in IT disaster recovery (e.g., CDRP, BCLE) IT governance (e.g., CGEIT) or cyber resilience is valued.
• Experience in guiding and assisting operation leaders in developing and documenting business recovery strategies.
• Knowledge of business continuity and IT disaster recovery frameworks, methodologies, and industry best practices (e.g., ISO 22301, NIST SP 800-34).
• Able to work with technology team members to enable alignment between business continuity and technology disaster recovery plan.
• Proven ability to work independently as well as to perform effectively in a team, metrics-oriented environment.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills and the ability to apply such skills to unchartered situations or events to make informed risk-related decisions and recommendations to executive leadership.
• Strong leadership skills including change management, mentorship, motivation, coaching and development, and the ability to galvanize support.
• Broad knowledge across all line of business and functions, as well as an understanding of their interdependencies.
• Excellent relationship skills and ability to work effectively with people at all levels across the organization.
• Well-developed analytic skills and ability to interpret data to forecast workflow identify problems and solutions.
• Process focused with ability to assess situations and identify possible means of improvement.

What’s in it for you:

• A healthy work-life balance with employee wellness top of mind.
• Annual bonus program, annual vacation allowance, and company-paid benefits program.
• An additional paid volunteer day each year so you can spend time giving back to the community.
• Immediate enrollment in the company’s pension program with employer matching.
• Employee resource groups that support an inclusive work environment.
• Tuition support and specialized program assistance.
• An onsite, full-service cafeteria with a variety of daily options.
• Discounts on company products and services, and access to exclusive employee perks.
• Regular EQ Together events focused on company togetherness and collaboration.

As part of the recruitment/offer process you will be required to:

• Provide two professional references (minimum one supervisor and above).
• Undergo a criminal background check.

To learn more about Equitable, we encourage you to explore our organization. At Equitable, we are committed to providing equal access to employment opportunities across our organization. Please contact our HR team at if you would like to receive our job postings in an alternative format or require an accommodation with the application process.

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