Associate Manager, Operations Planning

**Job Description**:
Reporting to the Manager, Operations Planning & Intake, the
**Associate Manager, Operations Planning & Intake **plays a key role in ensuring new projects are properly planned and organized.

Success in this role will include managing the overall Operations intake, triage and prioritization process including the sequencing of priorities. This will avoid confusion and delays and will ensure work is properly prioritized. This position will be responsible for the creation and maintenance of reporting on resources within the IW/IS Operations Business Delivery teams and reporting on dependencies or resource constraints as they arise.

**What you will do**

**Intake and Prioritization**:

- Lead and build a centralized process that funnels requests into a single intake channel to eliminate confusion for stakeholders and staff.
- Clearly define intake approval steps and communicate requirements for passing them.
- Establish an effective scorecard to create transparency into Operations capacity and processes.
- Establish realistic expectations for stakeholders, eliminate “squeaky wheel” prioritization, and give priority to the highest value requests.
- Review and evaluate incoming requests for completion, feasibility, strategic alignment, and potential impact.
- Conduct a needs assessment to evaluate requirements that are considered non-negotiable to the project including knowledge, software, tools, etc.
- Develop practices that incorporate resource capacity constraints to cap the amount of project approvals to a realistic level to help improve the throughput of projects through the portfolio.
- Track, analyze and report on all resources within IW/IS Operations for all projects and initiatives.
- Coordinate reporting requirements with functional leaders.
- Develop and maintain centralized resource management reporting.
- Collaborate with IW/IS Operations leaders to prioritize, highlight dependencies, and resolve resource challenges.

**Annual Planning and Strategic Planning**:

- Support the Manager, Planning & Intake at Planning Lead forums while staying apprised of and communicating planning-related changes that impact our teams.
- Mobilize and progress initiative artifacts through governance gating in collaboration with business and technology teams.
- Hold sponsor onboarding sessions to set up initiatives for success before developing the Initiative Brief and beginning the Canada Initiative Governance gating process.
- Collaborate with business and technology partners to identify and deliver on continuous improvement opportunities related to governance, planning and delivery processes and tools

**What you will bring**
- Post-secondary degree or certification
- Project management experience and/or education an asset
- Solid planning and organization skills
- Effective communication skills across all levels of the organization
- Demonstrated relationship building skills at all levels
- Understanding of technology and business projects, the impact to IW/IS Operations, and the impact to customers and advisors
- Results oriented
- Strong influencer
- Driven to improve - the organization, processes, service performance, efficiency, etc.
- Deep understanding and experience within Operations
- Strong product, process and systems knowledge within IW/IS preferred

**_ Given the size and scope of our organization, we have the flexibility for this position to be located in the following head office locations: Toronto, London, Winnipeg._**

**Be your best at Canada Life

Being a part of Canada Life means you have a voice. This is a place where your unique background, perspectives and talents are valued, and shape our future success.

You can be your best here. You’re part of a diverse and inclusive workplace where your career and well-being are championed. You’ll have the opportunity to excel in your way, finding new and better ways to deliver exceptional customer and advisor experiences.

***

Together, as part of a great team, you’ll deliver on our shared purpose to improve the well-being of Canadians. It’s our driving force. Become part of a strong and successful company that’s trusted by millions of Canadians to do the right thing.
- 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._
- 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