Senior Manager, Plans & Programs_Western Canada

Job summary

The Senior Manager is responsible for the profitable growth, underwriting quality, and performance of the Plans & Programs portfolio across Western Canada. This role involves leading a team of underwriters, managing broker relationships, and ensuring underwriting excellence through effective risk management and strategic planning.

Job details

Individually we are people, but together we are Aviva. Individually these are just words, but together they are our Values – Care, Commitment, Community, and Confidence. At Aviva Canada, we put people first, our employees, our customers, and our communities. We’re proud of a culture built on care, inclusion, and collaboration, where your voice matters and your growth is supported. We’re not just about insurance; we’re about making a real difference by protecting what matters most. Our Global Corporate & Specialty (GCS) business unit has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Manager, Plans & Programs based in the Western region. The Senior Manager, is responsible for the profitable growth, underwriting quality, and performance of the Plans & Programs portfolio across Western Canada. As a recognized underwriting leader, this role drives business development, strengthens broker and program partner relationships, and leads a team of underwriters in delivering sustainable growth and underwriting excellence. Combining deep technical expertise with strong commercial acumen, the Senior Manager serves as a trusted advisor to brokers, clients, and colleagues, while coaching and developing underwriting talent and contributing to the continued success of the Programs business. What you’ll do Portfolio Leadership & Underwriting Excellence Manage the profitability, growth, retention, and underwriting performance of assigned Programs and Portfolio Solutions business. Ensure underwriting quality, service standards, and portfolio management practices align with corporate objectives, underwriting guidelines, and delegated authorities. Monitor portfolio performance, including premium growth, rate adequacy, loss ratios, retention, and profitability metrics. Provide technical oversight and guidance on complex underwriting opportunities, referrals, manuscript wordings, and coverage solutions. Analyze market trends, emerging risks, and portfolio results to identify opportunities and recommend actions to improve business performance. Oversee underwriting audits, quality reviews, and remediation activities as required. Support underwriting consistency and governance through effective application of policies, procedures, and risk management practices Leadership & Talent Development Lead, coach, mentor, and develop a team of underwriters. Establish performance expectations, annual goals, and development plans that support employee growth and business needs. Support recruitment, onboarding, succession planning, and talent management activities. Deliver technical training and identify development opportunities to enhance underwriting capability across the team. Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture that promotes accountability, engagement, and continuous learning. Act as a trusted technical resource and escalation point for underwriting staff. Business Development & Relationship Management Build, maintain, and strengthen relationships with brokers, clients, program administrators, and other strategic partners. Lead the development and presentation of business proposals for prospective and existing business opportunities. Maintain a robust pipeline of new business opportunities while supporting the growth of existing Programs and Portfolios. Conduct broker stewardship meetings, marketing visits, business reviews, and client presentations. Identify opportunities to expand profitable business within established appetite and underwriting guidelines. Promptly address and resolve broker and client issues to support long-term partnership success. Business Planning & Operational Effectiveness Support the execution of business plans designed to achieve production, profitability, pricing, and growth objectives. Contribute portfolio insights and market intelligence to support business planning activities. Monitor and report on monthly and annual portfolio performance, identifying variances and recommending corrective actions where required. Support budget planning and forecasting activities for assigned portfolios. Develop and maintain underwriting authority statements appropriate to team member capabilities and experience. Identify and implement process improvements to enhance operational efficiency, service delivery, and underwriting effectiveness. Collaboration & Risk Management Promote a strong risk management culture and ensure compliance with underwriting authorities, governance standards, and regulatory requirements. Monitor portfolio risk exposures and support strategies to improve underwriting results and mitigate emerging risks. Partner with Claims, Actuarial, Risk Engineering, CTU, and other stakeholders to ensure sound underwriting and portfolio management decisions. Support internal audits, broker reviews, peer reviews, and governance activities as required. What you’ll bring University degree or equivalent combination of education and experience. CIP designation required. 8-10 years of commercial Property & Casualty underwriting experience. 2 years minimum of people leadership experience. Experience managing Programs, Portfolio Solutions, MGA, Delegated Authority, or Specialty business. Strong understanding of underwriting principles, portfolio management, pricing, coverage analysis, and risk selection. Proven ability to manage profitable books of business and achieve growth objectives. Strong broker relationship management and business development skills. Excellent analytical, communication, negotiation, and influencing abilities. Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. What makes you stand out FCIP, CPCU, CRM, or other professional designation considered an asset. What you’ll get The salary band for this position ranges from $100,000 – 140,000. Please note that individual salary is determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills and experience, as well as internal equity. Compelling rewards package including base compensation, eligibility for annual bonus, retirement savings, share plan, health benefits, personal wellness, and volunteer opportunities. Outstanding Career Development opportunities. We’ll support your professional development education. Competitive vacation package with the option to purchase 5 extra days off per year. Employee driven programs focused on gender, LGBTQ+, origins, diversity, and inclusion. Corporate wellness programs to support our employees’ physical and mental health. Hybrid flexible work model. This job advertisement is for a new vacancy which has been posted both internally & externally. Aviva Canada may use AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools to assist us throughout the recruitment process to screen, assess or select applicants for a position. Aviva Canada welcomes applications from all qualified individuals and has a process in place to provide accommodations for persons with disabilities at all stages of the hiring process and during employment. If you require an accommodation during the interview or hiring process, please contact your Aviva Talent Acquisition Partner so that an appropriate accommodation can be arranged.

What you’ll do

The Senior Manager is responsible for the profitable growth, underwriting quality, and performance of the Plans & Programs portfolio across Western Canada. This role involves leading a team of underwriters, managing broker relationships, and ensuring underwriting excellence through effective risk management and strategic planning.

Requirements

Candidates must possess a university degree and a CIP designation, along with 8-10 years of commercial Property & Casualty underwriting experience. A minimum of 2 years of people leadership experience and expertise in managing Programs, Portfolio Solutions, or MGA business is required.

Benefits

• Annual bonus • Retirement savings • Share plan • Health benefits • Personal wellness • Volunteer opportunities • Career development • Professional development education • Vacation package • Diversity and inclusion programs • Corporate wellness programs

Listed skills

• Leadership · Preferred
• Risk Management · Preferred
• Negotiation · Preferred
• Communication · Preferred
• Coaching · Preferred
• Business development · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Underwriting
• Portfolio management
• Business development
• Broker relationship management
• Risk management
• Leadership
• Coaching
• Mentoring
• Strategic planning
• Pricing
• Coverage analysis
• Negotiation
• Analytical skills
• Communication
• Commercial acumen
• Governance
• Risk Selection
• Risk Exposure Management
• Commercial Real Estate
• Continuous Development
• Emerging Risk
• Operational Efficiency
• Relationship Management
• Accountability
• Talent Management
• Underwriting Guidelines
• Talent Recruitment
• Talent Development
• Service Standards
• Planning
• Peer Review
• Artificial Intelligence
• Auditing
• Mental Health
• Business Development
• Customer Relationship Management
• Business Planning
• Business Proposals
• Delegated Authority
• Disabilities
• Equities
• Fibre Channel Over IP
• Forecasting
• Marketing
• Risk Management
• Market Intelligence
• Market Trend
• Loss Ratios
• Employee Onboarding
• Portfolio Management

Job areas

• Management & Leadership
• Finance & Accounting
• Consulting
• Program Manager
• Property / Casualty Underwriter
• Insurance Representatives
• Insurance Underwriters