Title:  Corporate Development Manager

12 Month Fixed Term Contract

Canada Life UK looks after the retirement, investment and protection needs of individuals, families and companies. We help to build better futures for our customers, our intermediaries and our employees by operating as a modern, agile and welcoming organisation.

Part of our parent company Great-West Lifeco, Canada Life UK has operated in the United Kingdom since 1903. We have hundreds of respected and supported employees committed to doing the right thing for our customers and colleagues.

Canada Life UK is transforming to create a more customer-focused business by providing our customers with expertise on financial and tax planning, offering home finance and annuities propositions, and providing collective fund solutions to third party customers.

Job Purpose

Provides technical, financial and subject matter expertise to support Canada Life UK in delivering its corporate development priorities.  These will vary widely but are expected to include a wide range of value delivery initiatives including corporate structuring, capital management and M&A.  Expected day-to-day tasks for this role might include:

• Co-ordinating preparation of high quality materials to support the annual UK Boards Strategy Day meeting
• Monitoring and researching market environment developments to draft input for the CEO’s Board report
• Contributing to completion of in-flight strategy execution projects by developing materials for various stakeholder groups

What you’ll do

• Research markets, competitor activities, and macro events to help create business initiatives and strategies for the development of the business.  
• Participate in a wide range of corporate and strategic initiatives.  Deliver sound guidance based on technical expertise, quantitative and qualitative analysis. 
• Plan and execute delivery of initiatives, including solution scoping and development of appropriate financial analyses to support decision points and governance.
• Facilitate sessions/workshops related to strategic development priorities with key business stakeholders to ensure buy-in to well-defined and thought-out solutions.
• Create and contribute to reports, presentations and updates for the Board and Senior Management on the UK strategic direction and progress on key strategic projects.
• Participate in M&A execution activity to ensure robust recommendations and successful outcomes.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Desired

• Wide-ranging, significant experience in the Life Insurance, Wealth or Asset Management industries; recognised as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Corporate Development, Accounting, Reporting, or Regulatory Change.
• Outward-facing mindset, including knowledge of industry best practice and developments.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of the needs of the business. Will be able to apply a range of opportunity appraisal techniques, intuit and understand business/commercial implications of different courses of action.
• Understand complex data and information with the ability to interpret and recommend commercially astute courses of action; constructively challenging and helping develop others’ thinking and understanding.
• Problem-solving skills and attention to detail with demonstrable ability in spotting issues, interdependencies and challenges to ensure work is produced to an accurate, commercial and informed standard.
• Strong communication skills, demonstrating a clear and articulate standard of written and verbal communication with ability to adapt messages to the audience.
• Strong influencing skills, with experience of engaging with senior management in order to get desired outcome.
• The ability to develop and maintain strong relationships across the finance function and the wider business, acting with integrity and role modelling the company values at all times.
• Self-motivated, well-organised, pragmatic and able to perform tasks independently with proven ability to lead on high-profile projects.
• An interested and inquisitive individual who is committed to their own ongoing professional and personal development.

Qualifications (For the job and not the person)

• Excellent educational background - degree qualified or equivalent
• Likely to be qualified actuary or accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA), but other relevant qualifications (e.g. part/full CFA) or extensive industry experience also attractive

Benefits of working at Canada Life

We believe in recognising and rewarding our people, so we offer a competitive salary and benefits package that’s regularly reviewed. As a Canada Life UK colleague, you’ll receive a competitive salary and comprehensive reward package including a generous pension and bonus scheme, along with, income protection, private medical insurance and life assurance.  We have a fantastic number of other benefits and support services as well as regular personal and professional development.

How we work at Canada Life

Our culture is unique and incredibly important to us.  We care about doing the right thing for our people, customers and community and helping others to build better futures.  Our blueprint behaviours shape and influence how we work, and are central to the relationships we have with others.  Every day we are encouraged to be more curious, own the outcome, face into things together and find a way forward. 

We want colleagues to have rewarding careers with us so we invest in the development of our people, technology and workplaces. That’s why we offer a range of training, flexible working and opportunities to grow and develop.

Diversity and inclusion

Building an inclusive workplace with a diverse workforce where everyone can feel they belong and achieve their potential regardless of gender, ethnicity or any other characteristic is a key commitment for us.  We are proud of the progress we’re making in DEI, and we continue for it to be a significant focus. 

“At Canada Life we believe in the power of great people from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives coming together to build better futures. Emerging talent is crucial to our growth and creating an environment that continues to inspire us all.”  Nick Harding, Chief People Officer, Canada Life UK

We appreciate that everyone has different work and life responsibilities. We’re happy to discuss flexible working arrangements, including part time, for any of our roles should this be a requirement for you.