Executive Assistant, Corporate Development

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

Job Description:

About the role:

Sun Life is seeking an Executive Assistant (“EA”) to join our Corporate Development team based in Toronto. Corporate Development’s responsibilities include leading the execution of corporate transactions, such as the acquisition and divestiture of companies, operations or books of business, minority equity investments, and the formation of joint ventures and strategic partnerships.

The EA will join a high-performing team and play a key part in supporting our inorganic growth strategies across Sun Life’s global businesses. The EA will provide high-calibre executive and administrative support to the downtown Toronto-based SVP and VP, Corporate Development in a fast-paced, deal-driven environment. This role is responsible for managing complex calendars, coordinating sensitive transactions and helping with internal governance processes, while serving as a central point of coordination for internal and external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate has prior experience in a professional services environment (e.g., management consulting, investment banking, law, or Big 4 accounting firms) and is comfortable operating with discretion, urgency, and a high degree of professionalism. This is a primarily in-office role to support executives and team needs in-person; although there will be flexibility for hybrid working options may be available as agreed with the SVP and VP, Corporate Development.

What will you do?

• Proactively manage calendars for the SVP and VP, including scheduling, prioritizing, and resolving conflicts across multiple time zones.
• Coordinate recurring and ad-hoc meetings, including agenda preparation, pre-reads, and follow-ups.
• Organize domestic and international travel (flights, hotels, ground transport), prepare detailed itineraries, and handle changes at short notice.
• Support the coordination of live projects, including tracking key milestones, due diligence sessions, management meetings, and internal approval steps.
• Prepare and submit and track expense reports, procurement requests, and approvals, while ensuring adherence to company policies.
• Maintain and update project trackers, contact lists, and high-level timelines for active deals and pipeline opportunities.
• Support the smooth day-to-day running of the Corporate Development team, including meeting room bookings, visitor coordination, and in-office supplies and logistics.
• Help maintain internal filing structures, shared drives, and folders to ensure documents are organized, current, and easily accessible.
• Support adherence to internal approval, governance, and documentation standards (e.g., ensuring the right materials are prepared and archived for key decision meetings).
• Occasional requirement to monitor emails and respond to urgent requests outside of standard business hours, particularly during active transactions.

What do you need to succeed?

• 10+ years of experience in an EA or senior administrative role, ideally supporting C-suite or senior executives.
• Prior experience in a professional services firm (e.g., management consulting, investment banking, law firm, Big 4, or similar) strongly preferred.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Excel); familiarity with Teams/Zoom or similar collaboration tools.
• Attention to detail and demonstrated ability to handle confidential information and sensitive topics with maturity and integrity.
• Ability to manage multiple parallel requests and deadlines, triage effectively, and anticipate needs of the SVP, VP and the broader team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to draft clear, concise messages and interact confidently with senior executives and stakeholders.
• Comfortable working under pressure, with changing priorities and tight timelines typical of a deal environment.
• Collaborative, low-ego style; willing to support broader team needs beyond core responsibilities when required.

Preferred Skills:

• Post-secondary education in business, administration, or a related field preferred.

What's in it for you?

• Hybrid work environment – 3 to 4 days a week in office
• A friendly, collaborative, and inclusive culture
• 15 vacation days per year
• Flexible Benefits from the day you join to meet the needs of you and your family
• Pension, stock and savings programs to help build and enhance your future financial security
• The opportunity to move along a variety of career paths with amazing networking potential
• Access to our Global Learning Centre, available 24/7 for your learning needs
• Wellness programs that support the three pillars of your health – mental, physical and financial

Recent Awards:

• We are honoured to be recognized as a 2022, 2023 and 2024 Best Workplaces in Canada by Great Place to Work® Canada
• Great Place to Work® list for Best Workplaces for #HybridWork 2022
• Great Place to Work® list for Best Workplaces for Professional Development in Canada 2022
• Named “Best Places to Work” by Glassdoor, 2021 and 2023

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! Several work options are available and can be discussed throughout the selection process depending on the role requirements and individual needs.

We thank all applicants for showing an interest in this position. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

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