Governance and Quality Assurance Lead, Distribution

The Opportunity

Are you passionate about ensuring governance excellence, underwriting discipline, and quality assurance across a leading insurance business? At Zurich Canada, we’re seeking a Governance & Quality Assurance Lead to champion compliance, strengthen frameworks, and drive a culture of accountability across our underwriting operations. This role will be situated within the Customer & Market Management/Distribution team.

In this role, you will integrate Zurich’s Enterprise Risk Management Framework with strong governance and compliance practices to ensure underwriting excellence. You’ll support process oversight, risk management, and quality assurance while working across multiple stakeholders to embed best practices and mitigate risks.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Zurich Canada uses artificial intelligence–enabled tools to support certain aspects of the recruitment process, including the initial review and screening of applications. Artificial intelligence is not the sole basis for candidate shortlisting or selection. All hiring decisions are reviewed and made by qualified hiring professionals.

Zurich follows a hybrid work model requiring three days per week of in-person presence, which may include time in the office or market-facing engagements.

• Lead implementation of changes to broker management, including commissions, broker agreements, contracts and processes in response to laws, regulations, guidelines, and best practices.
• Ensure compliance with Zurich policies and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Support risk governance and reporting processes, including assurance coordination, internal controls, and risk committees.
• Develop and maintain governance frameworks, regulatory requirements, internal controls and audit actions to promote consistency and discipline geared towards the distribution channel needs.
• Champion fit‑for‑purpose documentation and authority standards that strengthen distribution governance.
• Implement and oversee robust quality control processes across the distribution channel.
• Support Broker Management and Distribution Governance reviews and monitor open action plans across audit, risk, compliance, and QA functions.
• Collaborate with various functions to identify and mitigate compliance risks.
• Conduct risk assessments and investigations to flag significant risk matters.
• Monitor adequacy of internal controls, ensuring risks are identified, quantified, and mitigated.
• Provide input to risk governance and reporting to ensure Zurich’s frameworks are consistently applied.
• Provide onboarding, training, and guidance to business units on governance and compliance.
• Reinforce regulatory discipline and excellence through tailored learning modules.
• Evaluate and refine current business unit specific processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Maintain feedback loops that adapt governance frameworks to evolving business needs.
• Serve as the liaison with Internal Controls and support remediation of control issues.
• Coordinate across functions including vendor management, procurement, finance, and assurance functions.
• Support business continuity and regulatory reporting processes.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, risk management, insurance, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in risk management, underwriting, governance, or compliance.
• Strong knowledge of insurance regulatory requirements, internal controls and risk frameworks.
• Proven track record of implementing governance frameworks, quality assurance, and audit processes.
• Excellent analytical, problem‑solving, and communication skills.

• Professional designations such as CIP, FCIP, CPCU, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with enterprise risk management and regulatory reporting.
• Prior experience in the areas of Distribution, Compensation and Market Conduct.
• Strong business planning, process improvement, and change management capabilities.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and risk analysis tools.

At Zurich Canada, we are committed to pay equity. We determine compensation based on objective criteria such as skills, experience, and internal equity. The salary…