Governance and Quality Assurance Lead, ARS and Retail

Governance and Quality Assurance Lead, ARS and Retail

Job

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 Alternative Risk Solutions & Retail units.

This is a hybrid work opportunity.

• Lead implementation of changes to underwriting processes and controls 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, underwriting guidelines, and letters of authority to promote consistency and discipline geared towards the business unit’s needs.
• Champion fit‑for‑purpose documentation and authority standards that strengthen underwriting governance.
• Implement and oversee robust quality control processes across underwriting.
• Support Technical Underwriting Reviews (TURs) 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 underwriting 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.

Required:

• 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.

Preferred:

• Professional designations such as CIP, FCIP, CPCU, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with enterprise risk management, and regulatory reporting.
• Prior experience in the areas of Alternative Risk Solutions (Programs, MGAs, Captives) & Retail (Personal Lines, Accident & Health).
• Strong business planning, process improvement, and change management capabilities.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and risk analysis tools.

At Zurich, we are proud of our culture. We are passionate about Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging (DIEB). We want you to bring your whole self to work, and we want our employees to be reflective of the communities in which we live and work. Our DIEB initiatives are creating an environment where everyone feels welcome.

We have a collaborative culture where diversity of thought is valued. We value your input and strive to give our employees the tools they need to make an impact.

We care about our employees’ well‑being and offer a comprehensive health/benefits plan with varying levels of coverage to suit your specific needs and a competitive total compensation package.

We understand how important it is to rest, recharge and do the things you love. At Zurich, all employees receive a minimum of four weeks of vacation per year to do just that.

We also understand that employees require time off for personal reasons. Maybe you have an appointment during a…