Director of IIC Ops Strategic Initiatives and Change Enablement

This role is a key member of the Insurance Operations Strategy & Transformation team, reporting to the AVP of Strategy & Transformation this role will help shape the operational strategy and key initiatives required to drive change in our ambition to becoming the #1 insurance provider in Canada.  This role will also help develop and lead change management including leading a team of professionals focused on strong communication, business insights and insights to articulate progress against our strategy and corresponding KPIs.  The incumbent will also perform chief of staff duties for the VP of Insurance Operations and the Operations leadership team ensuring consistency in messaging and ensuring the VP is well positioned to continue to represent Insurance Operations. 

With a background in insurance or operations, the incumbent will bring strategic thinking to the team by providing input to business planning and establish key strategic initiatives with the leadership team and be accountable for providing updates and frequent reports to key stakeholders on the status and health of ongoing initiative. 

Responsibilities: 

• Strong strategic planning and development of long- and short-term strategies

• Delivery of robust reporting to show progress against our strategy and corresponding KPIs

• Facilitate strategic ideation sessions and annual planning to support the delivery of initiatives

• Partner with portfolio manager to ensure that the Insurance portfolio continues to align to the overall strategy execution.

• Effectively communicate with department leaders, project sponsor, senior Leadership and colleagues to create consensus on key objectives and strategies for assigned projects.

• Provide leadership within a culturally diverse cross-functional team with an attitude of customer first

• To ensure that high quality staff with a higher caliber of critical skills are hired within the organization; to evaluate, coach and motivate staff so that they can achieve their objectives

• Appropriate use of Human Resource tools, practices and resources to assist in staff management while coaching and assisting direct reports and peers

• Bring Strategic thinking to the team by providing input to business planning and direction, identifying future business opportunities, and driving the development of plans to achieve agreed upon objectives. 

• Manage monthly reporting cycle and insights updates for monthly business and finance review, weekly analysis of operational effectiveness. 

• Drive out the communication & change management strategy and ensure smooth execution

• Chief of staff duties such as executive support of presentations, organization of executive tasks and culture shifts in supporting training, leadership engagement and development plans

• Work across the operations team to identify resources required to implement strategic initiatives. 

Job Requirements

• 8+ years progressive business experience in strategy, operations or change management roles

• Strategic thinking with a focus on future proofing and transformation

• Strong problem-solving skills, analytical skills & proficiency with numbers, including financial analysis.  

• Financial Services Industry experience; strong life and health insurance knowledge preferred. 

• Business Development skills: ability to think conceptually and creatively regarding solutions and opportunities 

• Collaborative approach; ability to work through others and influence change; work across teams in the organization 

• Excellent communication skills (written & oral) and advanced experience with presentation preparation  

• Ability to handle multiple tasks concurrently; strong organizational skills; ability to plan forward and manage deadlines. Attention to detail. 

• Demonstrated initiative – willing to explore and drive changes to existing processes and reports.   

• Bilingualism (English and French) is a strong asset. If the successful candidate is in Québec, proficiency in both languages will be required to support clients from various provinces outside of Quebec.

The role being advertised is an existing vacancy.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact [email protected].

Referenced Salary Location

Salary range is expected to be between

Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance. The actual salary will vary depending on local market conditions, geography and relevant job-related factors such as knowledge, skills, qualifications, experience, and education/training. If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact [email protected] for the salary range for your location.

Manulife offers eligible employees a wide array of customizable benefits, including health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage, adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits, and employee/family assistance plans. We also offer eligible employees various retirement savings plans (including pension and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources. Our generous paid time off program in Canada includes holidays, vacation, personal, and sick days, and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence. If you are applying for this role in the U.S., please contact [email protected] for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.

We use data and analytics technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), and automated processing tools, to analyze and process the information you provide to us or third parties in the application process. For more information, please refer to our personal information collection statement.