AI Talent Program Manager

AI Talent Program Manager will lead large-scale talent acquisition and manage initiatives to support the rapid growth of the AI organization. This role will be responsible for AI talent workforce planning, coordinating the rotation and deployment of internal talent, and overseeing full-time employee (FTE) budget planning and controls. The role partners closely with AI leadership, HR, Finance, and Talent Acquisition to ensure the right skills are available at the right time while maintaining fiscal discipline.

Position Responsibilities:

Talent Pipeline & Hiring Program Management

• Own and manage the end-to-end coordination to onboard and develop 100+ AI professionals, including engineers, data scientists, product leaders, and platform specialists

• Partner with Talent Acquisition and HR to define role profiles, hiring waves, and prioritization aligned to AI roadmap milestones

• Track hiring progress, time-to-fill, capacity gaps, and offer acceptance metrics

• Coordinate interview capacity, decision timelines, and onboarding sequencing

• Lead the creation of a strategic Manulife hubs in collaboration with academic and industry partners, leveraging cross-functional teams, including AI leadership, HR, and Data Science, to build talent pipelines and advance applied research and innovation.

Workforce Planning & Internal Talent Rotation

• Design and manage internal talent rotation programs into the AI organization

• Partner with functional leaders to identify high-potential internal talent and skill adjacency opportunities

• Oversee rotation timelines, backfill planning, and knowledge-transfer requirements

• Support the HR Partner in monitoring skill coverage, utilization, and succession planning within the AI team

FTE Budget & Headcount Management

• Own AI headcount planning in partnership with Finance and AI leadership

• Ensure hiring aligns with approved funding and quarterly financial targets

• Prepare headcount forecasts and scenario models (growth, pause, reallocation)

• Prepare executive-level updates on hiring progress, risks, and budget status

Data, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Report on visibility into hiring velocity, skill mix, and budget utilization

• Identify bottlenecks in recruiting, onboarding, or internal mobility and recommend improvements

• Implement best practices for scalable, repeatable workforce programs

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in program management, workforce planning, or large-scale transformation initiatives

• Experience managing high-volume projects that include hiring, onboarding and developing talent (50-100+ roles)

• Strong financial acumen, including FTE budgeting and forecasting

• Demonstrated ability to operate in complex, matrixed organizations

• Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting AI, data, engineering, or technology organizations

• Experience partnering with HR, Talent Acquisition, Strategy, and Finance at scale

When you join our team:

• We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want.

• We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well being and inclusion are more than just words.

• As part of our global team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see.

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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 recruitment@manulife.com.

Referenced Salary Location

Salary range is expected to be between

If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact recruitment@manulife.com for the salary range for your location. 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. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.

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 recruitment@manulife.com for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.