Manager, Business Initiatives

The Canada Retail Intermediary Distribution team, a part of the Global Wealth & Asset Management Segment, is hiring a Manager of Business Initiatives to support the evolving needs of our Distribution Strategy and Transformation team. This team is responsible for collaborating with Global leadership, North American leadership, US counterparts, and our functional partners to build the conditions for success in our Canadian Retail business.

The Manager of Business Initiatives is responsible for crafting a customer-ready front-office operations environment by owning the organization of revenue generation activities. The Manager will lead projects that drive transformation and growth within our Manulife Investments business by partnering with senior leadership and functional teams-including product, marketing, finance, operations, and technology-to deliver impact that amplifies sales team efforts. The Manager will apply project management best practices to ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget with all partners fully informed, successes and challenges well documented, and with a continuous improvement approach. The Manager will use their communications expertise to ensure field staff and internal partners are well informed of key messages and major projects and programs.

Position Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of internal-facing communications for key strategic projects, and those with high-impact to our sales teams, to build clarity of actions, implications, and expectations

• Own the planning, execution, and delivery of strategic, cross-functional projects, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and compliance with regulatory requirements

• Ensure the Sales team is well-informed of all advisor-facing initiatives: there is understanding of required actions and the impacts

• Develop detailed project plans, schedules, and resource allocations in collaboration with project teams and partners to ensure the initiatives are advisor-ready

• Coordinate with product, marketing, finance, operations, and technology teams to ensure project requirements are met and deliverables are achieved

• Facilitate stakeholder engagement, ensuring clear communication and alignment throughout the project lifecycle

• Prepare executive-ready presentations and reports to communicate project status, successes, and takeaways to senior management and executives

• Develop a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing across project teams

Required Qualifications:

• A degree or equivalent experience in finance, business administration, statistics, economics and other quantitative disciplines is beneficial

• 3+ years of project management or field readiness experience, preferably in financial services or a related industry

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience handling cross-functional teams and strategic projects using project management best practices

• Basic marketing experience, including campaign planning, digital, and direct communications

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and empower teams

• Proficiency in project management tools and data analysis platforms (e.g., Excel, Power BI), with an ability to develop and improve process efficiency

• Ability to work under pressure and deliver high-quality results against tight deadlines

• Strong interpersonal and communications skills

• Able to work under pressure with high standards of quality against tight deadlines

• A good team player

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.

#LI- WAM

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 hr@manulife.com.

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