Avp, Ai

The AVP AI Group Functions AI Transformation Delivery is a senior AI leadership role responsible for leading the end-to-end delivery of AI-enabled transformation across Group Functions with a primary focus on Risk Legal Procurement and Compliance. A significant portion of this roles portfolio includes AI enabled fraud detection targeting financial crimes. This role pairs hands-on technical depth with strong delivery leadership to turn functional priorities into deployed value-generating AI solutions.

Operating at the intersection of business strategy and AI engineering the AVP partners with senior functional leaders to identify high-impact opportunities shapes pragmatic delivery roadmaps and leads multidisciplinary teams to build and scale Classical AI Generative AI and Agentic AI solutions all while meeting enterprise standards for security governance model risk and responsible AI.

Position Responsibilities:
AI Transformation Delivery Leadership

• Lead end-to-end delivery of AI solutions for Risk Legal Procurement Compliance and other Group Functions from opportunity shaping and design through deployment adoption and value realization.
• Own delivery roadmaps and execution across a portfolio of concurrent initiatives ensuring measurable business outcomes against defined success metrics.
• Direct multidisciplinary delivery teams (AI/ML engineers data scientists product and functional SMEs) removing blockers and ensuring quality velocity and accountability.
• Conduct full-stack AI engineering work including hands-on development prototyping and architecture decisions where needed to accelerate delivery.

Functional Stakeholder Engagement & Opportunity Development

• Partner with leaders in Risk Legal and Procurement to surface high-impact AI opportunities and articulate clear value cases.
• Translate functional needs into well-structured initiatives aligned with enterprise AI strategy and capabilities.
• Provide thought leadership on Agentic AI Generative AI and machine learning and advise functional leaders on use cases readiness risk considerations and operating-model changes.
• Coach stakeholders to drive adoption and embed AI into functional workflows and decision-making.

Responsible AI Governance & Enterprise Integration

• Ensure all solutions meet enterprise standards for security data governance model risk management and responsible AI.
• Coordinate with Enterprise Architecture Risk Legal and the Global Data Office to deliver secure compliant and scalable solutions.
• Promote reuse of enterprise components shared codebases/libraries and aligned architecture across initiatives.
• Represent Group Functions AI delivery in enterprise governance and portfolio forums ensuring functional initiatives accelerate enterprise impact.

Required Qualifications:

• 8 years in data science AI/ML engineering or applied machine learning including significant experience leading delivery of complex AI programs at scale.
• Hands-on engineering expertise in Python cloud ML environments MLOps vector databases LLM-Ops and modern evaluation frameworks; experience with Agentic AI architectures orchestration frameworks and multi-model pipelines is strongly preferred.
• Prior experience with financial crime prevention including graph-based solutions
• Demonstrated experience partnering with one or more corporate functions preferably Risk Legal Procurement Compliance Audit or Treasury ideally within financial services.
• Proven people-leadership experience with the ability to build coach and lead high-performing multidisciplinary delivery teams.
• Strong ability to translate technical concepts into business outcomes and to communicate and influence at the senior-leader level.
• Comfortable operating in a highly matrixed global environment with a results-driven ownership mindset.
• Bachelors degree in Computer Science Data Science Engineering or a related field; an advanced degree (Masters or PhD) is desirable.

When you join our team:

• Well empower you to learn and grow the career you want.
• Well recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well-being and inclusion are more than just words.
• As part of our global team well support you in shaping the future you want to see.

If you are applying to this role in US please note the salary range is $152900.00 USD - $283800.00 USD. Additionally employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.

#LI-Hybrid

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 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 .

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 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 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.