Director, Operations Strategy & Transformation

The Group Benefits Operations team is seeking a Director Operations Strategy & Transformation to lead our backoffice transformation agenda and strengthen operational excellence across our Canadian Group Benefits business.

Reporting to the Vice President Group Benefits Operations this role is a pivotal member of the leadership team. The Director is accountable for shaping and executing strategic initiatives that advance both Operations and Group Benefits priorities. You will partner across teams geographies and value streams to translate strategy into measurable outcomes. This role is ideal for a highly motivated collaborative leader who thrives in a complex seniorstakeholder environment and is passionate about driving meaningful change.

Position Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning & Execution

Lead a small high-performing team in delivering initiatives of varying scale and strategic importance. You will ensure initiatives deliver intended business outcomes through direct accountability and influence. Key responsibilities include:

• Developing integrated initiative roadmaps ensuring success metrics align with business priorities.

• Leading milestone planning impact reviews budgeting and governance activities.

• Prioritizing strategies and making clear recommendations to senior leadership.

• Overseeing change management activities to enable successful adoption of transformational initiatives.

• Driving timely decisions actions and issue resolution.

• Monitoring execution progress providing visibility into risks and milestones and ensuring accountability to timelines.

• Tracking initiative outcomes to ensure benefits and financial commitments are realized.

• Designing effective performancetracking approaches to keep teams aligned and on track.

• Facilitating annual strategy development and offsite leadership sessions.

• Supporting and enhancing the overall Strategic Planning Process across Operations.

Reporting Communication & Stakeholder Management

• Develop compelling executivelevel presentations and business cases that clearly articulate insights recommendations and outcomes.

• Present initiative performance and strategic insights to senior stakeholders enabling clear understanding and informed decisions.

• Drive alignment across stakeholders and enable decision-making by identifying tradeoffs and influencing outcomes when necessary.

• Motivate mentor and develop both direct and indirect team members.

• Act as a change agent who builds awareness engagement and commitment to the transformation agenda.

Required Qualifications:

• 10 years of combined education and experience in strategy roles within large multinational organizations ideally in financial services.

• Experience leading small teams and navigating complex fastmoving and ambiguous environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Extensive experience in strategic planning execution and reporting.

• Strong analytical skills and comfort with financial and quantitative analysis.

• Exceptional PowerPoint and storytelling capabilities.

• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and drive decisions to implementation.

• A reputation for being practical solutionsoriented and dependable in delivery.

• Strong facilitation and communication skills.

• High attention to detail and commitment to delivering executiveready work.

• Strong problemsolving abilities informed by research structured thinking and thoughtful analysis.

• Proven experience leading projects and managing stakeholders effectively.

• Strong business acumen customer focus and strategic execution capability.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in diverse teams.

• Experience in toptier consulting investment banking or corporate strategy roles is an asset.

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.

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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 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

If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location please contact 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 for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.