Head of AI Global Operations

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto Canada we provide financial advice and insurance operating as Manulife across Canada Asia and Europe and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management the global brand for our global wealth and asset management segment we serve individuals institutions and retirement plan members worldwide. Our principal operations are in Asia and Canada and the United States where we have served customers for more than 155 years. We trade as MFC on the Toronto New York and the Philippine stock exchanges and under 945 in Hong Kong.

The Head of AI Global Operations is accountable for defining and executing the multi-year AI transformation strategy for operations globally ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities and responsible AI principles. This role drives strategic planning governance enablement and delivery oversight for AI initiatives across all operational domains (underwriting claims servicing contact centers back-office automation). It partners with functional leaders (COOs GBS Head Global Contact Centers Procurement etc) and technology peers to embed AI into core processes while stewarding global frameworks policies and capability development.

Mandate & Scope

Strategic Planning & Influence

• Own the multi-year AI transformation plan for Global Operations including capability maps vendor/tech approach and investment roadmap.

• Drive executive buy-in and influence across global operations leadership; align segment roadmaps to enterprise strategy.

• Partner with Technology and Advanced Analytics (AA) to ensure platform and tooling choices support scalability and cost efficiency.

Governance & Funding

• Accountable for business case development funding approvals and tracking outcomes for enterprise Operations AI initiatives.

• Chair governance forums to monitor progress manage risk and communicate status to senior leadership.

Enterprise Delivery Oversight

• Oversee delivery of the Operations AI roadmap; ensure functional leaders execute segment-level plans aligned to global standards.

• Provide escalation and support for project planning risk reviews and change management.

Policy & Responsible AI

• Define and refine global AI frameworks policies and guidelines for Operations; embed Responsible AI principles (fairness explainability privacy).

• Partner with Technology and functional AI leads to ensure compliance and training across regions.

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Establish KPI tracking for AI initiatives (cycle time cost-to-serve accuracy adoption); report outcomes to executive committees

AI Enablement

• Partner with HR training corporate AI enablement lead COOs etc to embed AI literacy and adoption into our day-to-day ways of working

• Partner with Risk Compliance and technology to enable speed to execution

Key Accountabilities:

• Define and Execute AI Strategy - Develop and implement a multi-year AI roadmap aligned with enterprise priorities and operational goals.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Education - Influence and educate Operations leaders on AI opportunities driving adoption and alignment across global functions.

• Team Leadership & Capability Building - Lead and develop a high-performing team of AI specialists and program managers; foster a culture of continuous learning and experimentation.

• Responsible AI & Data Governance - Ensure compliance with Responsible AI principles and partner with Data Office and Governance teams to maintain data integrity privacy and security.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration - Work closely with business units and technology teams to identify AI integration opportunities and deliver measurable business value.

• Innovation & Best Practices - Drive continuous improvement in process design AI development and deployment; stay ahead of industry trends and emerging technologies.

• External Partnerships & Ecosystem Development - Establish strategic partnerships with technology vendors research institutions and industry experts to enhance AI capabilities.

• Performance Measurement & Reporting - Define KPIs rigorously measure outcomes and communicate AI strategy progress and impact to senior leadership and stakeholders.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science Data Science AI or related field.

• Proven experience leading AI strategy and implementation in global operations (insurance or financial services preferred).

• Deep expertise in AI technologies (predictive modeling NLP machine learning generative AI).

• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills across global teams.

• Ability to translate technical concepts into actionable business strategies.

• Excellent communication presentation and project management skills.

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.