Lead Full-stack Software Engineer (Director level, individual contributor)

The Lead Full-stack Software Engineer (Director level individual contributor) provides hands-on technical leadership for the design development modernization and support of John Hancocks life insurance illustration ecosystem. This role combines deep software engineering expertise with strong US life insurance product knowledge across traditional enforce and new product blocks. The Lead Engineer guides engineers through complex product implementations understands the legacy application and calculation landscape and develops pragmatic innovative approaches that accelerate transition to modern modular cloud-ready technology while protecting product accuracy regulatory compliance and business continuity.

Working within a dynamic high-performing global team the Lead Engineer partners with actuarial product architecture quality engineering operations and delivery stakeholders to translate complex insurance needs into reliable technology outcomes. The role remains actively involved in solution design and coding while establishing engineering direction improving delivery practices mentoring team members and ensuring the Illustration platform continues to support timely and accurate product launches.

Office location: Boston - USA (primary) or Toronto - Canada or Waterloo - Canada

Work arrangement: Hybrid (3 days in office 2 days from Home); Remote working option is not available

Position Responsibilities:

Required Skills

• Lead the analysis design development testing implementation and production support of full-stack solutions across the Illustration application suite.

• Provide hands-on technical direction for implementing new and existing life insurance products riders calculation rules illustration outputs and related business capabilities.

• Translate complex actuarial specifications and business requirements into maintainable technical designs reusable components and clear delivery plans.

• Own or influence solution architecture technical designs integration patterns data flows and non-functional requirements for assigned initiatives.

• Assess legacy application dependencies product calculation logic and integration constraints; develop creative risk-based approaches that expedite transition to modern technology without disrupting existing products or policyholder servicing.

• Identify opportunities to decouple monolithic components modernize legacy frameworks improve APIs and services strengthen cloud readiness and simplify the engineering toolchain.

• Establish and reinforce engineering practices for secure coding test-driven development automated testing code quality source control peer review CI/CD observability and production reliability.

• Lead technical reviews troubleshoot complex defects and production issues perform root-cause analysis and drive durable corrective actions.

• Provide technical estimates identify dependencies and risks influence sequencing decisions and communicate delivery impacts to engineering and business stakeholders.

• Mentor engineers delegate technical work effectively promote knowledge sharing and raise the teams capability in life insurance products legacy systems and modern engineering practices.

• Collaborate effectively across global teams and with product owners business analysts actuaries architects quality engineers cybersecurity operations vendors and partner platforms.

• Maintain comprehensive technical documentation decision records support procedures and traceability between product requirements calculations tests code changes and releases.

Technical Skillsets / Knowledge

• Advanced full-stack engineering experience across user interfaces application services APIs databases integrations batch processing and production operations.

• Strong hands-on expertise in and C# with the ability to understand and modernize MVC Windows desktop Framework applications.

• Experience with modern web technologies and frameworks such as JavaScript or TypeScript Angular or React HTML CSS JSON and RESTful services.

• Strong SQL Server data modeling query optimization and data integration skills; familiarity with XML web services messaging and ETL patterns.

• Demonstrated ability to design scalable secure resilient and maintainable solutions using modular architecture APIs microservices and cloud services.

• Experience with Azure or comparable cloud platforms CI/CD pipelines infrastructure and environment concepts automated testing observability and DevSecOps controls.

• Strong knowledge of software architecture design patterns domain modeling system integration performance engineering security and the full software development lifecycle.

• Ability to assess legacy code and architecture isolate business rules manage technical debt and plan incremental modernization while maintaining production stability.

• Ability to use approved AI-assisted engineering tools responsibly to improve requirements analysis coding testing documentation and delivery efficiency.

Life Insurance Domain Knowledge

• Strong working knowledge of the US life insurance industry and product lifecycle including product design illustration new business policy issue enforce servicing and downstream administration.

• Knowledge across traditional and contemporary product types such as term life whole life universal life indexed universal life variable universal life and associated riders and benefits.

• Ability to understand actuarial and mathematical concepts used in life insurance calculations including premiums cash values death benefits dividends interest crediting charges loans withdrawals and policy projections.

• Understanding of illustration outputs assumptions disclosures compliance controls product approvals and the need for accurate and auditable calculations.

• Understanding of the US state-based regulatory environment including how state variations product filings approved features and compliance obligations influence requirements implementation testing and release scope.

• Awareness of federal tax considerations that affect life insurance product behavior and calculations with the ability to collaborate with actuarial tax legal and compliance specialists to convert nuanced rules into technology solutions.

• Ability to reason across new and legacy product blocks recognize shared product chassis and regression impacts and balance speed-to-market with protection of existing policy logic.

Leadership & Other Skillsets

• Demonstrated technical leadership with the ability to set direction make sound engineering decisions and remain accountable for end-to-end solution quality.

• Strong analytical and systems-thinking ability to decompose complex insurance processes and distinguish product rules from platform or implementation constraints.

• Creative pragmatic problem-solving skills and the confidence to challenge assumptions develop proofs of concept and propose alternatives that accelerate modernization safely.

• Ability to lead through influence across business and technology teams resolve ambiguity facilitate technical decisions and build alignment among stakeholders.

• Strong mentoring coaching collaboration and knowledge-transfer skills within global and cross-functional teams.

• Excellent written verbal interpersonal and presentation skills including the ability to explain technical options risks trade-offs and outcomes to varied audiences.

• Strong planning and organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities delivery commitments production responsibilities and evolving requirements.

• A continuous-learning mindset and a commitment to engineering excellence customer value operational resilience and measurable business outcomes.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Computer Science Software Engineering Mathematics Applied Mathematics Statistics Actuarial Science Finance Economics Engineering or a related technical field or equivalent practical experience.

• Minimum 8 or more years of progressive software engineering experience including significant hands-on full-stack development in complex enterprise environments.

• Actuarial mathematical or quantitative experience related to life insurance products is a strong asset.

• Experience with life insurance illustration calculation policy administration new business or enforce platforms is a strong asset.

• Demonstrated experience leading solution design and delivery conducting technical reviews mentoring engineers and resolving complex application or production issues.

• Strong experience in financial services or insurance; direct US life insurance product and illustration experience is highly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience supporting and modernizing legacy applications while delivering new functionality and maintaining business continuity.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with global delivery teams vendors and distributed engineering models.

• Experience integrating internal and third-party platforms through APIs web services orchestration messaging or batch interfaces.

• Experience with secure software development application risk controls auditability and regulated production environments.

• Ability to participate in release and production support activities when required and to lead technical response for critical issues.

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.

#LI-JH

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/John Hancock 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/401(k) savings plans and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources. Our generous paid time off program in the U.S. includes up to 11 paid holidays 3 personal days 150 hours of vacation and 40 hours of sick time (or more where required by law) each year and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence.

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.

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