AVP, GWAM Expenses

Manulife John Hancock; Toronto; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Manulife John Hancock GWAM is seeking an AVP, Expenses in Toronto to deliver a consolidated view of expense performance and support strategic decision-making. You will lead development of consistent expense management practices across GWAM while upholding strong financial controls and reporting integrity.

Reporting to the GWAM CFO, you will drive accountability, manage a high‑performing finance team, and partner with senior leaders to optimize productivity, efficiency, and cost transparency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance or related field; CPA strongly preferred.
• 10-15 years of finance experience including FP&A, expense management, or financial reporting.
• Experience leading cross-functional stakeholders across multiple business units and regions.
• Proven track record of building and leading high-performing finance teams.
• Minimum 5+ years in FP&A partnership with planning/forecasting cycles, analytics, and senior stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall expense management framework for GWAM, including segment and function expenses.
• Provide strategic insights to senior leadership on expense performance, risks, and opportunities.
• Communicate complex financial matters clearly to influence decisions.
• Represent GWAM in enterprise expense initiatives and governance forums.
• Lead annual planning, budgeting, forecasting, and outlook processes for GWAM expenses.
• Partner with Strategy on the annual Book of Work to capture investments.
• Deliver consolidated analysis of actual, forecast, and planned expenses.
• Establish performance measures and reporting to support decision-making.
• Drive accountability for expense targets with leadership across functions.
• Oversee governance and analysis of direct expenses, allocations, and shared services.
• Enhance transparency of expense reporting and cost drivers.
• Apply transformation mindset to drive efficiency via simplification, automation, and AI.
• Lead initiatives to improve expense management capabilities.

Skills

Executive leadership

FP&A expertise

Expense management

Financial reporting

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance or related field

CPA qualifications strongly preferred

Job description

AVP, GWAM Expenses

Working closely with the GWAM CFO, senior business and functional leaders, and Finance partners, the AVP delivers a consolidated view of expense performance, supports strategic decision-making, promotes accountability, and drives initiatives that enhance expense transparency, efficiency, and productivity.

The role leads the development and implementation of consistent expense management practices across GWAM while ensuring strong financial controls, reporting integrity, and alignment with enterprise policies and objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Expense Strategy and Leadership

• Lead the overall expense management framework for GWAM, including segment and function expenses.
• Provide strategic advice and actionable insights to senior leadership on expense performance, risks, opportunities, and investment decisions.
• Communicate complex financial matters clearly and persuasively, demonstrating the judgment and executive presence required to influence senior leaders and drive decisions across GWAM.
• Represent GWAM in enterprise expense initiatives, governance forums, and transformation programs.

Planning, Forecasting and Performance Management

• Lead the annual planning, budgeting, forecasting, and outlook processes for GWAM expenses.
• Partner with Strategy on the annual Book of Work to ensure associated investment requirements and financial impacts are appropriately captured in the annual plan.
• Deliver consolidated analysis of actual, forecast, and planned expenses, highlighting key drivers, risks, and opportunities.
• Establish and maintain performance measures and reporting that support business decision-making and accountability.
• Drive accountability for expense targets, partnering with business and functional leaders to develop and monitor corrective actions where required.

Expense Reporting and Financial Analysis

• Oversee the production of accurate and timely monthly expense reporting for senior management and governance forums.
• Provide financial analysis and scenario modelling to support expense decisions, resource allocation, and productivity initiatives.
• Support business and functional leaders in identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and optimize resource allocation.

Expense Governance, Allocations and Transparency

• Oversee the governance and analysis of direct expenses, allocated costs, and shared service charges impacting GWAM.
• Enhance transparency of expense reporting, allocation methodologies, and cost drivers.
• Ensure stakeholders have a clear understanding of expense performance and financial impacts.

Expense Transformation and Continuous Improvement

• Apply a transformational mindset to challenge existing processes and operating models, leveraging simplification, automation, and AI to drive greater efficiency and effectiveness.
• Lead initiatives that improve expense management capabilities through simplification, standardization, and automation.
• Partner with stakeholders to identify and track productivity initiatives, savings opportunities, and efficiency improvements.
• Drive the continuous evolution of expense processes, tools, and reporting capabilities.

Financial Controls and Risk Management

• Ensure appropriate financial controls, governance practices, and documentation are in place to support expense management activities.
• Maintain the integrity and accuracy of expense information, reporting processes, and financial systems.
• Support audit, compliance, and regulatory requirements related to expense management.

Team Leadership and Stakeholder Management

• Lead and develop a high-performing team of finance professionals.
• Build strong partnerships with GWAM business leaders, functional leaders, enterprise Finance teams, and key stakeholders.
• Influence across the organization, building alignment and driving outcomes through strong relationships, credibility, and constructive challenge.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and strong financial stewardship.

Qualifications & Experience Must-Have

• Bachelor's degree in finance or related field; CPA qualifications strongly preferred.
• 10-15 years of finance experience including FP&A, expense management, or financial reporting.
• Experience leading cross-functional stakeholders across numerous business units and regions.
• Demonstrated experience leading, developing, and engaging high-performing finance teams.
• Minimum 5+ years in FP&A partnership (or equivalent) with ownership of planning/forecasting cycles, performance analytics, and senior stakeholder management.

Technical Skills

• Strong capability in business requirements, target operating model design, data/process controls, and testing/validation of financial systems in regulated environments.
• Demonstrated experience managing end-to-end expense actuals, planning, forecasting, and reporting processes.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Leadership
• Analytics & Insight Generation
• Stakeholder Influence & Executive Communication

Collaboration & Team Leadership

• When y