Brand Director: Strategy, Campaigns & Governance

Manulife Financial; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Manulife Wealth and Asset Management (Manulife WAM) is seeking a Director, Brand who will partner with the AVP, Brand to lead brand governance, creative oversight and campaign execution across Canada. This cross-functional role drives brand standards, localization and vendor management to elevate our market presence and influence business outcomes.

You will lead end-to-end creative processes, collaborate with internal teams and agencies, and focus on data-driven optimization to deliver

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree required; MBA or Master's preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in marketing and/or business management.
• Demonstrated experience in brand management, creative oversight and integrated campaign execution.
• Proven track record of leading and developing teams in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• Experience managing agency and vendor relationships.
• Familiarity with localization or translation functions is an asset.
• Financial services experience is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Own and uphold brand standards across all Manulife WAM marketing touchpoints.
• Develop and maintain brand governance frameworks, tools and education that enable cross-functional teams to represent the brand with confidence and consistency.
• Lead the end-to-end creative and content process for Manulife WAM, from brief to final delivery.
• Oversee internal and external creative assets to ensure output is strategically grounded, creatively excellent and brand compliant.
• Champion a high standard of storytelling that is human, emotionally resonant and tailored to our target audiences across consumer and intermediary channels.
• Drive the flawless execution of integrated, segment-wide marketing campaigns focused on building brand awareness, consideration and shifting brand perception.
• Collaborate closely with the AVP, Brand and cross-functional partners, including Digital, Performance Marketing and business lines, to deliver campaigns that are on-strategy, on-time and on-budget.
• Contribute to a real-time marketing approach that is continuously optimized based on data and insights.
• Lead the Manulife WAM merchandise program, overseeing branded merchandise strategy, vendor relationships, inventory management, budget allocation, compliance reviews, e-store operations, and promotional item fulfillment to support client engagement, events, and brand initiatives.
• Manage day-to-day relationships with external production and creative agency partners, vendors and contractors.
• Ensure partners are well-briefed, aligned to brand standards and consistently delivering high-quality work.
• Support the AVP, Brand in overall agency coordination and contribute to ongoing evaluation of partner performance.
• Track and report on brand and campaign performance against defined KPIs and scorecards.
• Work with Digital Analytics and Research and Insights teams as well as external research firms to evaluate creative and campaign effectiveness, drawing on data to optimize delivery.
• Continually assess what's working and drive informed pivots when needed.
• Champion a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement within the brand function.
• Actively explore and integrate new ways of working that improve efficiency, creativity and brand impact.
• Inspire, coach and develop direct reports, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Establish clear performance standards and provide regular formal and informal feedback.
• Model inclusive leadership behaviours and actively support team growth and engagement.

Skills

Brand management

Creative leadership

Campaign execution

Team leadership

Agency and vendor relationships

Localization awareness

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Education

Undergraduate degree

MBA or Master's preferred

Job description

Manulife Wealth and Asset Management (Manulife WAM) is seeking a Director, Brand who will partner with the AVP, Brand to lead brand governance, creative oversight and campaign execution across Canada. This cross-functional role drives brand standards, localization and vendor management to elevate our market presence and influence business outcomes.

You will lead end-to-end creative processes, collaborate with internal teams and agencies, and focus on data-driven optimization to deliver