Business Consultant, Group Benefit Operations

Manulife/John Hancock; Southwestern Ontario; Hybrid; CAD 71,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

Manulife/John Hancock in Waterloo, Ontario, is seeking an experienced operations and governance leader to drive performance across Health and Dental Claims, PDS, and PMA. The role focuses on turning data into decisions, aligning leaders on priorities, and delivering measurable outcomes.

You will run governance, risk, and audit activities, maintain roadmaps for transformation initiatives, and support senior leaders with concise, decision-ready materials. Hybrid work arrangement preferred.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in operations, consulting, strategy, transformation, continuous improvement, program management, or governance.
• Demonstrated success advising senior leaders and delivering complex, cross‑functional initiatives from concept through implementation.
• Analyze operational data to identify trends, root causes, risks, and business impacts.

Responsibilities

• Monitor turnaround time, quality, productivity, aging, volumes, service levels, and cycle times across work types; build scorecards for Claims, PDS, PMA.
• Lead monthly business reviews and prepare executive reports for steering committees and senior leadership forums.
• Maintain an integrated roadmap across transformation, technology, performance, corrective action, and audit initiatives; track milestones and risks.
• Coordinate internal and external audit readiness; track corrective actions through closure and escalate risks.
• Translate annual priorities into action plans with clear owners, milestones, and outcomes.

Skills

Leadership

Data analysis

KPIs and dashboards

Tools

PowerPoint

Job description

Join the Group Benefits Operations leadership team and help improve how Health and Dental Claims, Plan Design Services (PDS), and Plan Member Administration (PMA) deliver for customers. Your work will shape performance priorities, strengthen decision‑making, and move high‑impact initiatives from plan to result. Reporting to the AVP, Health and Dental Claims, PDS and PMA, you will connect operational performance, portfolio governance, risk management, and executive reporting. You will turn data into decisions, align leaders on priorities, and create accountability for measurable business outcomes.

Position Responsibilities:

Operational Performance Management (25%)

Partner with functional leaders to monitor turnaround time, quality, productivity, aging, volumes, service levels, and cycle times across work types. Build and maintain performance scorecards for Claims, PDS, and PMA, highlighting trends, risks, gaps, and required actions. Use performance insights to guide priorities, capacity decisions, and issue resolution across teams and locations.

Executive Reporting and Business Reviews (25%)

Lead monthly business reviews, strategic reviews, and operational updates. Prepare concise, decision‑ready reports and presentations for steering committees and senior leadership forums. Translate performance results, risks, and priorities into a clear narrative, recommendations, and actions.

Portfolio and Strategic Initiative Management (20%)

Maintain an integrated roadmap across transformation, continuous improvement, technology, performance, corrective action, and audit initiatives. Track milestones, project health, risks, dependencies, resources, and benefits, and escalating barriers early. Run governance and decision forums that align priorities, allocate resources, and keep delivery on track.

Governance, Risk and Audit Management (20%)

Coordinate internal and external audit readiness with functional leaders, providing one consolidated view of requirements and status. Track corrective action plans, compliance commitments, owners, and deadlines through closure. Escalate risks and missed commitments, driving timely decisions and accountability.

Strategic Business Support (10%)

Translate annual priorities into action plans with clear owners, milestones, and outcomes. Track leadership decisions and commitments, escalating gaps and overdue actions. Lead special projects, leadership offsites, and strategic workshops for the Claims, PDS, and PMA leadership team.

Required Qualifications:

7+ years of experience in operations, consulting, strategy, transformation, continuous improvement, program management, or governance.

Preferred Qualifications:

Demonstrated success advising senior leaders and delivering complex, cross‑functional initiatives from concept through implementation. Analyze operational data to identify trends, root causes, risks, and business impacts. Build scorecards, KPIs, and dashboards that turn insight into decisions and action. Translate functional operational mandates into practical operating plans, priorities, and measurable actions. Use sound judgment to solve ambiguous problems and anticipate cross‑functional risks, dependencies, and opportunities. Influence senior leaders without direct authority by building trust, presenting evidence, and challenging assumptions constructively. Align stakeholders and facilitate discussions that result in clear decisions, ownership, and accountability. Communicate complex information clearly and persuasively in writing and in presentations. Create concise, decision‑ready executive materials using advanced PowerPoint and business storytelling skills. Manage a portfolio across competing priorities, milestones, resources, risks, dependencies, benefits, and outcomes. Maintain delivery momentum, elevate issues early, and build credibility in a complex, fast‑paced environment.

When you join our team:

We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want. We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well‑being and inclusion are more than just words. As part of our global team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see.

Joining us means you’ll be empowered to learn and grow your career. We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well‑being and inclusion are more than just words. And as part of our global team, you’ll help shape the future you want to see – and discover that better can take you anywhere you want to go.

Referenced Salary Location Waterloo, Ontario

Working Arrangement Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between $70,500.00 CAD - $117,500.00 CAD 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 [e-mail] for the salary range for your location.

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 [e-mail] for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.

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.

We’re Manulife. And we’re on a mission to make decisions easier and lives better. Better is what drives us. It’s what inspires us to find new ways to support customers and colleagues in living longer and healthier lives. It’s the reason we’re dedicated to investing in digital innovation and industry‑leading AI, and accelerating a sustainable and economically inclusive future.

We’re proud of our accomplishments and recognition. Recent awards include: 2026 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award Winner Manulife Named one of Forbes World’s Best Employers 2025 Financial Times World’s Best Employers Asia‑Pacific 2026 We’ve been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers 2026 #1 Life Insurer for AI Maturity by Evident 2026

Our ambition is to be the number one choice for customers. Learn more at https://www.manulife.com/.