Director, Brand

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

Job summary

Manulife Wealth and Asset Management is seeking a Director, Brand to lead governance, creative oversight and integrated campaigns in Canada. You will own brand standards, manage global guidelines alignment, and partner with IP, agency, and internal teams to deliver consistent, high-impact brand work.

The role requires strategic thinking, operational discipline and leadership of multi-disciplinary teams in a dynamic financial services environment.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree required; MBA or Master's degree 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 marketing touchpoints for Manulife WAM.
• Lead end-to-end creative and content process from brief to final delivery.
• Drive integrated, segment-wide marketing campaigns to build awareness and shift perception.
• Oversee merchandise program strategy, inventory, and vendor relationships.
• Manage day-to-day relationships with external agencies, vendors and contractors.
• Track brand and campaign performance against KPIs and adapt based on insights.
• Champion a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement within the brand function.
• Inspire, coach and develop direct reports with clear performance standards.

Skills

Brand governance

Creative leadership

Campaign management

Stakeholder collaboration

Vendor management

Localization awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree required

MBA or Master's preferred

Job description

Reporting to the AVP, Brand, the Director, Brand is a key leadership role within the Manulife Wealth and Asset Management (Manulife WAM) marketing team. You'll bring our brand to life through standout creative and campaigns that cut through, positioning Manulife WAM as a digital, customer-first leader in Canada.

This role sits at the intersection of strategy and execution. You'll work across a wide network of internal teams and external partners to ensure every brand touchpoint is on-strategy, on-brand and built to drive meaningful business outcomes. That includes owning the governance and operational frameworks that keep the brand function running, from budget and vendor management to brand standards and localization. You're a brand champion who holds the line on quality and consistency while keeping creativity and agility at the centre of everything you do.

Position Responsibilities:

Brand Governance

• Own and uphold brand standards across all Manulife WAM marketing touchpoints.

• Act as the primary steward of the Manulife WAM brand, ensuring alignment with Global Brand guidelines while reflecting the distinct needs of our market.

• Develop and maintain brand governance frameworks, tools and education that enable cross-functional teams to represent the brand with confidence and consistency.

• Act as the primary business owner for brand intellectual property, partnering closely with the IP team to manage, protect and govern trademarks, brand assets and usage rights across the organization

Content and Creative Oversight

• 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.

Campaign Execution

• 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.

Merchandise Program Management

• 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.

Agency and Vendor Relationships

• 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.

Performance and Measurement

• 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.

Embracing Change and Innovation

• 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.

People Leadership

• 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.

What We're Looking For

This is a cross-functional leadership role requiring strong collaboration skills internally, across business lines, segments and global teams, and externally with production and creative agency partners and vendors. The ideal candidate brings a balance of creative conviction, strategic thinking and operational discipline. They're a natural brand champion who leads with empathy, earns trust across the organization and consistently delivers work that makes an impact.

Required Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree required; MBA or Master's degree 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

Core Competencies

• Brand Stewardship: Deep commitment to brand integrity and a sharp eye for consistency across every touchpoint

• Creative Leadership: Ability to inspire and elevate creative work, balancing bold ideas with strategic discipline

• Execution Excellence: Strong project management instincts with the ability to manage multiple priorities and drive work forward efficiently

• Collaborative Influence: Skilled at building relationships and aligning stakeholders in a complex, cross-functional organization
• People Leadership: Genuine commitment to coaching, developing and engaging team members
• Analytical Thinking: Comfortable working with data and insights to inform decisions and optimize performance
• Communication: Clear, confident communicator with strong presentation and storytelling skills
• AI and Innovation Mindset: Curious about and actively engaged with emerging technologies, including AI-powered marketing tools, using them to drive smarter, faster and more effective brand work

When you join our team:

• As part of our global team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see.

• 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.

#LI-Hybrid

The role being advertised is an existing vacancy.

Acerca de Manulife y John Hancock

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Referenced Salary Location

Toronto, Ontario

Modalidades de Trabajo

Híbrido

Salary range is expected to be between

$125,100.00 CAD - $175,100.00 CAD

Los empleados también tienen la oportunidad de participar en programas de incentivos y recibir una compensación vinculada al rendimiento empresarial e individual. El salario real variará según las condiciones del mercado local, la geografía y factores relacionados con el puesto como conocimientos, habilidades, requerimientos, experiencia y educación/formación. Si solicitas este puesto fuera de tu ubicación principal, por favor escríbenos a [e-mail] para conocer el rango salarial correspondiente a tu ubicación.

Manulife ofrece a los empleados aptos una amplia variedad de beneficios personalizables, entre ellos, beneficios de salud, odontológicos, de salud mental, oftalmológicos, por discapacidad a corto y a largo plazo, cobertura de seguro de vida y por muerte accidental y desmembramiento, adopción/subrogación y bienestar, y planes de asistencia al empleado/familiar. También ofrecemos a los empleados admisibles varios planes de ahorro para la jubilación (incluidos planes de pensiones y un plan mundial de propiedad de acciones con contribuciones equivalentes del empleador) y recursos de asesoramiento y educación financiera. Nuestro generoso programa de tiempo libre remunerado en Canadá incluye feriados, vacaciones, días personales y días por enfermedad, y ofrecemos la gama completa de ausencia laboral reglamentaria. Si se está postulando para este puesto en los EE. UU., póngase en contacto con [e-mail] para obtener más información sobre las disposiciones relativas al tiempo libre remunerado específicas de EE. UU.

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