Director People Experience Strategy

Manulife John Hancock; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Inclusive work environment

Job summary

Manulife John Hancock is seeking a Director of People Experience Strategy in a hybrid Toronto-based role. You will lead enterprise-wide initiatives across Performance, Recognition, and Sustainable Performance, translating talent priorities into practical solutions that improve employee and leader experiences and drive business outcomes.

Collaborating with Talent, HR, and business partners, you will design activation approaches, develop leader resources, and apply organizational sensing to guide

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in employee experience, talent management, organizational effectiveness, HR strategy, transformation, or related fields.
• Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives in a large, matrixed global organization.
• Strong systems thinking and ability to translate complex strategies into practical solutions.
• Experience using qualitative and quantitative insights to inform decisions and drive improvement.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and ability to influence without direct authority.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and storytelling capabilities.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in HR, Organizational Development, Business, Behavioural Science, Design, or a related discipline preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic People Experience initiatives from design through implementation and continuous improvement.
• Partner with business leaders, People Partners, and Talent teams to identify opportunities and improve employee experiences.
• Translate Talent priorities into solutions, resources, and approaches that support leaders and employees.
• Use employee feedback, organizational insights, and business priorities to shape recommendations and improvements.
• Build alignment across stakeholders and functions to advance shared priorities and outcomes.
• Monitor progress, risks, and results, providing recommendations to support decision-making.
• Present insights, recommendations, and outcomes to senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Lead and develop team members while fostering collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Facilitation

Storytelling

Cross-functional collaboration

Systems thinking

Data-informed decisions

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Overview

We are evolving Talent into an integrated, enterprise-wide system that enables Manulife's strategy by shaping the workforce, performance, and leadership capabilities required to win today and in the future. Within this model, People Experience is about creating the conditions for our talent to feel connected and thrive day to day through practical solutions and clear talent priorities.

The Director, People Experience Strategy helps bring the People Experience strategy to life by leading strategic initiatives across Performance, Recognition, Sustainable Performance, and Organizational Sensing & Insights. Working across Talent, HR, and the business, the role identifies opportunities, shapes solutions, and drives improvements that strengthen employee experience and business performance.

To lead this work, we are seeing a strategic leader who connects People Experience priorities and translates them into solutions that improve employee and leader experiences while supporting business outcomes.

What You Will Lead

• Strategic People Experience initiatives across Performance, Recognition, Sustainable Performance, and our organizational listening and actions
• Experience design and activation approaches that support the adoption of Talent priorities.
• Organizational sensing and insight activities that translate employee feedback into action.
• Leader resources, tools, and practices that strengthen employee and leader experiences.
• Cross-functional partnerships and measurement approaches that drive continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic People Experience initiatives from design through implementation and continuous improvement.
• Partner with business leaders, People Partners, and Talent teams to identify opportunities and improve employee experiences.
• Translate Talent priorities into solutions, resources, and approaches that support leaders and employees.
• Use employee feedback, organizational insights, and business priorities to shape recommendations and improvements.
• Build alignment across stakeholders and functions to advance shared priorities and outcomes.
• Monitor progress, risks, and results, providing recommendations to support decision-making.
• Present insights, recommendations, and outcomes to senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Lead and develop team members while fostering collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

What Success Looks Like

• People Experience priorities are translated into solutions that deliver measurable impact.
• Leaders and People Partners have the resources and support needed to apply Talent priorities effectively.
• Organizational sensing and insights lead to informed decisions and visible improvements.
• Performance, recognition, and sustainable performance experiences feel connected and relevant to everyday work.
• Stakeholders view People Experience as a trusted partner that helps advance enterprise priorities.
• Employees experience Talent practices as simple, connected, and easy to navigate.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in employee experience, talent management, organizational effectiveness, HR strategy, transformation, or related fields.
• Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives in a large, matrixed global organization.
• Strong systems thinking and ability to translate complex strategies into practical solutions.
• Experience using qualitative and quantitative insights to inform decisions and drive improvement.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and ability to influence without direct authority.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and storytelling capabilities.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in HR, Organizational Development, Business, Behavioural Science, Design, or a related discipline preferred.

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.

#LI-Hybrid

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 https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html .

Manulife 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 religiou