Director, Strategic Programs & Portfolio Management

Manulife Financial; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 145,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Dental coverage

Mental health support

Vision benefits

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Job summary

Manulife Financial Corporation seeks a Director, Strategic Programs & Portfolio Management to lead Canada Operations' strategic transformation agenda. You will oversee a portfolio of investments, ensure robust financial analysis, and partner with senior leaders to align initiatives with business priorities and measurable outcomes.

The role emphasizes governance, planning, and executive reporting, with a focus on delivering customer experience improvements and operational efficiency within a

Qualifications

• 8-12+ years of project, program, portfolio management, or transformation leadership experience.
• Proven experience leading large-scale, cross-functional business transformation programs.
• Experience within insurance, financial services, or other highly regulated industries.
• Demonstrated expertise managing scope, schedule, budget, resources, risks, and stakeholder communications across complex initiatives.
• Strong financial acumen, including business case development, investment analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and benefits realization.
• Experience preparing executive-level presentations, governance materials, and strategic recommendations.
• Exceptional communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Operations, Engineering, or a related discipline.

Responsibilities

• Lead governance and oversight of the Canada Operations strategic initiative portfolio.
• Establish portfolio management practices that provide transparency into investment performance, risks, dependencies, and outcomes.
• Partner with Operations and Technology leaders to prioritize investments based on strategic value, financial impact, customer experience improvements, and organizational capacity.
• Own the development, review, challenge, and governance of business cases across Canada Operations.
• Ensure business cases are supported by robust financial analysis, operational assumptions, implementation plans, and clearly defined benefits.
• Lead executive reviews and challenge sessions to validate assumptions, risks, and expected outcomes.
• Manage financial oversight of strategic investments, including budgets, forecasts, funding approvals, and portfolio spend tracking.
• Provide consolidated portfolio financial reporting and strategic insights to executive leadership.
• Support annual planning activities, strategic funding requests, and forecasting exercises.
• Monitor and report on ROI, productivity gains, risk reduction, customer outcomes, and benefits realization.
• Develop executive-ready reporting materials for leadership teams, Finance, and Governance Committees.
• Lead portfolio review meetings and governance forums while translating complex data into actionable recommendations.

Skills

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Financial acumen

Leadership

Governance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Operations, Engineering, or related

Tools

PMP / PgMP / MSP / Lean Six Sigma

Job description

The Director, Strategic Programs & Portfolio Management plays a critical leadership role in driving Canada Operations' strategic transformation agenda. Reporting to the AVP, Operations Excellence, this position leads governance, financial management, and execution oversight of a portfolio of strategic investments that support business growth, operational efficiency, and customer experience improvements. This role partners closely with senior leaders across Operations, Technology, and Finance to ensure initiatives are aligned with business priorities, supported by sound financial analysis, and deliver measurable business outcomes. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to influence enterprise-wide transformation initiatives while shaping portfolio management practices and strategic decision‑making.

Position Responsibilities

• Lead governance and oversight of the Canada Operations strategic initiative portfolio.

• Establish portfolio management practices that provide transparency into investment performance, risks, dependencies, and outcomes.

• Partner with Operations and Technology leaders to prioritize investments based on strategic value, financial impact, customer experience improvements, and organizational capacity.

• Own the development, review, challenge, and governance of business cases across Canada Operations.

• Ensure business cases are supported by robust financial analysis, operational assumptions, implementation plans, and clearly defined benefits.

• Lead executive reviews and challenge sessions to validate assumptions, risks, and expected outcomes.

• Manage financial oversight of strategic investments, including budgets, forecasts, funding approvals, and portfolio spend tracking.

• Provide consolidated portfolio financial reporting and strategic insights to executive leadership.

• Support annual planning activities, strategic funding requests, and forecasting exercises.

• Monitor and report on ROI, productivity gains, risk reduction, customer outcomes, and benefits realization.

• Develop executive-ready reporting materials for leadership teams, Finance, and Governance Committees.

• Lead portfolio review meetings and governance forums while translating complex data into actionable recommendations.

Required Qualifications

• 8-12+ years of project, program, portfolio management, or transformation leadership experience.

• Proven experience leading large-scale, cross-functional business transformation programs.

• Experience within insurance, financial services, or other highly regulated industries.

• Demonstrated expertise managing scope, schedule, budget, resources, risks, and stakeholder communications across complex initiatives.

• Strong financial acumen, including business case development, investment analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and benefits realization.

• Experience preparing executive-level presentations, governance materials, and strategic recommendations.

• Exceptional communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Operations, Engineering, or a related discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading enterprise portfolio management or strategic investment portfolios.

• PMP, PgMP, MSP, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent certification.

• Experience supporting executive governance committees and funding approval processes.

• Strong understanding of operational transformation, process improvement, and change management methodologies.

• MBA or advanced business-related degree.

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.

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 programs and projects without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact [e-mail].

Referenced Salary Location

Toronto, Ontario

Working Arrangement

Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$145,130.00 CAD - $195,130.00 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.