Lead - AI Strategic Initiatives

Manulife; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 93,000 - 143,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Competitive compensation

Career development

Inclusive culture

Job summary

Manulife is seeking a high-impact Lead - AI Strategic Initiatives to guide Canada Operations in strategic transformation programs from ideation to realization. You will orchestrate cross-functional delivery, align executives, and ensure benefits are realized on time and within budget.

Based in Toronto with hybrid working, the role requires 10+ years of program management experience in financial services. You will shape governance, reporting, and stakeholder communications while partnering with

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience leading large-scale business transformation initiatives.
• Proven experience delivering complex, cross-functional programs.
• Strong governance and reporting experience with executive updates.

Responsibilities

• Transformation delivery and execution across end-to-end initiatives.
• Develop integrated project plans, milestones, dependencies, and resources.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams and stakeholders to remove obstacles.
• Establish governance, planning and reporting, including executive updates.
• Monitor benefits delivery and address realization gaps.
• Prepare executive presentations and steering committee materials.
• Manage risks, issues, and budgets with strong fiscal discipline.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic thinking

Executive communication

Change management

Budget management

Risk management

Governance

Stakeholder management

Transformation delivery

Job description

We’re looking for a high-performing, strategic thinker and hands‑on operator to join our Canada Operations team as a Lead - AI Strategic Initiatives. This role serves as the central orchestrator for complex, cross-functional programs, ensuring successful execution from ideation through implementation and benefits realization. The successful candidate will drive project governance, planning, stakeholder alignment, and change adoption across multiple concurrent initiatives. Working closely with senior leaders, the Project Manager will ensure initiatives are delivered on time, within scope, within budget, and aligned to strategic business objectives. This role requires a strong blend of execution excellence, strategic thinking, executive communications, and change leadership to successfully navigate large-scale organizational and digital transformation efforts.

Position Responsibilities

• Transformation Delivery & Execution: Lead end-to-end delivery of strategic transformation initiatives, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, budget, and quality expectations.
• Develop and manage integrated project plans, milestones, dependencies, and resource requirements, while driving accountability across all workstreams.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams, vendors, and stakeholders to resolve issues, remove obstacles, and achieve targeted business outcomes.
• Governance, Planning & Reporting: Establish and maintain project governance, ensuring effective oversight of scope, schedule, budget, risks, issues, and key decisions.
• Provide clear, accurate, and timely reporting on project health, progress, dependencies, and performance metrics.
• Partner with initiative owners to monitor benefit delivery, track progress against expected outcomes, and proactively address any realization gaps.
• Prepare executive presentations, steering committee materials, and leadership updates that translate complex information into actionable insights.
• Stakeholder, Risk & Financial Management: Build strong relationships with business and technology stakeholders to drive alignment, facilitate decision‑making, and manage competing priorities.
• Proactively identify, assess, and manage project risks, issues, and cross‑functional dependencies, escalating concerns with recommended actions when required.
• Manage project budgets, forecasts, and financial performance, ensuring strong fiscal discipline and effective benefits realization.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in of project or program management experience leading large-scale business transformation initiatives.
• Proven experience delivering complex, cross-functional programs within insurance, financial services, or other highly regulated industries.
• Demonstrated success managing project scope, schedule, budget, resources, risks, and stakeholder communications.
• Strong governance and reporting experience, including preparation of executive updates, steering committee materials, and decision papers.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent initiatives with significant organizational impact.
• Leadership experience

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 practices and programs 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 $92,900.00 CAD - $142,900.00 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.