Lead Experience Design Strategist

Manulife; Southwestern Ontario; Hybrid; CAD 92,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider in Canada is seeking a Lead Experience Design Strategist to shape digital experiences across multiple channels. This role requires strong design strategy and UX experience, with at least 6 years in related fields. You will lead research and design strategy, working closely with cross-functional teams to deliver a cohesive vision. The role is hybrid and offers a salary range of $92,900 to $142,900 CAD, along with comprehensive benefits including health, dental, and retirement plans.

Benefits

Health benefits

Dental insurance

Retirement savings plans

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in design strategy within financial services.
• Portfolio demonstrating strategic process and outcomes.
• Proven ability to define and evolve strategic frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end experience design strategy for digital initiatives.
• Conduct research and testing for user insights.
• Partner with product, design, and engineering teams.

Skills

Design strategy

UX strategy

Service design

Exceptional storytelling

Facilitation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, or equivalent

Tools

PowerPoint

Mural

Figma

Job description

Overview

Join our dynamic and high‑impact Experience Design team shaping the digital experiences for our Wealth, North American Retail, and Global Institutional businesses in Manulife Wealth and Asset Management. As a Lead Experience Design Strategist, you will drive complex, multi‑channel initiatives, help define the vision for future‑state experiences, and influence product roadmaps that directly support our mission to elevate our digital ecosystem and make our customers' lives better.

You thrive in ambiguity, lead through influence, and move fluidly between strategy and execution—accelerating decisions through research‑led insights, service design excellence, and compelling storytelling.

Position Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end experience and service design strategy for new and existing digital initiatives - from discovery to implementation - ensuring customer needs remain central to product and business decisions
• Bring structure to ambiguous problem spaces by translating complex insights into clear and actionable strategic direction for both near-term delivery and long-term vision
• Plan and lead research and validation activities, integrating service design discovery, blueprinting, generative research, market and competitive scans, and evaluative testing to reveal gaps, uncover user needs, and de‑risk decision‑making
• Synthesize quantitative and qualitative inputs into high‑quality, actionable insights, JTBD, opportunity maps, and experience frameworks that influence prioritization and strategic direction
• Partner closely with leaders in product, design, engineering, marketing, product, and sales to define a cohesive experience vision
• Influence roadmaps through confident facilitation, evidence‑based storytelling, clear concept narratives, and experience principles that align senior stakeholders
• Evolve shared frameworks and ways of working that create consistency and raise quality across teams
• Strengthen the strategic design practice by sharing best practices, coaching peers, and elevating overall craft
• Integrate emerging technologies - including AI‑enabled experiences - into visioning and solution definition

Required Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in design strategy, UX strategy, service design, or related disciplines within financial services or within similarly complex, regulated environments
• Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, or equivalent professional experience
• Portfolio demonstrating strategic process, service design depth, and shipped outcomes - ideally for digital experiences within Financial Services or similarly complex domains
• Proven ability to independently define, execute, and evolve strategic frameworks from ambiguity to measurable impact
• Exceptional storytelling, facilitation, and cross‑functional stakeholder‑management skills
• High‑quality visual and conceptual communication skills (PowerPoint, Mural, Figma, etc)
• Expertise in generative research, validation, and insight synthesis
• Experience leveraging AI‑augmented design and research tools to accelerate insights and ideation
• Demonstrated ability to lead and prioritize multiple workstreams in a time‑sensitive environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Track record of strategic initiatives that led to measurable improvements in user experience and business outcomes
• Strong portfolio highlighting strategic range, craft quality, and impact
• Experience leading teams across complex, cross‑functional initiatives
• Experience designing or supporting AI‑enabled products or AI design standards
• Familiarity with constraints across desktop, mobile, and multi‑channel ecosystems
• Understanding of accessibility, ethics, and regulatory considerations in digital and AI‑enabled experiences

What Sets You Apart?

• You are committed to excellence and own your craft across all aspects of experience strategy
• You collaborate with low ego and contribute to a culture of transparency, trust, and continuous learning
• You think systematically - turning complexity into clarity and actionable plans that advocate for user needs while balancing business realities
• You are energized by solving core product problems and delivering thoughtful, high‑value experiences

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.

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 the Manulife site: 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 the recruitment team at Manulife.

Referenced Salary Location

Toronto, Ontario

Working Arrangement

Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$92,900.00 CAD - $142,900.00 CAD

If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact the recruitment team for the salary range for your location. 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. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.

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 the recruitment team for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.