Project Director (Executive Leadership Engagement)

Robertson & Company Ltd.; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Robertson & Company Ltd. is seeking a Project Director to lead the ELT Delegate Engagement Program from Toronto in a hybrid arrangement. The role focuses on driving data governance activation, process discipline, and executive alignment across global functions.

You will partner with ELT Delegates, Data Owners, and governance teams to operationalize governance forums, assess data landscapes, and deliver measurable program outcomes for risk reduction and enterprise value.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience leading enterprise data governance or related transformation programs.
• Strong executive communication, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders in a matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated success delivering multi-workstream initiatives from concept to execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead ELT Delegate Activation Program across segments and functions.
• Manage activation plans, milestones, risks, decisions, and outcomes.
• Drive onboarding through operating model adoption and governance forums.
• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders, ELT Delegates, and teams.
• Lead onboarding, workshops, sessions, and executive briefings.
• Influence alignment, remove barriers, and accelerate decisions with clear messaging.
• Facilitate data landscape exercises to identify ownership, data quality, and gaps.
• Establish and support local Data Governance forums.
• Drive resolution of data risks, issues, ownership, and accountability.
• Prepare executive presentations, status reports, metrics, and leadership updates.

Skills

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Data governance

Program leadership

Change leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Project Director (Executive Leadership Engagement)

Employment Type: 12 months with potential to extend or convert

Base Salary: Starting form $78 per hour

Location: Toronto, ON

Location Type: Hybrid

Position Overview

Global Data Governance is seeking a highly motivated and influential leader to drive the activation and execution of Manulife's ELT Delegate Engagement Program.

This role will lead a high-visibility enterprise initiative focused on operationalizing business accountability for data risk, data quality, and governance across global segments and functions. The successful candidate will partner with senior business leaders, ELT Delegates, Data Owners, Data Stewards, and Data Governance teams to establish governance forums, drive engagement activities, facilitate data landscape assessments, and ensure ongoing progress against program objectives.

This is an ideal opportunity for a strong program leader who combines exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to drive execution across a highly matrixed organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead ELT Delegate Activation ProgramLead day-to-day execution of the ELT Delegate Engagement Program across segments and functions.
• Manage activation plans, milestones, dependencies, risks, decisions, and outcomes.
• Drive progress from delegate onboarding through sustained operating model adoption.
• Executive Stakeholder EngagementBuild trusted relationships with senior leaders, ELT Delegates, and their teams.
• Lead onboarding, workshops, working sessions, and executive briefings.
• Influence alignment, remove barriers, and accelerate decisions through clear, business-focused messaging.
• Governance & Program Facilitation Facilitate data landscape exercises to identify critical data, ownership, dependencies, and governance gaps.
• Establish and support local Data Governance Forums.
• Drive resolution and escalation of data risks, issues, ownership, and accountability challenges.
• Reporting & Executive Communications Prepare executive presentations, briefings, status reports, metrics, and leadership updates.
• Monitor progress and provide insights, recommendations, and escalations that drive action and accountability.
• Change Leadership Drive adoption, accountability, and sustained participation in governance practices.
• Embed governance into business operating rhythms and decision-making forums.
• Continuously improve activation processes, tools, and templates.
• Qualifications 5+ years of experience leading enterprise data governance, data management, or related transformation programs in a complex, regulated organization.
• Strong executive communication, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and build trusted relationships in a matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, multi-workstream initiatives from concept through execution.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, create structure, and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Strong ability to connect program outputs and governance activities to measurable business outcomes, risk reduction, and enterprise value—and articulate that value clearly to senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated knowledge of data governance principles and practices, including data ownership and stewardship, critical data identification, data quality, metadata and lineage, issue management, controls, and data risk.
• Experience designing, implementing, or operationalizing enterprise data governance operating models, including governance forums, decision rights, accountabilities, standards, and escalation paths.
• Familiarity with program management methods and tools.
• Proven ability to translate data governance policy and strategy into practical business processes, controls, accountability, and measurable outcomes.

Success Profile

• The ideal candidate will be: A natural relationship builder who can quickly establish credibility with senior stakeholders.
• Comfortable facilitating conversations with executives and challenging stakeholders when necessary.
• Highly organized and disciplined in managing complex programs and competing priorities.
• Action-oriented and able to move initiatives forward with limited direction.
• Skilled at turning strategy into execution through strong coordination, follow-through, and accountability.
• Outcome-focused, with the ability to look beyond completed deliverables and define the business impact, value realized, and evidence of success.
• An excellent communicator who can simplify complexity and influence outcomes.