Search Engine Optimization Manager

Company 1 - The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 93,000 - 143,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Benefits package

Job summary

Manulife/John Hancock is seeking a seasoned SEO Manager to lead North American SEO and GEO programs while supporting global initiatives. The role requires strategic, data‑driven leadership across technical and content SEO in an enterprise environment.

You will coach a team, collaborate with IT, Product, Publishing, and Content teams, and own reporting and executive presentations. AEM or enterprise CMS experience and strong HTML knowledge are valued.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of enterprise SEO experience in Retail, eCommerce, or Finance/Insurance.
• 3–5 years of leadership experience in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong technical SEO knowledge including crawlability, indexation, and Core Web Vitals.
• Experience with enterprise CMS (e.g., AEM) and basic HTML concepts.
• Proven ability to forecast, report, and present to C‑suite audiences using data.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all in-house SEO and GEO programs for North America and partner on global initiatives.
• Manage day‑to‑day SEO operations, tracking, and delivery across teams.
• Own end‑to‑end SEO reporting, traffic, rankings, and business impact analyses.
• Lead GEO content strategy and cross‑functional collaboration with Marketing, Publishing, and Content teams.
• Maintain SEMRush workspaces and related analytics/tools; govern technical backlog.

Skills

SEO strategy

Technical SEO

Content SEO

Analytics & insights

Cross-functional collaboration

Agile methodologies

Tools

JIRA

GA/Adobe Analytics

SEMrush

Screaming Frog

Job description

We are seeking a highly experienced Search Engine Optimization Manager to lead North American SEO & GEO programs while supporting global SEO initiatives across the organization. This role is designed for a strategic, data-driven SEO leader with deep expertise in technical and content SEO, enterprise-level operations, and cross-functional program management. The ideal candidate brings strong industry experience in Retail, eCommerce, or Finance/Insurance, thrives in a fast-paced enterprise environment, and has a proven track record of delivering exceptional organic business results.

Position Responsibilities

• Strategy & Leadership Oversee all in-house SEO and GEO programs for North America. Support other global SEO initiatives in partnership with international teams. Identify, evaluate, and prioritize new SEO/GEO opportunities for business growth. Coach and develop the SEO team to meet industry benchmarks and elevate operational excellence. Establish prioritization frameworks and work with cross-functional partners (IT, Product, Publishing, Content, Social) to unblock implementation and accelerate delivery.
• Execution & Delivery Manage day-to-day SEO/GEO operations, including program tracking at an item/deliverable level. Ensure all team outputs are outcome-driven, aligned to industry best practices, and ladder up to business goals. Maintain delivery and implementation trackers across technical and content pipelines. Flag and elevate blocked or delayed implementation items (technical or content). Maintain a technical backlog of SEO improvements, new CMS features, and bug fixes.
• Analytics, Reporting & Performance Own end-to-end reporting for SEO/GEO performance and business impact. Analyze data (traffic, rankings, conversions, engagement, logs, crawlability) to identify opportunities. Build and deliver executive-level presentations for cross-functional and leadership teams. Monitor and report on the impact of all SEO recommendations in partnership with SEO Product.
• Content SEO & GEO Operations Manage GEO/SEO content strategy and day-to-day operations. Work cross-functionally with Marketing, Publishing, and Content SEO teams to support BAU initiatives. Maintain content delivery and implementation trackers to ensure quality and timeliness. Establish and enforce Content QA processes. Support Social Media team with GEO-focused social posts and content strategy. Partner with SEO Product and Social teams to deliver comprehensive GEO impact initiatives.
• Tools & Technology Ownership Maintain and govern SEMRush workspaces, projects, keyword sets, and prompt tracking. Hands‑on daily use of: Google Search Console Adobe Analytics or Google Analytics SEMRush SiteImprove Server log analysis tools Screaming Frog Other enterprise-grade SEO technologies.

Required Qualifications

Minimum 8+ years of SEO experience in Retail, eCommerce, or Finance/Insurance at an enterprise level. 3-5 years of experience leading teams within a direct report or project management capacity. Proven team management experience in a fast-paced environment. Demonstrated success in driving exceptional organic performance and business results. Strong technical SEO knowledge including crawlability, indexation, site architecture, schema, Core Web Vitals, and log analysis. Solid understanding of content SEO, editorial optimization, GEO localization strategies, and content governance. Hands‑on experience with AEM or other enterprise CMS, as well as strong foundational knowledge of HTML and networking concepts. Comfortable with data analysis, forecasting, reporting, and creating C-suite-ready presentations. Experienced in Agile methodologies and working with JIRA for sprint planning and issue management. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Excellent communication and storytelling abilities for executive-level audiences. Ability to influence and collaborate effectively with cross-functional partners. Highly organized with strong attention to detail and comfort managing multiple parallel workstreams. Outcome-driven mindset focused on measurable impact and continuous improvement. Ability to thrive in a highly complex, matrixed global organization.

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 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.

Benefits

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.

Technology and Data Insight Statement

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.

Vision and Mission

Better is what drives us. It’s what inspires us to find new ways to support customers and colleagues in living longer and healthier lives. It’s the reason we’re dedicated to investing in digital innovation and industry-leading AI, and accelerating a sustainable and economically inclusive future. Joining us means you’ll be empowered to learn and grow your career. We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well‑being and inclusion are more than just words. And as part of our global team, you’ll help shape the future you want to see – and discover that better can take you anywhere you want to go.

Recent awards

Recent awards include: 2026 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award Winner Manulife Named one of Forbes World’s Best Employers 2025 Financial Times World’s Best Employers Asia‑Pacific 2026 We’ve been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers 2026 #1 Life Insurer for AI Maturity by Evident 2026