Annuities Program Director

Manulife; Massachusetts; Hybrid; USD 129,000 - 223,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health/dental/vision benefits

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off and holidays

Remote work options

Job summary

Manulife is seeking an Annuities Program Director to oversee the Fixed Indexed Annuity portfolio, leveraging deep FIA knowledge and end-to-end implementation experience. You will align cross-functional teams, manage budgets and complex vendor relationships, and drive delivery from concept through go-live and stabilization.

The role requires hands-on leadership, strong governance, and the ability to balance strategic oversight with execution across technology, operations, and distribution.

Qualifications

• 10+ years leading complex programs or portfolios in financial services.
• FIA subject-matter expertise: Deep knowledge of Fixed Indexed Annuities products, implementation requirements, operational impacts, and industry practices.
• Proven experience delivering FIA or annuity products from concept through launch.
• Hands-on experience with FAST and FireLight. Luma or similar platforms are a plus.
• Experience overseeing several concurrent projects and leading project managers.
• Has personally managed annuity implementation projects, and is comfortable switching between strategic oversight and hands‑on execution.
• Strong grounding in Agile, Waterfall and hybrid methods, and in governance and RAID management.
• Hands‑on skill with project management tools such as Jira, MS Project or Smartsheet.
• Strong vendor management and executive communication skills.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience. PMP or Agile certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Build and implement the initiative roadmap to execute FIA strategy and scale the business.
• Secure cross-functional alignment with Product, Actuarial, Technology, Operations, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Distribution and Marketing, and drive decisions without direct authority.
• Oversee successful delivery by developing and managing the portfolio through detailed project plans, schedules, RAID logs, dependencies, and status reports.
• Manage portfolio governance and steering committees; communicate insights to sponsors and senior management.
• Manage portfolio budgets and forecasts with Finance.
• Oversee third-party vendors and coordinate delivery across multiple vendors.
• Set clear expectations for planning, reporting and escalation, and hold teams accountable for delivery.
• Act as the project manager for priority or complex initiatives, balancing portfolio oversight with hands-on delivery.
• Deep dive into initiatives/outcomes to remove roadblocks and solve issues.
• Oversee delivery from requirements through testing, UAT, cutover, go-live and stabilization; challenge FAST, FireLight and integrations.

Skills

FIA knowledge

Program portfolio management

Agile/Waterfall hybrid

FAST and FireLight

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Jira/MS Project/Smartsheet

Executive communication

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Project governance & RAID

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

PMP or Agile certification preferred

Tools

FAST

FireLight

Jira

MS Project

Smartsheet

Job description

The Annuities Program Director role is accountable for overseeing and delivering the Fixed Indexed Annuity portfolio. The role needs deep FIA and annuity industry knowledge, proven end-to-end implementation experience, and hands-on experience with FAST and FireLight. When needed, The Program Director works with senior leaders, business sponsors, cross-functional teams and vendors to make sure FIA initiatives deliver the expected business results.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and implement the initiative roadmap to execute FIA strategy and scale the business. Manage the integrated FIA initiative portfolio, which may cover product launches, enhancements, technology, operations and distribution readiness. Set priorities with sponsors based on business value, risk and capacity.
• Secure cross-functional alignment working with Product, Actuarial, Technology, Operations, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Distribution and Marketing, and drive decisions without direct authority.
• Oversee successful delivery by developing and managing the portfolio through detailed project plans, schedules, milestones, RAID logs, dependencies, and status reports.
• Manage portfolio governance and steering committees. Communicate/present consolidated key insights to Program Sponsors and Senior Management audiences/stakeholders that assist in the understanding of overall health and performance of the program, and any required actions or decisions
• Manage portfolio budgets and forecasts with Finance.
• Oversee third-party vendors and coordinate delivery across multiple vendors.
• Set clear expectations for planning, reporting and escalation, and hold teams accountable for delivery.
• Act as the project manager for priority or complex initiatives, balancing portfolio oversight with hands-on delivery.
• Deep dive into specific initiatives/outcomes to remove roadblocks and solve emerging issues

• Oversee delivery from requirements through testing, UAT, cutover, go-live and stabilization. Bring informed challenge on FAST, FireLight and related integrations.

Success Outcomes

• The FIA portfolio is delivered on its approved scope, timeline, budget and quality.
• Initiatives are delivered on time, with strong quality and stakeholder confidence.
• Project managers and workstreams execute consistently and are clearly accountable.
• Risks and dependencies are raised early and resolved.
• Business, technology, operations and distribution are ready for each launch.
• Leaders get timely, reliable reporting and clear decision points.
• New capabilities move smoothly into business-as-usual operations.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years leading complex programs or portfolios in financial services.
• FIA subject-matter expertise: Deep knowledge of Fixed Indexed Annuities products, implementation requirements, operational impacts, and industry practices.
• Proven experience delivering FIA or annuity products from concept through launch.
• Hands-on experience with FAST and FireLight. Luma or similar platforms are a plus.
• Experience overseeing several concurrent projects and leading project managers.
• Has personally managed annuity implementation projects, and is comfortable switching between strategic oversight and hands‑on execution.
• Strong grounding in Agile, Waterfall and hybrid methods, and in governance and RAID management.
• Hands‑on skill with project management tools such as Jira, MS Project or Smartsheet.
• Strong vendor management and executive communication skills.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience. PMP or Agile certification preferred.

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-JH

#Remote

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

USA, Massachusetts - Full Time Remote

Working Arrangement

Remote

Salary range is expected to be between

$128,550.00 USD - $222,820.00 USD

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/John Hancock 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/401(k) savings plans and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources. Our generous paid time off program in the U.S. includes up to 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days, 150 hours of vacation, and 40 hours of sick time (or more where required by law) each year, and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence.

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.

Know Your Rights I Family & Medical Leave I Employee Polygraph Protection I Right to Work I E-Verify

Company: John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.)