Manager, Client Relations and Support

Manulife; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

Manulife is seeking a Manager, Client Relations and Support to lead a national team delivering exceptional client and advisor experiences for retirement clients and market sources across Canada. The role drives retention, growth, and service excellence while coordinating with Distribution, Operations and Product teams.

The successful candidate will recruit, coach, and develop the team, foster an inclusive culture, and champion AI and digital tools to improve efficiency and outcomes.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in retirement, financial services, client service, relationship management, or related field.
• Experience leading or coaching client-facing and operational support teams.
• Strong communication, coaching, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience identifying and implementing process improvements.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Copilot Premium.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach a national team supporting retirement clients, advisors, and market sources across Canada.
• Support team members in fostering strong relationships with clients, advisors, internal partners, and key stakeholders to support retention, growth, and satisfaction objectives.
• Participate in client and advisor meetings and act as an escalation point for complex relationship, service, and operational issues.
• Partner with Distribution, Operations, and Product teams to support business development, client retention, and market source engagement initiatives.
• Lead a team of Small Business Relationship Managers focused on advisor engagement, onboarding support, and adoption of retirement solutions for small businesses.
• Monitor sales activity, pipeline management, and growth initiatives to support business objectives.
• Provide coaching and guidance on consultative relationship management and onboarding practices.
• Lead Pension Service Coordinator and Sales Support Analyst teams to achieve service, quality, productivity, and turnaround objectives.
• Monitor service standards and operational performance while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, client outcomes, and workflow effectiveness.
• Oversee shared mailbox management, workflow distribution, and the timely delivery of service support requests, reporting, and client deliverables.
• Recruit, onboard, coach, and develop team members while establishing clear performance expectations and supporting career growth.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and accountable culture that promotes employee engagement, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning.
• Support succession planning and help team members navigate evolving business priorities and organizational change.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance service quality, operational efficiency, and client outcomes.
• Champion the effective use of AI, automation, and digital tools to streamline work, reduce manual activities, and enable the team to focus on higher-value activities.
• Leverage performance metrics, service trends, and client feedback to identify opportunities for process improvement and resource optimization.
• Support change management initiatives and maintain quality standards, procedures, and training resources.
• Ensure adherence to company policies, service standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Support audit, compliance, governance, and risk mitigation activities, escalating issues as appropriate.
• Promote a culture of accountability, accuracy, and risk awareness across the team.

Skills

Leadership

Client service

Relationship management

Communication

Coaching

Problem-solving

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Commerce, or related field

CEBS designation

RPA/CSC designation (or equivalent)

RPA designation within 3 years requirement

Tools

Copilot Premium

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Manager, Client Relations and Support is responsible for leading a national team of Client Relationship Specialists, Small Business Relationship Managers, Pension Service Coordinators, and Sales Support Analysts within the Canada Retirement business.

This role oversees client relationship management, small business activities, client and market source support and service delivery.

The successful candidate will build and develop a high-performing team focused on delivering exceptional client and advisor experiences, supporting retention and growth objectives, and ensuring service excellence across all areas of responsibility.

Position Responsibilities:

Client Relationship Management & Market Source Support

• Lead and coach a national team supporting retirement clients, advisors, and market sources across Canada.
• Support team members in fostering strong relationships with clients, advisors, internal partners, and key stakeholders to support retention, growth, and satisfaction objectives.
• Participate in client and advisor meetings and act as an escalation point for complex relationship, service, and operational issues.
• Partner with Distribution, Operations, and Product teams to support business development, client retention, and market source engagement initiatives.

Small Business Support

• Lead a team of Small Business Relationship Managers focused on advisor engagement, onboarding support, and adoption of retirement solutions for small businesses.
• Monitor sales activity, pipeline management, and growth initiatives to support business objectives.
• Provide coaching and guidance on consultative relationship management and onboarding practices.

Service & Support Management

• Lead Pension Service Coordinator and Sales Support Analyst teams to achieve service, quality, productivity, and turnaround objectives.
• Monitor service standards and operational performance while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, client outcomes, and workflow effectiveness.
• Oversee shared mailbox management, workflow distribution, and the timely delivery of service support requests, reporting, and client deliverables.

Leadership & Team Development

• Recruit, onboard, coach, and develop team members while establishing clear performance expectations and supporting career growth.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and accountable culture that promotes employee engagement, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning.
• Support succession planning and help team members navigate evolving business priorities and organizational change.

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance service quality, operational efficiency, and client outcomes.
• Champion the effective use of AI, automation, and digital tools to streamline work, reduce manual activities, and enable the team to focus on higher-value activities.
• Leverage performance metrics, service trends, and client feedback to identify opportunities for process improvement and resource optimization.
• Support change management initiatives and maintain quality standards, procedures, and training resources.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Ensure adherence to company policies, service standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Support audit, compliance, governance, and risk mitigation activities, escalating issues as appropriate.
• Promote a culture of accountability, accuracy, and risk awareness across the team.

Required Qualifications:

• 5-7 years of experience in retirement, financial services, client service, relationship management, or a related field.
• Experience in leading or coaching client-facing and operational support teams.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication, coaching, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience identifying and implementing process improvements.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Copilot Premium.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Commerce, or a related field.
• Industry designations such as CEBS, RPA, CSC or equivalent. Completing the RPA designation within 3 years will be a requirement for the selected candidate.

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

Waterloo, Ontario

Working Arrangement

Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$85,300.00 CAD - $135,300.00 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 the personal information collection statement.