Senior Machine Learning Engineer

John Hancock; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 107,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation and benefits

Career growth and leadership

Flexible work environment

Collaborative, inclusive culture

Job summary

John Hancock is seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to join its AI team and advance scalable ML solutions across production pipelines, from experimentation to deployment. You will collaborate with a global group of data scientists and engineers to deliver AI-powered insurance experiences and intelligent automation that enhance customer journeys.

You will design, build, and operationalize models (including NLP and vision-based workflows), own ML pipelines with CI/CD, mentor engineers, and

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a quantitative field or related discipline.
• 5+ years delivering ML solutions in production environments.
• Proficient in Python; Java/SQL a plus.
• Hands-on NLP/document understanding and unstructured data handling.
• Experience with distributed computing and cloud platforms.
• Familiar with Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD in production.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and operationalize ML models from experimentation to production.
• Develop and maintain end-to-end ML pipelines with CI/CD and monitoring.
• Lead technical design reviews and establish scalable architecture standards.
• Collaborate with data scientists, engineers, and business stakeholders.
• Apply MLOps best practices across the model lifecycle.
• Mentor junior engineers and foster a strong engineering culture.

Skills

Python programming

Production ML experience

NLP & document understanding

AI lifecycle knowledge

Distributed computing

Cloud platforms

Education

Master’s or PhD in Computer Science/Engineering

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD pipelines

Spark

Hadoop

AWS/GCP/Azure

Job description

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

The Opportunity

Join John Hancock’s AI team and help transform the insurance experience through advanced analytics and intelligent automation. You’ll work at the intersection of business and technology to build scalable AI solutions that enhance customer experience, simplify processes, and drive smarter decisions.

As part of a global community of 260+ data scientists and AI professionals across Manulife, you’ll collaborate with experts worldwide on high-impact initiatives. We are on a transformation journey to remove complexity from financial services and make decisions easier for our customers.

What You’ll Do

• Design, build, and operationalize machine learning models—from experimentation to scalable production systems (including classical ML, deep learning, and LLM-based solutions)
• Develop and maintain end-to-end ML pipelines with CI/CD, monitoring, and model performance tracking
• Lead technical design reviews and define architecture standards for scalability, reliability, and security
• Partner with data scientists, engineers, and business stakeholders to deliver AI solutions aligned to business goals
• Apply and champion MLOps best practices across the full model lifecycle
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a strong engineering culture

What You Bring

• Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related quantitative field
• 5+ years of experience delivering machine learning solutions in production
• Strong programming skills in Python (Java/SQL a plus)
• Hands-on experience with NLP and document understanding (e.g., classification, entity extraction, relationship extraction)
• Experience working with unstructured data (PDFs, images) using vision/language models and OCR
• Strong understanding of the AI lifecycle: data preparation, feature engineering, model development, deployment, and monitoring
• Experience with distributed computing (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
• Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, and production-grade engineering practices

Nice to Have

• Experience with fraud detection, anomaly detection, or deepfake detection
• Exposure to generative AI, LLM fine-tuning, or agent-based systems
• Experience working in agile environments (e.g., JIRA)

What Drives Success

• Customer-first mindset with a focus on impact
• Curiosity and passion for applying emerging AI technologies
• Ownership and accountability in fast-paced environments
• Strong collaboration across cross-functional teams
• Commitment to integrity and inclusion

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits
• Career growth and leadership opportunities
• Flexible work environment and strong work-life balance
• A collaborative, inclusive, and innovation-driven culture

Our Commitment

We are a values-driven organization focused on inclusion, innovation, and creating meaningful impact for our customers, colleagues, and communities.

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

Boston, Massachusetts

Working Arrangement

Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$107,450.00 USD - $199,550.00 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.)