Operations Director

Objective:

Provide strategic and operational leadership for US Sponsor Services by driving alignment between onshore and offshore retirement operations, strengthening service delivery, developing high-performing teams, and enhancing process efficiency. This role ensures regulatory compliance, fosters strong stakeholder relationships, advances industry knowledge across global teams, and delivers measurable improvements in quality, client experience, and operational performance while supporting the long‑term offshore location strategy. This position will report directly to the AVP, Operations in Manila, with a dotted line to the onshore AVP, Sponsor Onboarding and Advisor Services.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute strategic plans for Retirement Operations to ensure strong alignment with onshore business objectives.
• Lead initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, service delivery, and overall effectiveness.
• Recommend improvements to training, documentation, and support frameworks to drive successful outcomes.
• Review, refine, and standardize KPIs to ensure consistency and alignment across onshore and offshore functions.

Operational Management

• Oversee daily operations of the Retirement Services team to ensure high‑quality, compliant service delivery.
• Manage workflows and processes to ensure adherence to industry regulations and internal policies.
• Build a strong pipeline of roles and talent to support the transition of additional onshore work to offshore teams.

Team Leadership

• Recruit, develop, and mentor a high-performing team of operations leaders and professionals.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive culture that promotes growth, accountability, and professional development.
• Ensure managers and co‑directors have a cohesive focus on business leadership, including a solid understanding of key objectives and operational priorities.

Client and Stakeholder Relations

• Maintain strong relationships with key business partners, proactively addressing needs and concerns.
• Lead regular monthly business updates with US partners.
• Serve as a liaison between MBPS Operations and relevant departments to ensure clear communication and alignment.

Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and implement solutions that elevate service efficiency and client experience.
• Partner with onshore leaders and transformation teams to co‑lead initiatives and strategic projects.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure MBPS Retirement Operations consistently meet regulatory requirements, industry standards, and internal policies.
• Manage operational risks by implementing controls that reduce potential issues and minimize financial exposure.
• Act as co‑Director for the GA Onboarding audit scheduled for Q4 2025.

Financial Management

• Accountable for meeting financial targets for US Onboarding and Advisor Services.
• Monitor financial performance, implementing cost-control strategies where appropriate.

Performance Monitoring and Reporting

• Establish clear KPIs to measure performance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Prepare and deliver monthly operational performance reports to senior leaders, including the onshore AVP and, where applicable, the VP Retirement Operations and offshore AVP/VP Retirement Operations.

Innovation and Change Management

• Promote innovation across the operations team, driving adoption of new technologies and improved processes.
• Lead change management efforts to support smooth transitions during organizational updates or process enhancements.

Industry Engagement and Knowledge

• Stay current with industry trends, regulatory changes, and leading practices in retirement services.
• Enhance offshore teams’ industry knowledge through ongoing education and exposure.
• Maintain engagement with the distribution organization through monthly updates and participation in Town Halls.

Measures of Success:

• Reduction of escalations, reflected in tNPS (target: 65) and CSAT (target: 9).
• Improved quality outcomes, including reduction of errors and financial losses (target: 90% first-pass accuracy).
• Strengthened retention, reduced turnover, and a robust progression pipeline for US Onboarding and Advisor Services talent.
• Successful rollout of the Charter Series to deepen Retirement business knowledge.
• Achievement of a 70% offshore location strategy for US Sponsor Onboarding and Advisor Services.

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 [email protected].