Technology Strategy Director Mandate
Reports To: Chief Technology Officer (CTO) / Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Location: [Toronto]
Department: Technology / IT / Strategy

Role Summary:

The Director of Technology Strategy will contribute to the development and execution of Manulife Bank’'s technological vision, driving the modernization of its systems and aligning technology initiatives with organizational goals. Reporting into the CTO/Head of Technology, this role is responsible for leading the development and execution of the organization's technology strategy roadmap to ensure systems are secure, scalable, and aligned with industry’s standard processes, aligning technology initiatives with business goals, driving innovation, and ensuring that technology investments deliver maximum value. The Director will collaborate with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for growth and efficiency optimizations.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Technology Development:

• Partner to define, deliver, implement, and maintain the Manulife Bank technology strategy and portfolio planning to drive Manulife's business goals—both strategic and operational—with a key focus on simplification and modernization.
• Collaborate with Planning Teams, Strategy, segment CIOs, and CFOs to influence processes, policies, and systems that enable more transparent planning and efficiency improvements.
• Continuously improve and standardize processes to gain efficiency in production and enhance the quality of information.
• Engage with senior leadership members to formulate and vet initiative listings and review quarterly actual expense and benefit results.

Employee Engagement & Leadership:

• Support the Manulife Bank CTO with employee engagement activities, including townhalls, team events, and talent management.
• Provide leadership and direction in developing a team of highly engaged, geographically diverse technology professionals, empowering them to develop, deliver, and operate a top-tier technology strategy.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Partner closely with key customers within the Bank and broader Manulife organization to coordinate work efforts for all finance-related matters and strategic outcomes.
• Work with Enterprise Strategy to drive continuous evolution of processes and philosophies supporting initiative prioritization and measurement as a competitive advantage.

Workforce & Financial Management:

• Establish operating and investment budgets, consistent with short and long-term financial goals for the bank
• Monitor spending and facilitate adjustments to ensure financial targets are met aligned to technology strategy and roadmap
• Assist in workforce management and talent management, including reorganizations and realignments as necessary.

Closed Loop Reporting:

• Design and build initiative expense and benefit reporting to ensure expenses and benefits are tracked in the Closed Loop model by functional area, focusing on P2G reporting.

Business Justification Support:

• Support Strategy and Project Management teams in creating business justifications by providing advisory support on template completion and first-level review.
• Drive all annual budget and portfolio planning processes.

Performance Metrics and Reporting:

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs or OKRs) to measure the success of technology initiatives.
• Provide regular reports to senior leadership on the progress and impact of technology projects.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 8+ years experience in technology strategy, development, engineering or architecture roles.
• 5+ years in a leadership position.
• Proven experience in technology strategy development and execution including managing technology roadmaps and overseeing enterprise-scale system implementations.
• Expertise in enterprise architecture frameworks (e.g., TOGAF) and contemporary technologies such as cloud environments (AWS), SaaS applications (Salesforce, Data Bricks), and microservices.
• Extensive understanding of cloud-native architectures and serverless technologies, with experience in modernizing legacy systems.
• Proven track record in driving digital transformation initiatives and guiding organizations through complex technology changes.
• Extensive background in emerging technologies such as AI/ML and big data platforms, with the ability to drive innovation within the organization.
• Proven experience in managing large-scale software development projects, particularly in cloud environments such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.
• Expertise in Tech Strategy standard processes, including microservices, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and API development.
• Strong understanding of SDLC, DevOps, SRE, and software engineering practices
• Expertise in financial planning, forecasting, and business justification development.
• Strong program management skills, including customer identification, landmark development, resource management, risk mitigation, and familiarity with change management in technology.
• Highly analytical and data-driven, with the ability to interpret technical data and develop actionable recommendations.
• Excellent communication skills to articulate technology strategies and technical positions clearly and persuasively to various audiences, including executive leadership and technical teams.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong cross-functional and global relationships within and outside the company, particularly within the technology sector.
• Able to understand and contribute to the broader operational and business impacts of technology decisions.
• Skilled at making decisions with a view of broader implications and customer alignment to drive business performance

Key Competencies:

• Critical Thinking
• Innovation and Creativity
• Leadership and Team Development
• Business Insight
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Abilities
• Change Management

Expected Outcomes:

• A clear and actionable technology strategy aligned with the organization’s goals.
• Successful implementation of technology initiatives that drive business growth and efficiency.
• Enhanced organizational capability to use emerging technologies for competitive advantage.

What can we offer you?

• A competitive salary and benefits packages.
• A growth trajectory that extends upward and outward, encouraging you to follow your passions and learn new skills.
• A focus on growing your career path with us.
• Flexible work policies and strong work-life balance.
• Professional development and leadership opportunities.

Our commitment to you

Values-first culture 

We lead with our Values every day and bring them to life together. 

Boundless opportunity 

We create opportunities to learn and grow at every stage of your career. 

Continuous innovation 

We invite you to help redefine the future of financial services. 

Delivering the promise of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

We foster an inclusive workplace where everyone thrives. 

Championing Corporate Citizenship 

We build a business that benefits all customers and has a positive social and environmental impact.

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 recruitment@manulife.com.

Referenced Salary Location

Salary range is expected to be between

If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact recruitment@manulife.com for the salary range for your location. 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. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.

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 recruitment@manulife.com for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.