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Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hybrid
The Opportunity
Reporting to the Head of AI, Canada, the role leads the Canada AI Delivery function and is responsible for transforming approved priorities into scalable, production-ready solutions that deliver measurable business value. The successful candidate will oversee multidisciplinary teams and work closely with business leaders, technology partners, data teams, and AI practitioners to accelerate the delivery of innovative AI-powered capabilities.
This role sits at the intersection of business transformation, technology, and execution. It requires a leader who can translate strategic ambition into outcomes, navigate complex cross-functional environments, and build the delivery capabilities required to scale AI at enterprise level. Success in this role requires balancing speed, innovation, and operational excellence while ensuring AI solutions are scalable, reusable, responsible, and aligned to business objectives.
Unlike traditional delivery leadership roles focused on project execution, this role is responsible for helping Canada AI evolve from delivering individual AI use cases to building scalable, reusable AI capabilities that drive enterprise-wide impact. The AVP will play a critical role in establishing modern AI delivery practices, accelerating organizational maturity, and enabling the next generation of AI-powered business outcomes across Manulife Canada.
Lead the evolution of Canada AI's delivery organization, establishing the people, processes, operating model, and execution disciplines required to deliver AI solutions with speed, quality, rigor, and consistency at enterprise scale.
Lead multidisciplinary teams responsible for transforming business priorities into deployed and adopted AI solutions, ensuring initiatives move beyond experimentation and deliver measurable value for customers, advisors, employees, and business partners.
Champion agile delivery, rapid prototyping, iterative development, product-centric thinking, and continuous improvement practices that increase delivery velocity, predictability, and execution quality while fostering a culture of accountability and innovation.
Drive the transition from one-time AI use cases to reusable products, platforms, and capabilities that can be leveraged across multiple business units, creating greater efficiency, consistency, and enterprise impact.
Partner across business, technology, data, operations, risk, and global AI teams to align priorities, resolve barriers, manage dependencies, and ensure successful execution of strategic AI initiatives.
Build and mentor exceptional delivery leaders and multidisciplinary teams while strengthening organizational capabilities, succession depth, and delivery excellence across the Canada AI function.
12+ years of progressive leadership experience delivering large-scale technology, digital, data, analytics, AI, or business transformation initiatives within complex enterprise environments.
Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams responsible for delivering solutions from concept through deployment, adoption, operationalization, and value realization.
Demonstrated success building and scaling modern delivery organizations, including agile teams, delivery governance, operating models, and execution disciplines that improve speed, predictability, and business outcomes.
Experience leading the delivery of enterprise AI, machine learning, generative AI, intelligent automation, or advanced analytics solutions in production environments.
Strong understanding of modern AI technologies and delivery approaches, including machine learning, generative AI, agentic AI, cloud-based platforms, rapid prototyping, iterative development, and product-centric delivery models.
Demonstrated experience transforming organizations from project-based delivery approaches toward product, platform, or capability-based operating models that emphasize reuse, scale, and sustainable value creation.
Experience designing, delivering, or scaling reusable technology products, platforms, or enterprise capabilities that serve multiple business units, customer groups, or operational stakeholders.
Proven ability to lead complex cross-functional initiatives involving business, technology, data, risk, operations, and external partners while managing competing priorities and organizational dependencies.
Experience working across global or distributed teams, leveraging shared enterprise platforms and capabilities to deliver scalable technology and AI solutions.
Strong understanding of Responsible AI principles, model governance, risk management, privacy considerations, and regulatory requirements associated with enterprise AI deployment.
Proven ability to influence executive stakeholders and communicate complex technology and AI concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Experience leading leaders, building high-performing teams, and developing organizational capability within large, matrixed organizations.
Preferred Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Business, or a related field. Advanced degrees such as an MBA, Master's in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Engineering, or related disciplines are considered an asset.
Experience delivering solutions within financial services, insurance, healthcare, banking, or other highly regulated industries.
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 hr@manulife.com.
Referenced Salary Location
CAN, Ontario, Toronto, 250 Bloor Street EastWorking Arrangement
Salary range is expected to be between
$129,800.00 CAD - $241,200.00 CADEmployees 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 hr@manulife.com 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 hr@manulife.com 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 our personal information collection statement.