Position Summary - Director
We are reimagining the Finance function; establishing ways of working that will enable our teams to benefit from the investments that we are making in people, processes, technology and setting up a function fit for the future. Under this model, in-market teams will focus on strategic business partnering and decision-making support, while operational activities will scale within our redefined Global Shared Services (GSS).
The Director of GSS will serve as the liaison between in-market teams and our Finance Shared Service Centres (FSSC). Their role is to drive operational excellence and quality, with a strong emphasis on improving Finance customer outcomes and building our future talent pipeline.
We’re looking for a candidate who demonstrates a strong operational processing background including a strong focus on efficiency and risk mitigation and who is also a collaborative, transparent change agent who can create and communicate a vision and engage individuals to work towards objectives. This role requires a highly visible strategic influencer who can drive change through relationships, thought leadership and exceptional business knowledge and the ability to get things done.
Key responsibilities:
Service Management & Governance
- Serve as the primary point of contact and escalation for in-market teams and FSSC operations.
- Act as a quality gatekeeper, ensuring requests are reasonable and operations comply with agreed SLAs.
- Responsible for the escalation and quick resolution of any operational service issues.
- Ensures that work is integrated across teams, meets service level standards, and exceeds quality standards.
- Establish a high level of credibility and build professional relationships with our business partners and our customers.
- Ensure customer-centered outcomes, manage business relationships and act as a partner for our Business Unit service recipients. Enable feedback channels to the business to align expectations and priorities.
- Periodically refresh service level standards across the teams to align to business requirements and manage the achievement of KPIs as defined within the Service Level Agreements and Schedule of Services.
- Manage and mitigate operational risk and ensure that issues are escalated in a prompt manner and resolution is effective.
- Accountable for timely and accurate closure of the month end/quarter end.
- Ensure effective delivery of KPI and KRI reporting, business dashboards and other metrics as required.
- Drive the sharing of best practices, fostering collaboration, and innovation across the teams.
- Execute strategic priorities and evolve the service delivery model toward a scalable and strategic global business shared service.
- Ensure that the FSSC Governance model and Operating Standards are adhered to.
- Participate in strategic business planning activities and help translate to business initiatives.
Quality Assurance
- Conduct quality reviews and challenges from both business unit and accounting/process perspectives.
- Ensure effective risk management to de-risk the operating model.
- Oversee end-to-end accounting operations performed by FSSC, ensuring accuracy, compliance with IFRS 17 accounting standards and regulatory requirements.
- Drive efficiency across all financial processes with focus on General & Administrative expense actuals initially.
- Work with the Global Process Owners (GPOs) to ensure the integrity, alignment and optimization of processes to a global standard. Deviations should be highlighted to the GPOs.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Build strong relationships with segment/function-aligned finance teams and FSSC professionals.
- Act as a trusted advisor for operational and accounting matters.
- Provide driver-based analyses on actuals to the stakeholders.
- Assist the in-market teams in their plan and forecasting processes.
Talent Development
- Provide support and training for the development of our FSSC teams.
- Foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
- Develop the capability and functional expertise through training/development, coaching/mentoring, strategic talent management, succession-planning, and supporting mobility.
Qualifications:
- CPA or equivalent professional designation required.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in accounting and finance, with at least 5 years in leadership roles.
- Working knowledge of IFRS17 and regulatory compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
- Effective communication and active listening skills, with a strong ability to build and maintain strong relationships across all levels within the organization.
- Expertise in ERP systems and financial automation tools.
- Flexible, steady under pressure, and willing to switch gears quickly.
- Strong curiosity and desire to make the complex clear and to always ask “why”
- Organized, self-directed, efficient, and able to manage complex projects.
- Strong team player.
- Commitment to client service & problem resolution.
- Experience in working in a broad Matrix organization, listening and using influence to make an impact. Proven track record and positive reputation to influence others and move toward a common vision or goal, within and/or beyond their business area.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Ability to work in an ambiguous environment and adapt to change while managing time and workload with aggressive timelines.
- Experience working across multiple geographies and time zones. Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively across cultures, geographies and senior leadership. Excellent English written and verbal communication skills.
- Sound operations management acumen with a solid understanding of the business environment through practical experience.
- Innovative thinker with the ability to negotiate, influence and challenge the status quo to continuously improve processes.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with demonstrated ability to work with complex financial issues and concepts.
- Ability to anticipate issues and think proactively to resolve issues and risk.
- Highly organized with an ability to work in a fast-paced, multi stakeholder environment and manage multiple priorities.
- Proficient in MS Office suite including Outlook, Excel, Word, Power Point, SharePoint, PowerBI, PowerApps and Alteryx
- Quick to learn and adopt new technologies and software applications.
- Ability to troubleshoot technical issues and find solutions independently or by using online resources.
- A strong interest in staying updated with the latest technology trends and innovations.
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.
Working Arrangement
Hybrid
