Business Operations Manager Jobs in Kitchener, ON

The Manager, Strategy & Chief of Staff is a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the AVP, Affinity Operations, responsible for driving business performance, strategic execution, and organizational effectiveness across the function.

Acting as an extension of the AVP, this role ensures Affinity Operations operates with clarity, discipline, and focus by connecting strategy, performance management, governance, communications, and leadership priorities. The successful candidate will bring structure to how the business is managed, enabling leaders to make informed decisions, align resources to key priorities, and deliver measurable business outcomes. This role is accountable for leading the business operating system for Affinity Operations, including strategic planning, performance management, governance, executive enablement, and cross-functional coordination.

As Chief of Staff to the AVP, the Manager serves as a central connector across teams and stakeholders, providing insight, alignment, and execution support to advance strategic priorities and drive operational excellence.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, trusted partner, and skilled communicator who excels at bringing clarity to complexity. They demonstrate a growth mindset and embrace AI, automation, and emerging technologies to enhance decision-making, streamline processes, and improve business outcomes. They are highly collaborative, proactive, and comfortable navigating ambiguity while driving alignment, accountability, and results.

Position Responsibilities:

Strategy & Execution

• Support the development, communication, and execution of the Affinity Operations strategy and roadmap.

• Translate strategic priorities into actionable plans, measurable outcomes, and execution milestones.

• Provide strategic analysis, insights, and recommendations to support business decision-making.

• Monitor progress against objectives, identify risks and opportunities, and drive accountability for results.

Business Performance & Governance

• Lead business performance reporting, scorecards, dashboards, and executive insights.

• Develop and manage key performance indicators aligned to business objectives.

• Establish and manage governance routines, business reviews, and planning cycles that support transparency, prioritization, and execution.

• Provide actionable insights that inform leadership decisions and continuous improvement.

• Identify opportunities to leverage AI, automation, and emerging technologies to enhance reporting, decision-making, operational effectiveness, and business outcomes

Chief of Staff & Leadership Enablement

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the AVP, Affinity Operations, helping manage priorities, decisions, and leadership effectiveness.

• Coordinate leadership forums, executive reviews, and business planning activities.

• Develop executive presentations, briefing materials, and leadership communications.

• Ensure alignment, follow-through, and accountability across leadership priorities and commitments.

Stakeholder Engagement & Organizational Alignment

• Build strong partnerships across Affinity, Operations, Technology, Finance, and enterprise stakeholders.

• Develop and maintain a pulse on Affinity business performance, strategic priorities, product direction, and growth opportunities, ensuring Affinity Operations remains aligned to evolving business needs and positioned to enable strategic outcomes.

• Act as a central point of coordination for cross-functional initiatives and strategic priorities.

• Foster alignment, remove barriers, and support informed decision-making across diverse stakeholder groups.

Communications & Change Enablement

• Support communication and change strategies that advance business priorities and organizational goals.

• Translate complex business information into clear, compelling messages tailored to different audiences.

• Partner with stakeholders to deliver leadership communications, employee engagement activities, town halls, offsites, and other business forums.

• Support adoption of key initiatives by ensuring effective engagement, alignment, and communication.

Required Qualifications:

• University degree in Business, Commerce, Finance, Communications, or a related field.

• 5-8 years of progressive experience in strategy, business management, operations, consulting, transformation, chief of staff, or related roles.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated curiosity and adaptability in adopting new technologies, including AI-enabled tools, to enhance productivity, business insights, collaboration, and decision-making.

• Demonstrated experience supporting senior leaders and driving cross-functional initiatives.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and business planning skills.

• Exceptional communication, presentation, and executive storytelling capabilities.

• Proven ability to influence and collaborate across complex stakeholder environments.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

• Experience in insurance, financial services, affinity partnerships, or operations environments.

• Experience in strategic planning, governance, performance management, change enablement, or portfolio management.

• Familiarity with operational excellence and business management best practices.

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.

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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

Salary range is expected to be between

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 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.

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