Program Director Jobs in Waterloo, ON (NOW HIRING)

The Director, Digital Program Management is responsible for leading the successful delivery of strategic digital transformation programs that advance Manulife's One Manulife vision.

This role will lead complex, multi-year programs that span business units, segments, and technology organizations, including initiatives such as Unified Canada, Digital Storefront (DSF), Shared Capabilities, and other enterprise customer experience transformation efforts.

The successful candidate will combine strategic leadership with hands-on execution. They will operate comfortably with senior executives and business leaders while also diving into delivery details, resolving issues, managing dependencies, coordinating teams, and driving outcomes across large, cross-functional programs.

Position Responsibilities:

Program Leadership & Transformation Delivery

• Lead large-scale digital transformation programs from initiation through execution, implementation, and business adoption.

• Establish program vision, objectives, success measures, and strategic roadmaps aligned to enterprise priorities.

• Develop and maintain integrated program plans across business, product, technology, operations, and vendor workstreams.

• Ensure alignment on scope, timelines, milestones, dependencies, deliverables, and expected outcomes.

• Drive accountability across multiple teams and stakeholder groups to achieve program objectives.

• Partner with product, technology, and business leaders to ensure delivery remains aligned to strategic goals and customer outcomes.

Program & Project Management

• Establish and oversee program governance structures, delivery frameworks, execution plans, and operating rhythms.

• Manage complex interdependencies across multiple workstreams, products, and business units.

• Coordinate planning activities, milestone reviews, readiness assessments, and delivery checkpoints.

• Ensure clear ownership, decision-making processes, and escalation paths are in place.

• Proactively identify, mitigate, and escalate risks, issues, and dependencies.

• Oversee change governance and ensure organizational readiness activities are embedded within program plans.

• Ensure adherence to enterprise delivery, governance, financial, reporting, ODF, and audit requirements.

Hands-On Delivery Leadership

Unlike a traditional Program Director role, this position is expected to actively engage in execution when required.

Responsibilities include:

• Building and maintaining integrated program plans.

• Managing RAID logs and dependency tracking.

• Facilitating working sessions, workshops, planning events, and executive reviews.

• Driving issue resolution and removing delivery blockers.

• Creating executive-ready status reports, presentations, and briefing materials.

• Supporting roadmap, release, and milestone planning activities.

• Partnering with Product Owners, Delivery Leads, and Scrum Masters to ensure execution remains on track.

• Directly project managing high-priority workstreams during critical delivery periods.

Executive Stakeholder Management

• Lead executive governance forums, steering committees, and transformation reviews.

• Build strong relationships across business, technology, operations, and digital experience teams.

• Manage stakeholder alignment across multiple segments, functions, and leadership teams.

• Provide clear, concise executive communications on program progress, risks, dependencies, decisions, and outcomes.

• Escalate issues requiring leadership intervention with context, options, and recommended paths forward.

• Influence without authority to drive alignment and execution across matrixed organizations.

Strategic Partnership Across Business and Technology

• Act as a key connector between Digital Experience, Product, Technology, Operations, and business stakeholders.

• Build strong partnerships across GWAM, Canada Segment, Shared Capabilities, and Global teams.

• Proactively identify and address gaps in delivery ownership, handoffs, decision-making, and execution.

• Foster collaboration across functions to accelerate delivery and improve program outcomes.

• Champion a One Manulife mindset by driving alignment, transparency, and shared accountability across teams.

Required Qualifications:

Experience

• 10+ years of experience leading complex digital transformation, program management, or technology delivery initiatives.

• Proven experience delivering large-scale, cross-functional programs spanning business and technology organizations.

• Experience leading customer-facing digital experience, platform modernization, or enterprise transformation initiatives.

• Experience operating within large, highly matrixed organizations.

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree (e.g., MBA or MS in a technical or business field) is a plus.

Skills & Capabilities

• Exceptional program and project management expertise.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.

• Advanced PowerPoint, Excel, and executive storytelling skills.

• Strong financial and delivery management discipline.

• Ability to simplify complex problems into actionable plans.

• Strong organizational and execution skills with attention to detail.

Communication & Influence

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Experience creating executive-level presentations, updates, and decision materials.

• Proven ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

• Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity and action.

Delivery & Ways of Working

• Strong understanding of Agile delivery practices and product operating models.

• Experience working with Jira, Rally, Confluence, and related delivery tools.

• Familiarity with digital product development from discovery through delivery.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PMP Certification is considered an asset.

• Experience within financial services is an asset.

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.

#LI-Hybrid

If you are applying to this role in Massachusetts, please note the salary range is $128,550 - $222,820 USD. Additionally, employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.

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.

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.