Project Professional Jobs in Kitchener, ON (NOW HIRING)

The Strategic Initiatives Lead is a project-focused role responsible for driving the planning, coordination, and execution of high-priority Sales Enablement and Effectiveness initiatives at Manulife Bank. We are seeking a highly organized, self-directed professional with strong project management capabilities who can translate strategic objectives into structured work plans, coordinate stakeholders, proactively resolve challenges, and ensure successful delivery of business outcomes.

Acting as an internal consultant and project lead, this role partners across Sales, Marketing, Product, Risk, Operations, and Technology to drive cross-functional initiatives from concept through implementation. Success in this position requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, ownership mindset, stakeholder influence, and the ability to independently navigate ambiguity while maintaining momentum and accountability.

Operating at the intersection of project management, business operations, and change execution, the role accelerates adoption, productivity, and performance while helping deliver enterprise priorities and client-centric growth.

The ideal candidate is a highly organized project professional who is comfortable taking ownership of initiatives, working across multiple stakeholder groups, and driving progress in environments where priorities may evolve. They are naturally proactive, excel at bringing structure to ambiguity, and are motivated by turning plans into results.

Position Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end planning, execution, and governance of complex initiatives, translating strategic objectives into structured project plans, milestones, deliverables, and measurable outcomes while maintaining ownership of execution from initiation through implementation.

• Drive cross-functional alignment across Sales, Marketing, Product, Risk, Operations, and Technology; facilitate working sessions, ensure clear ownership of deliverables, and support timely decision-making.

• Develop and maintain detailed project schedules, dependency maps, risk and issue logs, action plans, and governance documentation to ensure initiatives remain on track and stakeholders remain informed.

• Drive cross-functional alignment across Sales, Marketing, Product, Risk, Operations, and Technology by facilitating working sessions, coordinating deliverables, establishing accountability, and supporting effective decision-making.

• Independently identify risks, dependencies, gaps, and roadblocks, proactively developing and implementing solutions to maintain delivery timelines and business objectives.

• Manage governance and reporting, including executive updates, project dashboards, benefit tracking, and status reporting to ensure transparency, accountability, and informed decision-making.

• Ensure effective stakeholder communication by providing regular project updates, aligning priorities, managing competing interests, and maintaining strong partnerships throughout the project lifecycle.

• Lead project execution cadence, including status meetings, working sessions, stakeholder check-ins, action tracking, and follow-up activities to drive progress and accountability.

• Partner with Change Management, Training, and Field Enablement teams to support adoption planning, stakeholder engagement, training coordination, and communication strategies.

• Identify opportunities to improve processes, establish scalable frameworks, and enhance team effectiveness through workflow optimization, documentation, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• 2+ years in program management, consulting, or business transformation

• Proven experience managing enterprise-scale, cross-functional initiatives

• Demonstrated ability to manage end-to-end project delivery, including planning, execution, dependency management, risk mitigation, and stakeholder coordination

• Strong knowledge of financial services and regulatory environments

• Proficiency with Salesforce, Smartsheet, Power Automate Flows, JIRA, and reporting tools (Power BI preferred)

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with structured solution development

• Excellent facilitation, presentation, and executive communication skills

• Advanced stakeholder management and ability to influence without authority

• Experience with agile or hybrid delivery frameworks, including managing project timelines and deliverables in dynamic environments

• Strong written communication and documentation skills

• High level of judgment, organization, and self-direction

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP or Agile certification

• Bilingualism (English and French) is an asset. If the successful candidate is in Quebec, proficiency in both languages will be required to support clients from various provinces outside of Quebec.

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

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.