Manager, Investment Operations Jobs

We are a leading financial services provider committed to making decisions easier and lives better for our customers and colleagues around the world. From our environmental initiatives to our community investments, we lead with values throughout our business. To help us stand out, we help you step up, because when colleagues are healthy, respected and meaningfully challenged, we all thrive. Discover how you can grow your career, make impact and drive real change with our Winning Team today.

Working Arrangement

Hybrid

Job Summary:

Manulife Private Wealth (“MPW”) delivers discretionary investment counselling services to High-Net-Worth individuals and their families. We believe open architecture investment solutions and a global approach should be an integral part of our clients’ financial planning for the future.

We need people with the skills, energy and drive to help us continue to service our growing client base. With our head office located in Toronto, Manulife Private Wealth offers an opportunity to work with a team that values new ideas, fresh approaches and is committed to developing innovative solutions that will shape the future our business.

We are seeking a highly motivated and versatile Manager, Investment Operations to join our esteemed Manulife Private Wealth Investment Counsel Services team who will play a critical role in providing operational support to our investment counselling business. With a focus on enhancing productivity and service standards through the integration of systems technology, this individual will make a significant impact on our team's success. This individual will play a crucial supervisory role, coaching junior analysts in their training, development, and task assignments. Although there will be no direct reports, the Manager, Investment Operations will be expected to exhibit exceptional leadership abilities.

Managing relationships with internal partners, particularly with Manulife IT and Applications support is a key component of the role. Acting as a representative of the business, the Manager will be responsible for planning, implementing, testing, and signing off on software developments. Additionally, a quick and proficient understanding of MPW's tools, applications, and portfolio management system is essential, along with handling MPW’s Client Services and Investment Counselor teams inquiries related to the business’s operational tools and systems. Vendor management and Project Management are other key components of this role, ensuring the successful execution of our service agreements and managing Investment Counsel Services’ projects and the execution of both broad and specific strategies, respectively.

In summary, this position requires an individual who is skilled in leading projects, adept at relationship management, and proficient in portfolio management tools and applications. They will be accountable for handling, resolving, and effectively communicating on all requests relevant to multiple systems and/or products specific to their assigned team. Leading by example and serving as a role model for junior staff is an expectation for this role.

Responsibilities

Leadership

• Facilitate audit requirements for business unit operations.
• Assist with establishing new policies and procedures and ensure proper controls are in place. Ensure clear and concise documentation is created and maintained as procedures and processes evolve over time.
• Work closely with project team and systems analyst to create new workflows in private wealth systems.
• Proactively find opportunities for operational and improvements in execution, bring forward solutions to create efficiencies and mitigate risks, and help manage the analysis, implementation, and adoption of them.
• Act in a leadership role in MPW’s year-end tax reconciliation and tax reporting activities.
• Lead or assist in the resolution of problems. Act as liaison to custodian and trading partner to resolve trading, settlement, and reconciliation issues, and escalate when required.
• Responsible for training new team members as they come on board and providing coaching and feedback to analysts

Strategic Initiatives and Project Management

• Performs some or all of the following tasks: data management, data loads, runs scans, validation scripts, schedule production releases.
• Act as the business lead and actively participate in the implementation of broad strategies for integrating systems technology to enhance productivity and service standards.
• Reporting issues with applications and systems to respective partners and handles monitoring, testing, and sign-off activities in software development.
• Engages appropriate partners (internal or external) to resolve operational issues; plan parallel work streams when possible.
• Support the business with assigned application testing and project initiatives: Identify and define business requirements, conduct necessary gap analysis and modeling, raise operational impacts and considerations, testing and collaborate cross-functionally to meet with project plan.
• Play a leadership and subject matter expert role with MPW’s tools and applications and identify opportunities to enhance and improve.

Vendor and key stakeholder management

• Consult with privacy, operational risk, and legal partners to aid in business decisions and mitigate risks.
• Manage relationship with MPW Investment Counselor Service’s vendors and engage with internal partners as it relates to contracting and operational improvements. Ensure quality execution of services and support, address critical issues and process improvements and monitor and provide regular feedback to ensure service levels are aligned with contract.
• Collaborate with internal departments when they are developing new procedures and controls, examining/redesigning internal workflows, and negotiating service standards and requirements as required.
• Manage relationship with Manulife IT and Application Support. Represent the business in meetings and provide insight into day-to-day operations. Conduct testing and investigations, share feedback, and raise issues and operational improvements.

What we are looking for?

• Post-secondary education and/or minimum 4-6 years equivalent work experience in the financial services industry
• Successful completion or enrollment in a Project Management certificate course is an asset
• Demonstrate tact and professionalism and maintain confidentiality.
• Experience in portfolio management systems is an asset
• Successful completion or enrolment in the Canadian Securities Course is preferred.
• Strong PC skills with solid understanding of Microsoft office applications (especially Microsoft Excel)
• Desire to work successfully and collaboratively in a sophisticated and demanding business environment.
• Demonstrate initiative and take responsibility.
• High Net Worth market experience strongly preferred
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills
• Successful completion or enrolment in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program or Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) program is an asset.
• Knowledge of and experience with securities instruments/settlement, foreign exchange, reconciliation, and investment accounting
• Superb communication and interpersonal skills
• Experienced and interested in coaching and developing team members and providing training.

Competencies

• Client focused with the ability to understand the clients’ requirements.
• Flexible and adaptable when dealing with change; including changing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Ability to balance multiple priorities while maintaining a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail in a team environment.
• Results oriented and organized with ability to investigate problems without supervision.
• Expected to analyze options and provide thoughtful recommendations and analysis.
• Fast learner and self-starter, who takes initiative and thrives in a fast-paced work environment.

What can we offer you?

• A focus on growing your career path with us!
• Professional development and leadership opportunities.
• A growth trajectory that extends upward and outward, encouraging you to follow your passions and learn new skills.
• A competitive salary and benefits packages.
• Flexible work policies and strong work-life balance.

Our commitment to you

• Delivering the promise of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion We foster an inclusive workplace where everyone thrives.
• Continuous innovation We invite you to help redefine the future of financial services.
• Values-first culture We lead with our Values every day and bring them to life together!
• Boundless opportunity We create opportunities to learn and grow at every stage of your career.

Manulife/ John Hancock 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 cultivate 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 [email protected].

About Manulife And John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services group that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we operate as Manulife across our offices in Asia, Canada, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. We provide financial advice, insurance, and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. At the end of 2022, we had more than 40,000 employees, over 116,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 34 million customers. At the end of 2022, we had $1.3 trillion (US$1.0 trillion) in assets under management and administration, including total invested assets of $0.4 trillion (US $0.3 trillion), and segregated funds net assets of $0.3 trillion (US$0.3 trillion). We trade as ‘MFC’ on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges, and under ‘945’ in Hong Kong.

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 [email protected].

Salary & Benefits

The annual base salary for this role is listed below.

Primary Location

Toronto, Ontario

Salary range is expected to be between

$82,500.00 CAD - $148,500.00 CAD

If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact [email protected] for the salary range for your location. 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. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.

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 [email protected] for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.