Business Operations Manager

Manulife • Boston, MA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Business Operations Manager is a strategic and operational leader responsible for overseeing day-to-day business functions, optimizing workflows, and strengthening the firm’s operational infrastructure. This role serves as a central partner across internal teams and external vendors, driving issue resolution, ensuring regulatory compliance, and executing key initiatives that support scalable growth and an exceptional client experience. The Manager provides operational leadership, enhances controls, and guides team members to maintain the highest standards of accuracy, efficiency, and risk management.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Operations Management or at least 6 years of experience in business or investment operations within wealth management, asset management, or financial services.
• Strong knowledge of operational workflows, controls, audits, and regulatory requirements (e.g., SEC, FINRA).
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, resolve complex issues, and improve processes.
• Proficiency with portfolio management systems, trading or reconciliation tools, and advanced Excel/reporting skills.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership abilities, with experience mentoring or guiding team members.
• FINRA Series 24, 7, 66 or 63 & 65

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary operational leader across internal teams, external partners, and platform vendors, ensuring seamless coordination and timely resolution of issues.
• Lead efforts to evaluate, refine, and implement operational best practices that improve efficiency, reduce risk, and enhance service delivery.
• Oversee operational readiness for new initiatives, including platform conversions, product launches, and product sunsets.
• Act as an escalation point for complex client issues, collaborating with Customer Support to investigate account activity, diagnose system defects, and champion platform enhancements with Product and Engineering teams.
• Direct the end-to-end incident management process, including issue documentation, root cause analysis, corrective action planning, and preventative control implementation to reduce repeat occurrences.
• Manage the full lifecycle of model portfolio administration, including Investment Committee policy implementation, model updates, periodic rebalancing, trade oversight, and reconciliation review.
• Oversee algorithmic trade workflows, validate execution quality, and monitor performance deviations or anomalies.
• Review and approve distribution workflows, liquidation processing, and raise-cash activities to support accurate, timely disbursements.
• Oversee the billing governance framework to ensure accuracy, transparency, and adherence to internal controls.
• Lead fee testing procedures, approve billing exceptions, and ensure timely processing and posting of client fees.
• Architect and maintain scalable operational workflows, SOPs, and control frameworks that strengthen the business as it grows.
• Produce monthly and quarterly operational dashboards, insights, and executive-ready reporting for leadership and key stakeholders.
• Support the creation of materials and presentations for quarterly business reviews and cross-team operational meetings.
• Own the full annual audit cycle, including preparing documentation, analyzing data variances, responding to auditor inquiries, and coordinating stakeholder involvement.
• Perform and oversee weekly OFAC screenings, review alerts, and escalate any identified issues per regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate delivery of client regulatory communications (ADV, privacy notices), ensuring accuracy and timely distribution.
• Serve as an authorized approver for granting or removing user access across vendor systems, maintaining stringent access-control compliance.
• Provide leadership, training, and mentorship to operational team members, supporting skill development and elevating team performance.
• Conduct quality reviews of operational deliverables to minimize risk and uphold accuracy standards.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for systems, workflows, policies, and controls, guiding colleagues through operational inquiries.
• Represent the operations function in cross-team discussions, contributing to decision-making, issue resolution, and strategic planning.

Benefits

• 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.
• various retirement savings plans (including pension/401(k) savings plans and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources.
• up to 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days, 150 hours of vacation, and 40 hours of sick time (or more where required by law) each year
• full range of statutory leaves of absence.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level