Global Head of Compliance Testing

Manulife • Waterloo, ON

1d • CA$129,800 - CA$241,200 • Hybrid

About The Position

Manulife is seeking an experienced professional to lead the Global Compliance Testing program and team, with a mandate to evolve the function into a technology-enabled, risk-responsive, and AI-enabled testing model. Supporting legal entity and Segment CCOs, the individual will be responsible for managing and transforming the program by integrating automation, advanced analytics, continuous monitoring, and AI/GenAI-enabled testing methodologies, while working closely with other teams within Regulatory Assurance and Governance to strengthen coverage, efficiency, governance, and regulatory alignment.

Requirements

• Degree ideally in Legal, Finance or a related field
• 10 years + of compliance/audit or similar experience, with a good understanding of financial markets, products, services and processes
• CPA, CIA or a related designation
• Confidence and credibility to deliver and present to Senior Executive leadership and business unit management teams
• Ability to foster and build relationships, engage, and influence others, with diverse subject matter experts.
• Flexible and adaptable when dealing with change with a strong awareness and understanding of cultural diversity
• High level of self-motivation and keen sense of “owning” and delivering on project deliverables
• Leadership experience working for a global financial institution
• Strong understanding of control frameworks, testing methodologies, and risk concepts (inherent, residual, appetite, etc.)

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of the Financial Services Industry, with specific focus on testing
• Demonstratable understand of investment instruments and a general knowledge of compliance concepts
• Accuracy and high attention to detail – clear and precise writing skills
• Stakeholder Management – communicates complex and ambiguous topics with clarity and ease, able to interface with different stakeholders at all levels; skilled in both oral and written communication
• Experience implementing continuous auditing or monitoring frameworks enabled by analytics or AI.
• Experience with AI/GenAI or agent-based solutions in audit or testing.
• Exposure to AI transformation or digital enablement initiatives.
• Problem solver and decision maker – effectively leverage internal resource and external industry market insights to assimilate, synthesize, and recommend solutions for complex challenges; takes ownership to make informed and timely decisions and own implementation of solutions
• Significant experience in regulatory compliance testing
• Experience in building diverse, high performing teams
• Proven success in building and implementing testing programs to evaluate the design and adequacy of effectiveness of key controls
• Self-motivated with strong collaboration and influencing skills
• Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple tasks and competing priorities, meet deadlines, and adapt

Responsibilities

• Independently develop and maintain a risk-based control testing program to review and challenge the design adequacy and effectiveness of key regulations / controls across the company
• Develop and implement sound sampling methodologies and requirements to be deployed by testers across the company
• Establish an automated control validation strategy to efficiently expand coverage of monitoring.
• Establish the strategic plan for the design and development of the testing group and the timely execution of testing and assurance to further strengthen the control environment.
• Prepare and deliver clear, concise, and actionable reporting to senior leadership and governance committees.
• Oversee a global team responsible for executing the risk-based testing program.
• Proactively identify and implement testing automation and analytics where appropriate.
• Excellent critical and creative thinking, decision-making and innovative problem-solving skills

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 and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions)
• financial education and counseling resources.
• 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.

What This Job Offers

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