Head of Business Transformation, US Retirement

Manulife • Boston, MA

25d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President, Business Transformation is a senior leadership role accountable for shaping and delivering large‑scale transformation initiatives across the Retirement business. This role serves as a strategic representative of the business, ensuring customer and commercial needs are embedded into transformation programs from vision through execution. As a key member of the US Retirement leadership team, the VP will partner closely with executive sponsors, segment leaders, the Transformation Office, and functional leaders to drive outcomes that modernize capabilities, improve efficiency, and advance long‑term growth objectives. This role operates as an extension of senior leadership and acts as a proxy for business segment executives on key decisions, priorities, and trade‑offs.

Requirements

• 15 years+ experience in retirement industry with driving outcomes.
• 10 years+ experience in people leadership with demonstrated ability to attract, develop, promote and retain top, diverse talent.
• Deep expertise in the U.S. Retirement industry, including recordkeeping platforms, ecosystems, regulatory requirements, and emerging trends.
• Proven experience leading large, complex transformation programs with strong governance, financial discipline, and execution rigor.
• Exceptional executive communication, negotiation, and influencing skills; ability to create alignment and “win‑win” outcomes.
• Comfort operating in high‑ambiguity environments and shifting seamlessly between strategic and tactical execution.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a complex portfolio of initiatives while building strong leadership and partner relationships.
• Strong analytical, financial, and balanced decision‑making capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior business representative and owner for transformation initiatives impacting GWAM US Retirement business.
• Shape and articulate a compelling future state vision that delivers modern, efficient, and straight through business processes.
• Ensure transformation programs align with strategic objectives, customer outcomes, regulatory requirements, and long-term financial plans.
• Act as an executive thought partner to segment leaders, providing decisive input on strategy, priorities, and execution risks.
• Oversee execution across multiple transformation workstreams, including technology, product, investment products, operations, sales and service, go to market, transitions, and third-party partnerships.
• Provide executive level oversight of scope, timelines, financials, dependencies, and risks; identify issues early and drive resolution.
• Lead deep dive assessments of complex problem areas and present clear, data driven recommendations for executive decision making.
• Represent and lead program governance through Steering Committees, Operating Committees, and enterprise governance forums, ensuring alignment and accountability.
• Influence and motivate senior leaders and cross functional partners without direct authority to achieve shared outcomes.
• Partner closely with Finance, Strategy, Technology, Operations, Human Resources, Compliance, and Legal to enable integrated delivery.
• Drive accurate prioritization, issue escalation, and trade off decisions across competing initiatives.
• Build and sustain strong, trusted relationships across leadership teams, clients, and external partners.
• Drive measurable improvements in business outcomes, including sales, retention, revenue growth, operational efficiency, plan growth, and participant experience.
• Ensure transparent, executive ready communication of progress, risks, outcomes, and financial impacts.
• Champion continuous improvement, innovation, and customer centricity across transformation efforts.

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: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed