VP, Group Benefits & Affinity Marketing

Manulife • Toronto, ON

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

This role is responsible for defining and executing a multi-year marketing strategy aligned with Manulife’s Group Benefits and Affinity growth ambitions. The VP will own the vision for evolving benefits and affinity propositions into differentiated, consumer-grade experiences, articulating value beyond price through health platforms, partner-led engagement, care navigation, and relevant insurance solutions. This position requires partnering with Product, Digital, Data, Distribution, and Business leaders to align marketing strategy with platform, experience, partner, and growth priorities. The role involves translating business objectives into clear marketing priorities, KPIs, and measurable outcomes, positioning Manulife as a market leader in employee benefits, wellbeing, and affinity-based insurance solutions. The VP will also act as a senior voice in shaping customer experience, sponsor and advisor engagement, and long-term value creation across the organization. Additionally, the role involves leading market, customer, member, sponsor, partner, and advisor insights to inform segmentation, targeting, and messaging, understanding the distinct needs of various employer segments and affinity partners. Anticipating market trends and partnering with finance, underwriting, actuarial, and product teams to align marketing narratives with business and sponsor economics are key aspects. The VP will evolve and differentiate Manulife’s Group Benefits and Affinity value propositions, develop compelling narratives, and translate outcomes into proof points. Demand generation for new business acquisition and client retention, leading the RFP function, and delivering integrated marketing programs are critical. The role also focuses on optimizing the full funnel, driving retention and in-force growth, and leading the shift to always-on, journey-based marketing powered by digital platforms, automation, and data. Establishing clear measurement frameworks and building, mentoring, and inspiring a high-performing marketing organization are also key responsibilities.

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive marketing leadership experience within Group Benefits / Group Insurance in the Canadian market preferred; Affinity, sponsor-led distribution, or partnership marketing experience considered a strong asset.
• 10+ years of experience in leading large marketing teams and influencing cross-functional, senior, and partner stakeholders.
• Proven track record of driving growth through integrated marketing strategies (i.e., digital marketing, customer segmentation, lifecycle marketing, personalization, analytics) across B2B, B2B2C, advisor, sponsor, and partnership channels.
• Strong understanding of advisor/consultant distribution models, sponsor relationships, and partnership-based acquisition and retention models.
• Exceptional strategic thinking, storytelling, and executive communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Affinity, sponsor-led distribution, or partnership marketing experience considered a strong asset.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute a multi-year marketing strategy aligned with Manulife’s Group Benefits and Affinity growth ambitions.
• Set and own the vision for evolving benefits and affinity propositions from transactional products into differentiated, consumer-grade experiences.
• Own the articulation of value beyond price—demonstrating how health platforms, partner-led engagement, care navigation, and relevant insurance solutions support affordability, productivity, resilience, and customer confidence.
• Partner with Product, Digital, Data, Distribution, and Business leaders to align marketing strategy with platform, experience, partner, and growth priorities.
• Translate business objectives into clear marketing priorities, KPIs, and measurable outcomes, positioning Manulife as a market leader in employee benefits, wellbeing, and affinity-based insurance solutions.
• Act as a senior voice in shaping how customer experience, sponsor and advisor engagement, and long-term value creation are embedded across the organization.
• Lead market, customer, member, sponsor, partner, and advisor insights to inform segmentation, targeting, and messaging.
• Understand the distinct needs of SME, mid-market, and large enterprise employers, as well as affinity partners, alumni groups, professional associations, sponsors, and end customers.
• Anticipate market trends including healthcare affordability, mental health needs, workforce demographics, inflation pressures, talent retention dynamics, direct-to-consumer insurance expectations, and sponsor-led distribution models.
• Partner with finance, underwriting, actuarial, and product teams to understand claims trends, affordability pressures, partner economics, and customer value drivers, ensuring marketing narratives align to real business and sponsor economics.
• Evolve and differentiate Manulife’s Group Benefits and Affinity value propositions in competitive, relationship-led markets.
• Define and evolve the brand and value proposition to reflect a modern, care-oriented, consumer-grade health platform and relevant affinity-based insurance experience.
• Develop compelling narratives that resonate with all key stakeholders including HR leaders, business owners, advisors, sponsors, affinity partners, and end customers.
• Balance trust, credibility, partner relevance, and innovation to strengthen brand preference and long-term loyalty.
• Translate health outcomes, engagement metrics, partner performance, and member/customer experience improvements into compelling proof points for employers, advisors, sponsors, and affinity partners.
• Own demand generation strategy in support of new business acquisition and client retention.
• Lead the RFP function for Group Benefits and support differentiated partner proposals for Affinity, driving strong win rates through high-quality, commercially grounded submissions.
• Deliver integrated marketing programs that strengthen broker, advisor, sponsor, and partner engagement and grow share of wallet.
• Partner closely with sales, distribution, and partner management teams to align marketing programs with commercial priorities.
• Optimize the full funnel, from awareness through activation, conversion, cross-sell, retention, and long-term value, using data-driven insights.
• Drive retention and in-force growth by increasing perceived value, engagement, utilization, and customer confidence across existing clients, sponsors, partners, members, and policyholders.
• Lead the shift to always-on, journey-based marketing powered by digital platforms, automation, and data across both Group Benefits and Affinity.
• Use personalization, experimentation, partner data, and performance analytics to deliver relevant, timely experiences at scale.
• Partner with technology, analytics, legal, privacy, and compliance teams to unlock the value of customer and partner data while respecting privacy, consent, and regulatory expectations.
• Establish clear measurement frameworks that link marketing activity to engagement, conversion, retention, partner performance, growth, and business impact.
• Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing marketing organization across Group Benefits and Affinity.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, partner orientation, and customer-centricity.
• Attract, develop, and retain top marketing talent while creating clear ownership, prioritization, and decision rights across the portfolio.

Benefits

• Opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.
• Health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage.
• Adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits.
• 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.
• Full range of statutory leaves of absence.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed