Senior Director, Professional Practices

Description

The Senior Director of Professional Practices is accountable for managing the global quality assurance improvement program for Audit and Advisory Services.

• The Professional Practices Team supports the audit practice in delivering high quality, professional, cost-effective, beneficial and risk-based audit and advisory services by developing and maintaining Audit methodology and related practice guides;
• standards and procedures; quality assurance; training and development; tools and systems used within the department; Board and other management reporting;

internal performance metrics; and being responsible for related projects.

Responsibilities :

• Develop, implement and maintain the Global Quality Assurance and Improvement Program for Manulife Audit and Advisory Services to evaluate and ensure conformance with professional standards and regulatory requirements, achievement of performance objectives and continuous improvement.
• Design, manage and complete quality assurance reviews ensuring compliance with professional standards and regulatory requirements.

Develop and monitor plans to address findings and opportunities for improvement.

Establish methodologies, tools and processes for conducting quality assurance assessments and identifying areas for improvement.

Develop targeted training and / or guidance to address thematic quality issues.

• Provide guidance and support to audit teams to address findings, improvement opportunities and implement corrective actions.
• Monitor key performance indicators and metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the quality assurance program and find opportunities for enhancement.
• Manage ongoing improvement initiatives and projects taken on by the Professional Practices Team taking into account alignment of Internal Audit professional standards, frameworks and leading industry practices and designed to support efficiency and effectiveness of the Audit Practice.
• Stay on top of emerging trends, regulations and developments in the internal audit profession to continuously improve the quality assurance program.
• Prepare reports and present to the Audit Leadership Team on the results of the quality assurance assessments and recommendations for improvement.
• Participate in all communications to the Manulife Executive Leadership Team and Audit Committee relating to the results of quality assessments.
• Contribute to the development of Audit and Advisory Services policies, procedures, strategy, direction, and related training to help ensure Manulife Audit and Advisory Services is meeting the highest of quality standards.
• Continually improve audit and administration processes using technology to the fullest.
• Manage information gathering, reporting, and tracking of items for external regulators.

Challenges / Opportunities :

• Driving continuous improvement in quality and cost effectiveness of services provided.
• Collaborating with Global Audit and Advisory Services management and staff to obtain consensus on improvement opportunities.
• Prioritization and time management in a multi-tasking environment; meeting project and objective commitments while maintaining flexibility to meet changing priorities.
• Exercising and demonstrating sound business judgment.
• Keeping current with new audit techniques, company policies and procedures, regulatory requirements, and excellent knowledge of the International Professional Practice Framework for Internal Auditing and COSO Internal Control Frameworks.
• Benchmarking with peers in other Audit departments, particularly in Professional Practice roles to drive continuous improvement.
• Some business travels within the North America and Asia region.

Knowledge / Skills / Competencies / Education :

Excellent knowledge of audit methodologies, control frameworks, risk management practices, and regulatory requirements relevant to the Internal Audit profession.

Extensive experience in internal audit, with a strong understanding of audit methodologies, standards and practices.

• University Degree plus a recognized a recognized accounting (CA, CMA, CGA, CPA) or auditing (CIA, CISA) professional designation preferred.
• Proven track record in developing and implementing quality assurance programs within a corporate environment.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify root causes and develop practical solutions.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal stakeholders at all levels.
• Attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining high standards of quality and integrity in audit processes.
• Knowledge of relevant regulatory requirements and industry best practices in internal audit quality assurance.
• Ability to effectively manage regulatory relationships and navigate regulatory requirements relevant to the Internal Audit profession to ensure adherence to industry standards desired.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in diverse environments and cultures, over a number of geographically dispersed office locations.
• Strong understanding of cultural difference across countries with good relationship skills including a demonstrated ability to deal effectively with staff at all levels and different locations.
• Training or facilitation experience desired.

LI-hybrid

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

Salary & Benefits

The annual base salary for this role is listed below.

Primary Location

Toronto, Ontario

Salary range is expected to be between

$103,050.00 CAD - $185,490.00 CAD

If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact 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 for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.