Program manager Jobs in Kitchener, ON

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to support GB Operations through a period of significant transformation, growth, and operating model evolution. This role will help translate strategic priorities into actionable plans, create structure across multiple change initiatives, and support organizational readiness as the team introduces new client services and moves toward its future-state Target Operating Model. The Project Manager will work closely with operations leadership to coordinate delivery, clarify roles and responsibilities, manage dependencies, and keep stakeholders aligned. This is an opportunity to contribute to meaningful operational transformation while building momentum across strategy, execution, and day-to-day operations.

Position Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain integrated project plans, roadmaps, portfolio views, milestones, dependencies, risks, and issue tracking to support delivery across in-flight and upcoming initiatives.
• Serve as a central point of coordination across operations leadership, sub-teams, and stakeholders to translate strategic objectives into executable plans and maintain delivery momentum.
• Support the design and implementation of the Target Operating Model, including roles, responsibilities, workflows, governance, and ways of working.
• Assess organizational readiness by identifying impacts to people, processes, tools, capacity, training needs, role clarity, and change sequencing.
• Facilitate meetings and workshops to drive alignment, resolve issues, manage group dynamics, and support effective stakeholder collaboration and decision-making.
• Design and enable governance forums, structured status reporting, decision-making frameworks, and concise leadership updates on delivery status, risks, readiness, and key decisions.
• Ensure project and portfolio documentation, including roadmaps, plans, and process artifacts, remains accurate, current, and accessible.
• Support delivery best practices and continuous improvement by helping teams adopt practical project management approaches, tools, and techniques.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of project or program management experience, preferably within operations, shared services, service delivery, or transformation environments.
• Demonstrated experience managing integrated plans, milestones, dependencies, risks, issues, governance routines, and stakeholder reporting in complex delivery environments.
• Experience supporting operational transformation initiatives in complex, matrixed, cross-functional, and fast-paced environments with evolving priorities.
• Strong facilitation, communication, stakeholder management, and decision-support skills, including the ability to drive alignment and momentum without direct authority.
• Knowledge of project management methodologies and delivery practices, including agile, scrum, waterfall, and related project management tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP or equivalent certification is preferred.
• Experience in Group Benefits, insurance, or financial services is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience working within PMO governance frameworks.
• Exposure to operating model design, organizational readiness, organizational change, or large-scale operational growth is strongly preferred.
• Experience using project management tools such as Smartsheet and JIRA.
• Pragmatic, delivery-focused, and solutions-oriented, with comfort navigating ambiguity and helping teams find clarity.
• Strong operational intuition and appreciation for the frontline impacts of change.

The role being advertised is an existing vacancy.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit .

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact .

Referenced Salary Location

Waterloo, Ontario

Working Arrangement

Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$85,300.00 CAD - $135,300.00 CAD

Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance. 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. If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact for the salary range for your location.

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.

We use data and analytics technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), and automated processing tools, to analyze and process the information you provide to us or third parties in the application process. For more information, please refer to our .