Program specialist Jobs in Waterloo, ON

At Manulife, we believe in investing in the future starting with you! Our GRO program is a bold new approach to early talent development, designed to launch your career with the support, structure, and opportunities you need to thrive. GRO is Manulife’s flagship early talent program. It’s more than just a job, it’s a launchpad for your career. GRO offers a consistent, high-quality experience for new graduates across the organization.

The GRO CPA Development program is a 24–30-month program that offers dynamic experiences with possible rotations across Wealth and Asset Management, Financial Reporting, Expense Management, Internal Audit, Corporate Controller, Taxation, Internal Controls, External Reporting, and Financial Planning & Analysis. You’ll get formal support throughout your CPA journey including a CPA mentor, paid study time off, financial support for courses and Professional Final Exams. As part of GRO, you’ll join a vibrant community of peers, benefit from professional development sessions, core skills training, mentorship, leadership exposure, and be empowered to grow into a future-ready finance leader.

Position Responsibilities:

• Provide support and manage aspects of monthly and quarterly financial reporting and analysis

• Support a culture of continuous improvement through ongoing analysis of procedures and process automation

• Collaborate with management to highlight possible risks and opportunities while taking initiative to escalate issues impacting financial results

• Support the needs of our evolving organization through the development of reports and leveraging cutting-edge AI tools to deliver new insights into financial and business performance

Required Qualifications:

• Expected graduation of 2027 from an accredited university and committed to attaining a CPA certification, and will be eligible for CPA Professional Program upon graduation

• Well-developed interpersonal, organizational and communication skills

• Solution-oriented mindset with strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Self-starter and team player with a high level of initiative, strong work ethic and the ability to gather, synthesize, organize, and report information

• Strong proficiency in Excel and the ability to bring a forward-thinking approach by utilizing AI and automation to improve processes, enhance insights, and support continuous improvement within the team

• Aptitude to identify and make impactful recommendations, improve existing and developing new processes

When you join our team:

• We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want.

• We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well-being and inclusion are more than just words.

• As part of our global team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see.

Salary range is expected to be between

$60,000.00 CAD - $75,000.00 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/John Hancock 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/401(k) savings plans and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources.

Application Instructions:

• Please submit a resume, cover letter and most recent transcript (unofficial transcripts are accepted)

• In addition, please complete the supplemental questionnaire below and attach it along with the requested documents.

• If we do not receive all the above-mentioned documents, your application will NOT be considered.

Supplemental Questionnaire:

1. Manulife’s values are: “Obsess about Customers”, “Do the right thing”, “Think Big”, “Get it done together”, “Own it”, and “Share your humanity”. Our Values are the guideposts that will help us achieve our bold Mission: “Decisions made easier; Lives made better”. Our values define who we are and how we work together: we are a digital, customer-centric market leader that's leading the change customers demand. Please tell us which value resonates with you the most. Please provide examples from your past experiences that help support your answer. (max. 150 words)

2. Are you currently pursuing a CPA designation? (Yes/No)

a. If yes, what is your expected date for writing the CFE exam?

• September 2027

• September 2028

• Starting New Program in January 2027

• Already completed CFE

b. Have you registered with CPA Ontario or recorded any work experience through PERT reports?

• Not registered with CPA Ontario

• Recorded work experience of less than 6 months in PERT

• Recorded work experience of between 6-12 months in PERT

• Recorded more than 12 months experience in PERT

3. Preferred Location:

• Waterloo

• Toronto

• Open to both

#LI-Hybrid

This posting supports an ongoing hiring initiative for existing and/or future vacancies.

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

Toronto, Ontario

Working Arrangement

Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$55,125.00 CAD - $91,875.00 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 personal information collection statement.