Lead MLOps / LLM Ops

The Opportunity

The Lead MLOps / LLM Ops will own the design, recommendation & implementation of platform, infrastructure and best MLOps/LLMOps practices to support all data science teams and projects in US Segment Advanced Analytics! Directly report of Head of US Segment AI/Advanced Analytics, this role will closely work with multi-functional teams such as IT, Data Office, Operation, Sales & Distribution, etc. to strategize and implement AI/Advanced Analytics applications and deployment. It’s a unique position to bring innovative ideas (such as Gen-AI solutions) to life and have business impact directly with sound architecture, effective MLOps/LLMOps processes and comprehensive controls!

Responsibilities

• Design and implement optimal MLOps framework, standards, and guidelines, maintaining the central GitHub MLOps repository, driving adption and fostering a community around it.
• Work closely with Data Scientists, Data & Platform Engineers, Architects and IT partners to design and implement MLOps /LLMOps processes to enable seamless deployment, integration with systems and monitoring of AI models on cloud environment.
• Lead and manage high-quality Generative AI tech development (prompt engineering, RAG applications, and fine-tune LLM models to meet business need) and streamline Generative AI model development and deployment using Azure infrastructure and capabilities like Azure AI studio
• Manage and architect AI solutions and deployment with systematic approach to allow implementation at-scale
• Continually assess maturity of teams MLOps/LLM Ops tools and practices, establish and drive standard methodologies for model versioning, testing, and monitoring to ensure the reliability and performance of AI/ML solutions
• Jointly shape the global rollout of Continuous Monitoring capabilities, working closely with cloud and 3rd party vendors ensuring reliability and scalability, and maintaining comprehensive documentation of MLOps processes and procedures
• Develop close partnership with Data Science Teams, Data Office and IT partners, foster strong collaboration
• Stay up to date with the latest advancements in machine learning and MLOps /LLMOps techniques, closely follow industrial trend, and contribute to the continuous improvement of our machine learning capabilities.

What motivates you?

• You obsess about customers, listen, engage and act for their benefit.
• You think big, with curiosity to discover ways to use your agile approach and enable business outcomes.
• You thrive in teams and enjoy getting things done together.
• You take ownership and build solutions, focusing on what matters.
• You do what is right, work with integrity and speak up.
• You share your humanity, helping us build a diverse and inclusive work environment for everyone.

What we are looking for

• An advanced degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or Statistics and Math
• Minimum of 5 years of combined experience as an ML engineer, DevOps engineer, system architect or lead data scientist in Big Data ecosystems or similar distributed or public cloud platforms.
• Proven experience as a Data/ML Engineer, with a strong focus on MLOps, design and productionize code through the DevOps pipeline (git, orchestration pipelines, code reliability security scanning ) to enable seamless deployment and monitoring of machine learning models
• 2-3 years hands-on experience with Azure tech stack, particularly Databricks and MLFlow, including Azure AI studio, Langchain, Vector stores. Experienced in Azure OpenAI and open-source models like Llama.
• Experience in deploying ML models either via native infrastructure (such as Azure DevOps etc.) or 3rd party MLOps platforms.
• Strong software development skills, familiar with C/C++/Java, proficiency in Python and SQL, hands-on experience with Azure ML, Databricks, AWS, etc.
• Experience with Generative AI, prompt engineering, and RAG applications
• Solid understanding of modern Cloud tech, bridge Data Science solution and IT system integration
• Solid understanding of machine learning algorithms, statistical modeling, and data analysis techniques.
• Strong partner management, ability to translate sophisticated technical topics into business language, presentation skills, and an ability to balance a sense of urgency with shipping high-quality and pragmatic solutions.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a passion for using AI to drive business impact

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with LLMs (extractive and generative), fine-tuning, and operationalizing LLM pipelines.
• Familiarity with higher-level trends in LLMs and open-source platforms.
• Experience in building and maintaining a centralized code base or framework used by multiple teams will be a plus.
• Experience with infrastructure as code like Terraform.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills in English, both verbal and written.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

What can we offer you?

• A competitive salary and benefits packages.
• A growth trajectory that extends upward and outward, encouraging you to follow your passions and learn new skills.
• A focus on growing your career path with us.
• Flexible work policies and strong work-life balance.
• Professional development and leadership opportunities.

Our commitment to you

• Values-first culture: We lead with our Values every day and bring them to life together.
• Boundless opportunity: We create opportunities to learn and grow at every stage of your career.
• Continuous innovation: We invite you to help redefine the future of financial services.
• Delivering the promise of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: We foster an inclusive workplace where everyone thrives.
• Championing Corporate Citizenship: We build a business that benefits all partners and has a positive social and environmental impact.

#LI-Hybrid

#LI-JH

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 https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

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 recruitment@manulife.com.

Salary range is expected to be between

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