Director, Advisor Onboarding and Transition

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Job Description

The Opportunity:

Manulife Wealth is a leading provider of insurance and wealth solutions to meet the diverse needs of Canadian families. Within GWAM Canada, Manulife Wealth is comprised of three distribution firms (Advisory Services), an ID (Investment Dealer) securities dealer, an MFD (Mutual Fund Dealer) securities dealer and an insurance MGA (MWISI). Through these three firms we work with over 2000 of Manulife's most closely aligned independent advisors from across Canada.

In this role, the incumbent will play a crucial role in enhancing the experience of new advisors joining Manulife Wealth. This role is responsible for overseeing the entire onboarding and transition process, ensuring a seamless and positive experience for advisors, and driving continuous improvement in our processes and support systems. You will work collaboratively within a supportive environment that values innovation, continuous learning, and proactive improvement. This position is tailor-made for those passionate about professional development, organizational success, and the cultivation of talent within a leading-edge industry setting.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement strategic plans for the advisor onboarding and transition process.
• Lead and manage a team responsible for onboarding and transitions, ensuring high performance and continuous development.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to align onboarding strategies with the company’s overall objectives.
• Oversee the end-to-end onboarding process, from initial recruitment through to full integration into the Manulife Wealth.
• Collaborate with key partners to ensure that all new advisors receive comprehensive training and support during their transition period.
• Develop and maintain onboarding materials and resources to facilitate the process.
• Ensure that all new advisors receive comprehensive training and support during their transition period.
• Develop and maintain onboarding materials and resources to facilitate the process.
• Manage the transition process for advisors moving from other firms to Manulife Wealth, ensuring minimal disruption to their business.
• Provide personalized support to advisors during their transition, addressing any challenges and ensuring a smooth integration.
• Continuously evaluate and improve the onboarding and transition processes based on feedback and best practices.
• Implement innovative solutions to streamline processes and enhance advisor satisfaction.
• Monitor key performance indicators and report on the effectiveness of onboarding and transition initiatives.
• Foster strong relationships with internal stakeholders, including recruitment, training, compliance, and IT teams.
• Act as the primary point of contact for new advisors during their onboarding and transition period.
• Ensure clear and consistent communication throughout the onboarding and transition process.

How will you create impact?

This position reports to the AVP, Head of Advisor Support & Services of Manulife Wealth and directly supports the initiatives being managed and the accompanying change management.

Skills:

• Ability to quickly build rapport with advisors.
• Strong knowledge of technology used by advisors including back-office systems, portfolio management tools, financial planning software, etc. and how they fit into an advisor practice.
• Experience in managing vendor relationships.
• Ability to effectively partner with internal stakeholders to drive results
• Thrives in a dynamic and fast paced, deadline driven environment.
• Team player with solid interpersonal and leadership skills
• Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Strong listening, consultative, and relationship management skills
• Detail oriented, analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Ability to resolve diverse complex situations creatively

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, or a related field preferred.
• Advanced degree or professional certification (e.g., CFP, CFA) is a plus.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in financial services, with a focus on advisor onboarding, transitions, or related areas.
• Proven leadership experience with the ability to manage and develop a high-performing team.
• Strong understanding of wealth management products, services, and industry regulations.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with advisors and internal stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to drive process improvements and implement innovative solutions.
• Proficiency in CRM software and other relevant technology platforms.

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

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.

The annual base salary for this role is listed below.

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.