Director, Third Party Risk Management –… at Manulife · Toronto

We are seeking a highly experienced and strategic leader to join our Third Party Risk Management (TPRM) function as a Director, Line 1B. This role is accountable for leading the Quality Assurance and governance oversight function across Vendor Information Security Management (VISM), Vendor Governance Management (VGM), and Sourcing.

The Director will lead and manage a team, providing clear direction, oversight, and ongoing development, while ensuring procurement-related third-party risk activities are executed in line with internal policies, audit expectations, and regulatory requirements.

The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in audit, regulatory compliance, and Risk & Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) and will serve as a key point of contact for regulators (e.g., OSFI), Internal Audit, and Second Line Risk. This role requires a strong, confident leader with a strategic and critical mindset, capable of influencing stakeholders, challenging constructively, and delivering consistent, high-quality outcomes.

Position Responsibilities:

Quality Assurance & Control Oversight

• Lead and execute a comprehensive Quality Assurance Program across VISM, VGM, and Sourcing teams

• Ensure all activities are completed in accordance with defined TPRM processes, system requirements, and documentation standards

• Identify, challenge, and escalate non-compliance, including:

  • Contracts executed prior to completion of required risk assessments

• Perform effective challenge on risk assessments, including PSQ outputs that did not trigger IRQ where further review is warranted

RCSA Ownership & Risk Governance

• Own and lead all Procurement-related RCSAs, including design, execution, and ongoing monitoring

• Ensure risks and controls are clearly defined, consistently applied, and aligned to enterprise and regulatory expectations

• Provide clear, defensible articulation of risk positions using audit and regulatory language

• Oversee governance of:

  • Key Risk Indicators (KRIs)
  • Centralized issues management and remediation tracking

• Risk data accuracy and reporting integrity

Regulatory, Audit & Compliance Engagement

• Act as a primary point of contact for:

  • Regulators (including OSFI), Internal Audit, and Line 2 Risk

• Lead responses to:

  • Regulatory reviews and examinations
  • Internal audit inquiries and testing
  • Supplier due diligence and external questionnaires

• Ensure all outputs are accurate, consistent, evidence-based, and defensible

Policy, Guidelines & Advisory

• Develop and maintain TPRM guidelines, processes, and playbooks aligned to regulatory expectations

• Provide guidance to business units on:

  • Handling supplier confidential documentation requests
  • Application of TPRM requirements in complex or non-standard scenarios (e.g., exceptions, travel-related vendors)

Leadership & Strategic Direction

• Lead, manage, and develop a high-performing team, providing clear direction, priorities, and performance expectations
• Set and execute a strategic vision for Quality Assurance and TPRM governance
• Foster a culture of accountability, integrity, and continuous improvement
• Apply a critical and independent mindset to challenge processes, identify gaps, and strengthen the control environment
• Build team capability through training, coaching, and ongoing development
• Partner with senior stakeholders across Procurement, Risk, and Business Units to influence outcomes and strengthen risk management practices

Required Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in Third Party Risk Management (TPRM), Operational Risk, Audit, or Compliance

• Deep expertise in:

  • Audit practices and regulatory expectations
  • RCSA frameworks, control design, and risk assessment methodologies

• Strong experience engaging with:

  • Regulators (e.g., OSFI)
  • Internal and external audit functions

• Proven ability to communicate complex risk positions using audit-grade, regulator-ready language

• Demonstrated experience leading and managing teams and delivering high-quality outcomes

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong leadership and people management capability
• Strategic thinking with a forward-looking risk mindset
• Critical thinking and effective challenge capability
• Executive presence and strong stakeholder influence
• Fluency in audit and regulatory language with the ability to produce defensible outputs
• High degree of integrity, accountability, and sound judgment

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.

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 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 hr@manulife.com.

Referenced Salary Location Toronto, Ontario Working Arrangement Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between $125,100.00 CAD - $175,100.00 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 hr@manulife.com 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 hr@manulife.com 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.