Manager, Business Continuity Planning

Job summary

Lead operational resilience and business continuity activities while partnering with stakeholders to strengthen readiness and mitigate risks. Facilitate testing exercises, maintain continuity plans, and ensure compliance with internal policies and regulatory expectations.

Job details

Join our Group Functions Technology team! About the Role Collaborate with our Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery team to help strengthen our ability to deliver critical services when they matter most. In this role, you will partner with business, technology, risk, and governance teams to advance operational resilience capabilities, support continuity planning and testing, and help ensure Manulife remains prepared to respond effectively to disruptions. This is an opportunity to influence enterprise-wide resilience practices while helping protect the services our customers, colleagues, and communities depend on every day. Position Responsibilities: Operational Resilience Partnership Lead operational resilience and business continuity activities across assigned business areas while supporting alignment with Manulife's operational resilience framework. Drive the continuous improvement of resilience capabilities, processes, and practices across the organization. Collaborate with business and technology stakeholders to strengthen resilience readiness and safeguard critical operations during disruptive events. Risk Management & Governance Partner with project and business teams to identify, assess, and mitigate operational resilience risks throughout initiatives and transformation programs. Ensure resilience considerations are incorporated into business decisions, projects, and operational processes. Facilitate second-line and third-line reviews of resilience controls, practices, and program effectiveness. Support compliance with internal policies and evolving regulatory expectations, including operational resilience requirements. Continuity Planning & Testing Lead the planning, coordination, execution, and reporting of business continuity and operational resilience testing exercises. Review, maintain, and enhance Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) and related program documentation. Facilitate resilience exercises, workshops, and scenario testing with business and technology teams. Identify lessons learned and drive remediation activities that strengthen resilience readiness. Stakeholder Partnership & Influence Build strong relationships across business, technology, risk, and governance teams to advance resilience objectives. Provide guidance, education, and support to stakeholders on resilience best practices, methodologies, and program requirements. Communicate testing outcomes, risks, and recommendations to a variety of audiences, including senior leadership. Required Qualifications: Minimum 4+ years of experience in business continuity, operational resilience, risk management, disaster recovery, or a related discipline within a large and complex organization. Strong understanding of business continuity and operational resilience principles, methodologies, and industry practices. Experience developing, maintaining, and testing Business Continuity Plans and resilience frameworks. Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to facilitate discussions, deliver presentations, and influence stakeholders across all organizational levels. Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships, collaborate effectively, and drive positive outcomes through influence. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills. Preferred Qualifications: University degree in a relevant field, or an equivalent combination of education, professional certifications, and related experience. Professional Business Continuity certification (ABCP, CBCP, MBCI, MBCP, or similar) or equivalent practical experience. Experience within financial services, insurance, banking, or another highly regulated industry. Knowledge of OSFI operational resilience requirements is considered an asset. Familiarity with resilience and governance platforms such as Fusion Risk Management, Archer, or similar tools. Experience partnering with technology teams to support technology resilience, disaster recovery, service continuity, or operational resilience initiatives. Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and reporting tools such as Power BI. Understanding emerging industry trends and regulatory expectations related to operational resilience. 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 $86,100.00 CAD - $136,100.00 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.

What you’ll do

Lead operational resilience and business continuity activities while partnering with stakeholders to strengthen readiness and mitigate risks. Facilitate testing exercises, maintain continuity plans, and ensure compliance with internal policies and regulatory expectations.

Requirements

Requires at least 4 years of experience in business continuity, operational resilience, or risk management within a complex organization. Candidates should possess strong analytical skills, excellent communication abilities, and experience with resilience frameworks and testing methodologies.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Mental health support
• Vision insurance
• Short-term disability
• Long-term disability
• Life insurance
• AD&D insurance
• Adoption/surrogacy support
• Wellness benefits
• Employee/family assistance plans
• Retirement savings plans
• Pension
• Global share ownership plan
• Financial education and counseling
• Paid time off
• Holidays
• Vacation
• Personal days
• Sick days

Listed skills

• Risk Management · Preferred
• Stakeholder Management · Preferred
• Project management · Preferred
• Regulatory Compliance · Preferred
• Problem solving · Preferred
• Communication · Preferred
• Microsoft Office · Preferred
• Power BI · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Business continuity planning
• Operational resilience
• Risk management
• Disaster recovery
• Governance
• Stakeholder management
• Project management
• Testing and exercises
• Regulatory compliance
• Analytical skills
• Problem-solving
• Communication
• Presentation skills
• Microsoft Office
• Power BI
• Fusion Risk Management
• Influencing Skills
• Discussion Facilitation
• Workplace Inclusivity
• Operational Resilience
• Organizational Skills
• Time Off Management
• Business Decisions
• Resilience
• Information Gathering
• Planning
• Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP)
• Mental Health
• Business Continuity
• Business Continuity Planning
• Business Technologies
• Certified Business Continuity Professional
• Continuous Improvement Process
• Disaster Recovery
• Financial Services
• Financial Education
• International Finance
• Leadership
• Problem Solving
• Risk Management
• Master Business Continuity Professional
• Operations
• Presentations
• Scenario Testing
• Coordinating
• Reporting Tools

Job areas

• Management & Leadership
• Finance & Accounting
• Technology
• Consulting
• Security & Safety
• Business Continuity Planner
• Business Continuity Planner / Analyst
• Management and Organization Analysts
• Business Continuity Planners
• Business Operations Specialists, All Other

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