Job Description: 

The Strategy Director is an integral contributor to the development, governance, and realization of John Hancock’s long-term strategy and vision. This role has an explicit focus on driving forward the strategy for the US Segment, with direct accountability to the AVP, Strategic Planning & Portfolio Oversight.  

This influential and high-profile role will define, champion, and drive goals in alignment to the business unit’s strategic objectives and client/customer needs, providing the right data and insights at the right time to help stakeholders solve challenging problems. This role also delivers comprehensive, forward-looking advisory services to senior management, while maintaining an effective monitoring framework and process that will help ensure successful execution of our strategy to achieve our objectives. The individual will work closely with Global Strategy & Transformation team to enable efficient completion of Segment-led initiatives as the Strategy leader for the US Segment. 

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and a skilled communicator with the ability to make complex concepts simple and engaging for various audiences.  

Key Accountabilities:  

Strategic Analysis & Planning  

• Champions strategic goals of the business unit and influences direction and focus via thoughtful analysis of current state and alignment to Canada Segment strategy. 

• Drives strategic execution, in collaboration with US Segment and other partners, through annual planning, ad-hoc and monthly strategic reporting (such as business review) and change management activities. 

• Works with internal partners to gather critical information to deliver thoughtful recommendations to senior management on strategic planning and direction for the business unit. 

• Develops and prepares executive presentation materials, metrics and performance reports, and ad-hoc requests as needed including crafting analysis, conclusions, and facilitating associated actions. 

• Analyzes key business priorities, evaluates options to grow the business through organic and inorganic growth, and brings insight to generate executive action that creates value for the company. 

• Monitors industry trends, market positioning or competitive activity to inform strategy and plans. 

• Conducts external research on emerging trends, synthesizing recommendations, understanding the impact on the business, and ultimately presenting findings in a clear, concise, and decision-driven manner. 

Strategic Communications  

• Leads planning, developing, and deploying communications in support of strategy execution.  

• Leads internal communications strategies, such as all-colleague townhalls and offsites, and helps bring them to life. 

• Builds strategic partnerships with key business partners and across the Segment to gather and share relevant information.  

This job description does not represent a comprehensive listing of job duties that are required of the employee performing this role.  We reserve the right to change duties or assign additional duties at any time with or without notice. 

Job Requirements: 

• 10 years of relevant, progressively senior experience. 

• Advanced degree in business or equivalent, experience in management consulting an asset. 

• Exceptional interpersonal skills with ability to foster and maintain relationships in a matrixed, geographically dispersed organization. 

• Ability to set, manage and work to the expectations of stakeholders and to work independently as well collaboratively in a dynamic group. 

• Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written, for varying audiences. 

• Strong Financial Services business acumen in a fast-paced high performing environment. 

• An aptitude for strategic, critical, and analytical thinking and effective conceptual, diagnostic, analytical and problem-solving skills. 

• Demonstrated experience in the development and execution of a large-scale transformation strategic plans. 

• Demonstrated ability to break down complex problems into actionable steps and to create solutions where blueprints may not exist. 

• Receptive and adaptive to an evolving, fast-paced environment. 

Competencies 

• Structures problems, analyzes data and presents complex findings in a clear, concise, and decision-driven manner. 

• Be a champion of collaboration, by proactively reaching out and working with relevant stakeholders to mobilize teams and bring all partners together through open dialogues to drive towards a common goal/approach. 

• Make complex concepts simple and engaging for various audiences. 

• Actively embraces change efforts and acts as a change agent to build awareness and vision. 

• Applies organizational savvy and business expertise to present and defend issues that have a direct and significant impact to the business. 

• Ability to quickly shift priorities.