Director, Vendor Governance

The Director, Vendor Governance is a key leadership role within the MGS Global Strategy Office (GSO), responsible for defining and leading MGS’s vendor governance agenda to ensure strategic partners deliver measurable business value, support enterprise priorities, and complement MGS’s long-term capability strategy.

The role provides strategic leadership for partner governance, value realization, capability placement, strategic partnership planning, and executive relationship management. Working across Business Units, Capability Leaders, Procurement, Finance, Global Technology, Strategic Portfolio Governance, and Transformation teams, the Director, Vendor Governance ensures strategic partners contribute to enterprise objectives, accelerate transformation outcomes, and inform decisions on how capabilities are delivered across Business Units, MGS, and strategic partners.

As the Functional Lead for Strategic Partner Governance, the Director, Vendor Governance establishes governance frameworks, drives executive accountability, promotes transparent performance and value reporting, and provides strategic advisory support on partner-enabled opportunities that strengthen MGS’s evolution as a Strategic Enterprise Partner.

Position Responsibilities:

• Strategic Partner Ecosystem & Operating Model 

• Strategic Demand & Business Alignment 

• Executive Relationship & Governance

• Partner Performance & Accountability

• Transformation Enablement & Strategic Advisory

• Partner Value Realization

• Risk, Resilience & Cross-functional

• Functional Leadership & Capability Building

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience in operations, shared services, business transformation, strategic partnerships, outsourcing, vendor governance, business management, performance management, or related functions.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and influencing senior stakeholders across multiple business functions.
• Experience operating within Global Capability Centers (GCCs), Shared Services, Operations, Business Transformation, or large matrixed organizations.
• Experience working with strategic service providers, outsourcing partners, managed services organizations, or technology partners.
• Experience supporting enterprise transformation, automation, productivity improvement, operational excellence, or organizational change initiatives.
• Experience developing governance frameworks, operating models, executive reporting, performance scorecards, value realization methodologies, and executive value storytelling.
• Familiarity with third-party risk management, outsourcing governance, and procurement operating models.
• Experience supporting capability strategy, operating-model design, workforce planning, or capability-placement discussions within complex organizations.

Critical Skills & Competencies:

• Strong understanding of operations management, performance governance, service delivery, value realization, outsourcing, and Global Capability Center operating models.
• Ability to translate business objectives into measurable performance outcomes, strategic insights, and executive recommendations.
• Strong analytical and business acumen with the ability to identify trends, dependencies, risks, opportunities, and value drivers.
• Ability to influence enterprise decisions through data-driven recommendations, governance forums, business cases, and executive engagement.
• Exceptional executive communication, stakeholder management, presentation, facilitation, and influencing skills.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities with the ability to navigate ambiguity and competing enterprise priorities.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with senior internal stakeholders and external partner organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, develop talent, establish operating disciplines, and build organizational capability.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to drive accountability, alignment, and action across multiple stakeholders and governance forums.

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.

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 [email protected].

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