Senior Manager, Data Risk Oversight

The AI & Emerging Technology Risk Oversight team, part of Global Risk Management, is an independent second-line function. We provide oversight and challenge of how Manulife manages its AI, technology, cyber, data, and emerging technology risks as the company expands its use of data and new technologies.

Manulife is seeking an experienced Senior Manager, Data Risk Oversight, to build the frameworks, standards, methodologies, and tools that enable effective data risk management and oversight across the enterprise, and to provide independent challenge of the systemic and strategic data risks that shape the company's overall risk posture.

This role is distinct from the segment-level oversight performed by Information Risk Officers, who use these frameworks and tools to challenge individual business decisions and initiatives. It does not own or operate data controls, perform first-line data activities, approve initiatives, accept or own data risk, or manage remediation. These responsibilities remain with the first line and the relevant governance forums.

Position Responsibilities:

• Design, maintain, and continuously improve the enterprise data risk oversight framework, standards, methodologies, and tools that enable data risk to be managed and challenged consistently across the organization.
• Build the practical oversight tools, guidance, templates, and assessment approaches that segment Information Risk Officers use to perform their challenge of first-line data risk decisions.
• Aggregate and analyze data risk across segments and functions to identify concentrations, themes, systemic exposures, and gaps in the enterprise risk posture.
• Provide independent challenge of the overall effectiveness, consistency, and maturity of Manulife's AI and data risk program.
• Set enterprise standards and oversight expectations across the data lifecycle, including data governance, quality and fitness for use, lineage and provenance, retention, minimization, and disposal.
• Define enterprise standards and oversight approaches for data privacy, consent, sensitive-data classification, and access control, in coordination with Privacy, Legal, and Compliance.
• Establish risk expectations and oversight approaches for third-party, shared, and AI-generated (synthetic) data, including the right to use it, its quality, its security, and whether its source is known and appropriate.
• Challenge data bias, representativeness, and ethical data use at a program level, particularly for data that feeds AI, and escalate systemic concerns about potential harm, unfairness, or misuse.
• Oversee enterprise data risk issues, ensuring significant and systemic weaknesses are identified, aggregated, and escalated to senior management and governance committees for timely resolution.
• Define enterprise data risk metrics and key risk indicators, and produce independent reporting, thematic reviews, and cross-segment dashboards for management and committees, feeding into Board-level reporting.
• Ensure the framework and oversight activities remain aligned with relevant OSFI guidance (including E-21 operational and data risk and E-23 model risk), enterprise data risk standards, and applicable privacy regimes.
• Provide independent, strategic challenge on enterprise initiatives, AI use cases, and emerging technologies involving data, coordinating with the AI Model Risk, AI Technology & Cyber, and Emerging Technology teams so oversight is coordinated and non-duplicative.

 

Required Qualifications:

• 10+ years of relevant experience in data risk, data governance, privacy, enterprise risk management, technology risk, internal audit, or a related discipline.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Management, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, Risk Management, Law, or a related field.
• Proven experience designing data risk frameworks, standards, methodologies, or oversight tools, ideally in a second-line or independent assurance role in financial services, insurance, or another regulated industry.
• Strong understanding of the core areas of data governance, including data quality, lineage, classification, retention, privacy, consent, and access management.
• Experience aggregating and analyzing risk across a large, complex organization to identify systemic themes, and familiarity with relevant OSFI guidance (including E-21 operational and data risk, E-23 model risk, B-10 third-party, and B-13 technology and cyber) and privacy laws such as PIPEDA and other global privacy rules.
• Experience overseeing or challenging data used in AI, machine learning, or advanced analytics, including AI training data and synthetic data, and a good understanding of how data risk connects to model risk.
• Experience preparing risk assessments, management reporting, executive presentations, and materials for governance committees.
• A proven ability to challenge others constructively and influence senior leaders without direct authority.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex data and risk topics clearly to senior leaders and committees.
• Strong judgment, independence, and the confidence to raise tough issues, along with the ability to juggle priorities and work quickly while keeping quality high and documentation clear.
• Bilingualism (English and French) is a strong asset. If the successful candidate is in Québec, proficiency in both languages will be required to support clients from various provinces outside of Quebec.

 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of industry data management frameworks such as DAMA-DMBOK or DCAM, and relevant certifications (for example, CIPP/C, CIPM, CDMP, CISA, CRISC, or FRM), is considered an asset.

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.

#LI - Hybrid

 

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, OntarioHybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$113,000.00 CAD - $163,000.00 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.