Operational Risk & Control Specialist

As a trusted partner to advisors, at Manulife Bank, we deliver sophisticated lending solutions and financial strategies that don’t just grow wealth, they amplify it. Built on a foundation of excellence and driven by bold innovation, we empower advisors to deepen relationships, unlock potential, and redefine success for their clients. We’re looking for visionaries who understand where banking is headed; those who can blend the precision of complex financial products with the possibilities of cutting-edge technology. Join us and our growing team, and be part of a team where banking drives extraordinary outcomes.

As the Operational Risk & Control Specialist, you will support the 1B (First Line of Defense) governance, control testing, and ongoing monitoring program by executing high quality assessments, evidence reviews, and control health reporting. Leverage GenAI and automation tools to streamline testing activities, enhance monitoring coverage, and accelerate insights. You will work closely with business partners to strengthen control environments and ensure adherence to policies, standards, and regulatory expectations. You will bring rigorous analysis, confident facilitation, and a passion for turning insights into durable risk reduction.

Position Responsibilities:

• Control Testing & Monitoring (1B Focus)

  • Perform control design and operating effectiveness testing across business processes, including evidence gathering, walkthroughs, sampling, and documentation.

  • Conduct ongoing monitoring activities and identify early signs of control weakness.

  • Validate remediation actions and perform retesting to confirm control uplift and sustainability.

• AI‑Enabled Testing & Automation

  • Use GenAI and automation tools to:

    • Automate evidence extraction, document review, and control mapping.

    • Identify anomalies, gaps, or inconsistencies in control performance data.

    • Create and streamline testing templates, test scripts, and recurring assessment workflows.

• Governance, Reporting & Insights

  • Prepare business dashboards and reports summarizing control health, emerging issues, and testing outcomes, including regular Bank Corrective Action Plan (CAP) reporting.

  • Maintain strong evidence standards and adhere to policy, methodology, and testing & monitoring expectations.

• Stakeholder Management

  • Work with process owners to explain testing requirements, resolve evidence gaps, and recommend improvements.

  • Participate in working groups as a contributor for 1B control testing.

• Continuous Improvement

  • Identify opportunities to improve testing efficiency using automation, improved sampling, and standardized workflows.

  • Contribute to enhancements of testing methodology, templates, and quality assurance practices.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

• 3+ years in control testing, operational risk, governance, audit, compliance, or business control roles.

• Hands‑on testing experience: control walkthroughs, sample selection, evidence analysis, documentation.

• Practical experience using GenAI or automation tools to improve testing or monitoring (e.g., Copilot, Power Automate).

• Strong analytical skills: ability to work with datasets, identify trends, detect anomalies, and challenge inconsistencies.

• Proficiency with Excel, Power BI, and other analytics/visualization tools.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple priorities effectively.

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

Salary range is expected to be between

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.