Vendor Management Consultant

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 Vendor Management Consultant, you will support third party exit plan design and simulation testing for critical vendors and oversee distribution channel risk across external channels (agents, brokers). Drive readiness through severe but plausible exercises, control assessments, and insights to action reporting. You will bring rigorous analysis, confident facilitation, and a passion for turning insights into durable risk reduction.Position Responsibilities:Third‑Party Exit Planning & TestingSupport building and maintenance of exit plans for critical third parties: scope, define exit triggers, termination assistance, knowledge transfer, data repatriation, IP/licensing, step‑in rights, escrow/source code, and offboarding checklists.Design severe‑but‑plausible scenarios (e.g., provider insolvency, cyber outage, regulatory prohibition, sanctions/geopolitical, data residency shifts, M&A divestiture) aligned to critical business services.Plan and run simulation exercises with business, technology, procurement, BCM, and risk teams; capture actions and validate control design/operating effectiveness.Track remediation plans, validate closure evidence, and measure exit readiness across the vendor portfolio.Distribution Risk Oversight & AssessmentsMaintain a risk assessment program for third‑party distribution channels (MGAs/brokers).Perform risk‑based due diligence and periodic reviews: control attestations.Metrics, Reporting & GovernanceDefine and maintain KRIsProduce dashboards and concise risk posture narrativesAlign to enterprise policies/standards for third‑party risk, operational resilience, business continuityRequired Qualifications:Bachelor’s degree business or engineering3+ years in third party risk management, vendor management, operational resilience/BCM (financial services strongly preferred).Hands on experience designing exit plans and running simulation/tabletop exercises with cross functional stakeholders.Understanding of contract constructs: termination rights, transition assistance, service descriptions, SLAs, audit/step in rights, data/IP clauses, escrow, and offboarding.Experience with distribution channel oversight (agents/brokers or partner channels).Knowledge of operational resilience and third party risk frameworks (e.g., business services/impact tolerances, concentration risk, criticality).Confident facilitation and executive communication; ability to challenge and influence senior stakeholders.Familiarity with regulatory expectations for third party risk; experience with operational resilience programs is ideal.Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.Demonstrated ability to lead manage projects, and drive organizational change.Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple priorities effectively.Preferred Qualifications:Experience with Governance Risk Control (GRC) platforms (e.g., Archer) and BI tools (Power BI/Tableau).Bilingualism (English and French) is an asset. If the successful candidate is in Québec, proficiency in both languages will be required to support clients from various provinces outside of Quebec.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 HancockManulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit .Manulife is an Equal Opportunity EmployerAt 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 LocationWaterloo, OntarioWorking ArrangementHybridSalary range is expected to be between$70,500.00 CAD - $117,500.00 CADEmployees 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.SummaryLocation: Waterloo, Ontario; Toronto, Ontario; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Montreal, QuebecType: Full time