Director and Head, Advisor Training and Practice Management

About this role

This Director and Head, Advisor Training and Practice Management will serve as the enterprise owner for advisor capability-building, practice management standards, and field enablement programs. The role will define priorities, establish governance, manage execution through cross-functional partners, and influence sales leadership, product, compliance, marketing, operations, technology, and learning teams to ensure advisors have the knowledge, tools, routines, and coaching needed to serve clients effectively and grow their practices. The position requires strong people leadership, senior stakeholder management, program governance, and execution discipline, along with a practical understanding of wealth management, financial advice delivery, advisor practice operations, adult learning, change management, and performance coaching.   Responsibilities: • Advisor Training Strategy: Own and execute a multi-year advisor training roadmap for new and experienced advisors, aligned to business priorities, client needs, regulatory expectations, and advisor productivity goals.

• Onboarding and Readiness: Design a structured onboarding curriculum that accelerates advisor readiness, reinforces advice standards, and builds proficiency in planning, investment solutions, client conversations, systems, compliance requirements, and practice routines.

• Practice Management Framework: Establish consistent practice management standards, tools, playbooks, and coaching models that help advisors improve segmentation, pipeline management, client engagement, referral development, retention, and growth.

• Coaching and Field Enablement: Build scalable coaching programs for advisors and field leaders, including meeting preparation, observation, feedback loops, performance diagnostics, and targeted development plans.

• Advice and Client Experience Quality: Partner with compliance, supervision, product, and client experience teams to ensure training programs reinforce fiduciary-minded advice, appropriate recommendations, documentation quality, and consistent client outcomes.

• Technology and Digital Adoption: Drive advisor adoption of CRM, planning tools, digital workflows, AI-enabled capabilities, and reporting platforms to improve efficiency, consistency, and client engagement.

• Program Measurement: Define and monitor KPIs to measure training effectiveness, advisor productivity, client outcomes, adoption rates, business growth, and return on enablement investments.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Lead alignment with stakeholders across wealth, retirement, operations, marketing, technology, risk, legal, compliance, and HR to set priorities, manage dependencies, resolve barriers, and drive adoption of advisor development initiatives.

• Continuous Improvement: Use advisor feedback, performance data, client insights, and industry best practices to continually refine training content, delivery methods, and practice management support.

Required Qualifications • 10+ years of experience in wealth management, financial advice, advisor development, sales enablement, practice management, learning and development, or related financial services leadership roles, including experience leading enterprise or channel-level programs with broad business impact.

• Demonstrated experience leading advisor training, coaching, practice management, or field enablement functions in a regulated financial services environment.

• Strong understanding of financial planning, investment solutions, retirement income, client segmentation, relationship management, and advisor practice operations.

• Proven ability to build scalable programs, translate strategy into execution, manage governance, and influence senior cross-functional partners without relying solely on direct authority.

• Proven ability to lead teams, manage complex stakeholder relationships, and drive adoption of new programs, tools, and operating routines across geographically distributed advisor populations.

• Experience using data, KPIs, and performance insights to diagnose capability gaps and measure program effectiveness.

• Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and executive communication skills.

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant professional designation preferred.

• Relevant securities, insurance, or advisory licenses/designations preferred, depending on jurisdiction and business requirements.

• 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 • Experience supporting affiliated, employee, independent, or hybrid advisor channels.

• Experience developing advisor playbooks, sales enablement tools, onboarding curricula, coaching models, or certification pathways.

• Familiarity with CRM platforms, financial planning software, portfolio tools, workflow automation, and AI-enabled advisor productivity solutions.

• Knowledge of advisor compensation, productivity metrics, sales funnels, client retention drivers, and practice profitability levers.

• Experience leading change management initiatives across geographically distributed teams.

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 #LI-JH

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,

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