Director, AI Delivery Squad Lead - Underwriting

About the role

Manulife is hiring a Director, AI Delivery Squad Lead for underwriting in Toronto. The role owns end-to-end delivery of AI-powered underwriting initiatives such as Life Insurance Underwriting, Automated Underwriting, Underwriting Decision Support, Advisor Underwriting Experience and Underwriting Transformation. It turns solutioning priorities into delivered AI solutions with speed, quality and measurable business impact, and acts as the single point of accountability for delivery execution.

Key responsibilities

• Own the full lifecycle of assigned AI initiatives, from planning and backlog readiness through deployment, adoption and value realization, and turn priorities into work packages, scope, sequencing and timelines.
• Lead data scientists and cross-functional squad members, set accountabilities, monitor commitments and remove blockers.
• Set up the squad's delivery rhythm, including sprint planning, backlog management, quality controls and performance reviews.
• Translate underwriting priorities into roadmaps and plans, partner with underwriting leaders on change, training and adoption, and collaborate with data scientists, engineers and business stakeholders.
• Orchestrate delivery across data science, engineering, product, actuarial, risk, compliance, technology and architecture teams, keeping an integrated dependency plan.
• Maintain a portfolio view of approved underwriting AI initiatives, including automated underwriting platforms, advisors' underwriting assistants, fraud detection and transformation initiatives, and manage cross-portfolio dependencies and trade-offs.
• Own resource and budget planning, monitor actual and forecast spend, and provide decision-ready budget updates.
• Work within intake, governance, risk, compliance and responsible AI frameworks, and deliver timely, decision-oriented reporting on progress, capacity, financial performance and risks.
• Define KPIs and baseline measures for each initiative, track outcomes such as cycle time, straight-through processing and advisor experience, and validate value with Finance.
• Coach cross-functional teams and strengthen delivery practices.

Required profile

• Deep understanding of life insurance risk assessment, underwriting decision-making and risk selection, including mortality and morbidity drivers.
• Ability to balance growth, customer experience, risk selection, operational efficiency and regulatory context.