Director VOC and CX Insights

Overview Are you ready to elevate digital experiences and lead a Voice of Customer (VOC) and Customer Experience (CX) Insights team in shaping exceptional user journeys? Reporting to the AVP CX Transformation and Service Design, this role combines strong CX/research leadership with hands-on enablement, ensuring quality research and VOC work moves beyond artifacts and workshops into actionable roadmaps and delivery priorities. At Manulife, we are committed to becoming a digital-first organization and leading our industry in digital customer experiences. You will co-create the vision and strategy for VOC and CX insights maturity, partnering to drive positive, customer-focused change across Manulife’s Canadian Division. You will support the team’s evolution and adoption of AI in insights generation and analysis. You will lead the VOC and CX Insights craft across Canada, co-creating with Director colleagues a practice supporting Journey Management and a research methodology that converts insights into tangible customer and business outcomes. You’ll guide a squad of CX researchers and analysts; partner with Product Design to concept and validate meaningful solutions; and collaborate with peer directors in Brand Insights and Service Design to link vision, evidence, and execution—bringing insights to action swiftly. This is a highly collaborative role requiring excellence in both what and how you deliver. The successful candidate will have strong quantitative research skills, be a flexible partner in a complex business environment, and enjoy delivering results through collaboration. Resilience and a collaborative mindset are essential. Position Responsibilities Drive the continued evolution of the VOC and CX Insights craft within Manulife Canada, including defining and operationalizing VOC and CX Insights methodology. Support an evolving Journey Management practice that researches, measures, optimizes, and orchestrates end-to-end customer journeys across channels and operations. Enrich our research methodology—from discovery and framing to analysis, concepting, piloting, and scaled adoption—grounded in measurable outcomes and actionable insights. Champion, support, and drive adoption of AI to streamline research processes and elevate what the team can accomplish. Lead VOC and CX Insights Leadership & Standards — Codify standards for research, quantitative analysis, customer feedback management, and measurement frameworks; steward research excellence alongside peer Directors in Brand Strategy and Service Design. Coach and grow CX researchers and analysts; institute critique rituals, mentoring, and learning pathways. Drive Insights to Action — Translate research into actionable strategies, opportunity backlogs, and solution concepts; ensure hypotheses are validated via experiments and pilots; anchor decisions in customer desirability and business viability. Champion data-informed CX insights and business case storytelling to secure alignment and funding. Partner & Deliver — Work with cross-functional leaders in operations, marketing, and AI to remove friction and enable journey orchestration at scale. Governance & Ways of Working — Co-create a framework for governance for journey ownership, backlog intake, prioritization, and outcome tracking. Required Qualifications 10+ years in CX, VOC, or customer insights with 5+ years leading teams in complex environments (financial services preferred). Bachelor's degree in research, business, data science, or a relevant field. Master’s or advanced degree is a plus. Demonstrated expertise in quantitative research methods, survey design, data analysis, and evidence-based decision making. Exceptional storytelling skills with the ability to humanize data and craft empathetic, insight-driven narratives that resonate with stakeholders. Proven track record translating insights into implemented solutions across digital and operational channels. Strong stakeholder leadership with the ability to influence senior leaders and align diverse teams around outcomes and metrics. Experience in or exposure to primary qualitative research methods. Leadership Attributes An enthusiastic collaborator who loves building partnerships and helping organizations act in the customer’s best interest. Builder’s mindset with bias to action and disciplined measurement. Systems thinker who can navigate macro strategy and micro-operations. Empathetic coach who elevates craft and fosters psychological safety and engagement. Clear communicator who can tell the story of change with data and human insight. Preferred Qualifications Experience building business cases and conducting desirability, viability, and feasibility analyses for business colleagues. Knowledge of or experience in insurance or financial services is an asset. UX or Product Design experience or collaboration with product designers is a plus. Familiarity with research platforms, survey/analytics tools, and AI technologies for mixed-methods insights. Curiosity and enthusiasm for learning and growing in AI-driven research practices. When you join our team We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want. We’ll support you in a flexible environment where well-being and inclusion are prioritized. As part of our global team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see. #LI-Hybrid About Manulife and John Hancock Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider. To learn more, visit Manulife’s official site. Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer We embrace diversity and are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or other protected status. A Human Resources representative will assist with reasonable accommodations during the application process. Salary and Location Location: Toronto, Ontario; Hybrid work arrangement. Salary range is CAD 125,100 to 175,100. For other locations, contact for the range. The actual salary will vary by market conditions and qualifications. Eligible for incentive programs. #J-18808-Ljbffr