Legal Counsel, Global Contracts & Technology

Legal Counsel, Global Contracts & Technology

Manulife is seeking a seasoned lawyer with expertise in general commercial law and information technology to join our Global Contracts & Technology Legal (“GCT Legal”) team. The GCT Legal team provides high quality legal advice and delivers best-in-class results and innovative solutions to our business partners while achieving business objectives and mitigating risks. We facilitate collaboration across all internal partners to achieve Manulife’s vision of becoming a digital, customer-centric market leader.

Position Responsibilities:

You will have a broad range of responsibilities, including providing legal support on a wide variety of commercial, contractual and strategic matters across all of Manulife’s functions and segments globally. This includes:

• Reviewing and negotiating software-as-a-service agreements, global service agreements, software licensing & support, development contracts, managed services arrangements, and outsourcing agreements, including related transactional documents such as statements of work, order forms, purchase orders, et cetera;

• Providing legal advice on proof-of-concepts, evaluation agreements, and beta terms and conditions;

• Assisting with Procurement’s sourcing activities, including requests for proposal (“RFP”), and requests for information (“RFI”);

• Advising on confidentiality terms/non-disclosure agreements, data protection terms, information security requirements and other third-party risk management activities;

• Providing legal advice and strategies for the procurement of artificial intelligence technologies, including risk mitigation in this emerging space and other digital-first initiatives;

• Developing and maintaining agreement templates, companion documents, and other commonly used precedents to enhance the GCT Legal team’s efficiency; and

• Building strong relationships with key partners across the company to accelerate Manulife’s goal of being a digital, customer-centric market leader.

Required Qualifications:

You possess the following qualifications and characteristics:

• In-depth experience negotiating, drafting and advising on various commercial agreements and related documentation;

• A strong academic background;

• In good standing to practice law in Ontario or another Canadian province;

• At least 6 years of relevant post-call work experience with a major law firm or in-house legal department;

• Excellent analytical, interpretive and research skills, with a pragmatic approach to advising partners on commercial contracting;

• Superior communication skills (both written and verbal) to articulate and simplify complex concepts clearly and effectively;

• A conscientious work ethic and the ability to work independently while keeping colleagues informed on relevant developments;

• Sound judgement with the ability to prioritize and to make informed risk-based decisions in a timely manner; and

• Dedication to continuous learning and professional development.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with or for regulated financial institutions or in another highly regulated industry is an asset but not a requirement.

This is a Hybrid role. You will be required to work at either Manulife’s Toronto or Montreal office at least three days a week.

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

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 [email protected].

Toronto, Ontario

Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$117,740.00 CAD - $218,660.00 CAD

If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact [email protected] for the salary range for your location. 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. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.

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 [email protected] for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.