AVP & Counsel, Advanced Markets

John Hancock seeks a dynamic and strategic Assistant Vice President & Counsel to lead the Advanced Markets legal and planning function. This highly visible role partners with senior leadership across distribution, product, legal, and underwriting to deliver sophisticated planning strategies for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. You will lead a team of distributor-facing attorneys, serve as an ambassador to the field, and be instrumental in expanding market opportunities while ensuring responsible growth and alignment with enterprise risk.

Position Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Distribution Alignment

• Lead a team of attorneys, Advanced Market Consultants and Specialty Market leaders that serve as trusted partners to National Account Vice Presidents and external wholesalers, supporting distribution partners, financial professionals, CPAs, and Estate Planning Attorneys and deliver technical expertise on complex planning for life insurance solutions. 

• Create a team culture that fosters team growth and opportunities for employees to develop. 

Complex Case Design & Enablement

• Drive collaboration between Advanced Markets Consultants and Product Competitive and Intelligence Team to marry advanced case design expertise and consultation across estate, charitable, business continuation, retirement planning and executive benefit planning with competitive product solutions.  

• Collaborate with product, underwriting, compliance, marketing, corporate legal, risk, compliance, and leadership to execute large, sophisticated life insurance planning.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Strategy

• Partner closely with the Insurance Leadership Team and senior executives to assess new market entry strategies, especially where complex regulatory, tax, or planning techniques intersect with target distribution channels and insurance product lines.

• Serve as the primary liaison between Advanced Markets and enterprise functions such as underwriting, legal, compliance, and marketing.

• Consult with underwriting leadership to oversee financial underwriting across multiple disciplines, including foreign national, high net worth, private and commercial financing, business, and retirement solutions. 

Risk Governance & Compliance

• Hold a formal charter to oversee risk governance for Advanced Markets activities, ensuring alignment with John Hancock’s enterprise risk priorities.

• Liaise with enterprise risk and compliance committees to align Advanced Markets strategies with evolving regulatory and corporate policies.

• Maintain and continuously refresh a risk mitigation framework that supports responsible, scalable sales growth.

Thought Leadership & Content Creation

• Keynote speaker and brand ambassador at industry trade conferences and advisor events.

• Author and review technical content, white papers, and planning guides for financial professionals.

• Represent John Hancock in the industry as a thought leader on estate, tax, retirement, and business planning.

Regulatory & Legislative Insight

• Monitor federal and state tax and estate law changes; advise on business impact and planning opportunities.

• Support government relations and advocacy efforts in coordination with public affairs.

Required Qualifications:

• J.D. from an accredited law school; active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

• 12–15+ years of legal experience in life insurance, estate and business planning, or advanced sales, including experience leading high-performing legal or advanced planning teams

• Recognized public speaker with proven ability to engage audiences in technical, legal, and planning topics

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence across underwriting, legal, product, and distribution teams

• Deep understanding of U.S. tax code as it applies to life insurance, estate/trust planning, charitable giving, executive benefits, and business succession

• Experience advising on ERISA, employee benefit plans, and executive benefit markets

• Familiarity with foreign national, premium finance, and high-net-worth planning strategies

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate legal and tax complexity into actionable planning

Preferred Qualifications

• LL.M. in Taxation

• CPA designation strongly preferred

• Experience in corporate legal departments or advanced planning groups at major life insurance carriers

• Prior involvement with risk or compliance committees within a financial institution's 

 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-Remote

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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].

Referenced Salary Location

Salary range is expected to be between

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/John Hancock 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/401(k) savings plans and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources. Our generous paid time off program in the U.S. includes up to 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days, 150 hours of vacation, and 40 hours of sick time (or more where required by law) each year, and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence.

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