[Hiring] AVP, Longer Healthier Better Advisor Network @Manulife

Role Description

The AVP, LHBN will lead a strategic initiative to design, build, and scale a platform of affiliated advisors, Longer. Healthier. Better. Advisor Network (LHBN) as the primary go-to-market engine for transactional products in Broad Markets/Mass Affluent. This position will be critical in telling our story of helping our customers living Longer. Healthier. Better. Lives. Through effective storytelling, they will help us recruit, motivate, and grow advisors.

This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution, inspiring through storytelling, adapting communication styles to diverse audiences, and reinforcing value-based selling principles. The Director will foster long-term relationships, act as a player coach, and manage budget oversight for network operations, events, and meetings.

Key Accountabilities:

• Strategic Leadership & Program Design:
  • Develop and execute strategies for building and scaling the affiliated advisor platform.
  • Translate business objectives into actionable plans with clear milestones and measurable outcomes.
  • Influence priorities and resource allocation across Distribution, Product, Operations, Technology, and Marketing.
• Agent Network Development:
  • Driving awareness of the platform; telling the story and recruiting agents.
  • Execute phased recruitment plans for MVP and scale-up, ensuring diversity and quality of the agent cohort.
  • Define admission standards based on production quality, persistency, and mission alignment.
• Lead Generation & Routing:
  • Operationalize lead framework across multiple channels (site, partner leads, events, paid media).
  • Establish routing rules and quality metrics; maintain dashboards for lead throughput and conversion.
• Compensation & Recognition:
  • Implement tiered compensation structure aligned with performance standards.
  • Integrate recognition programs and differentiate benefits for top performers; monitor ROI and retention.
• Sales Desk & Service Blueprint:
  • Stand up sales desk operations, including staffing, scripts, and knowledge base.
  • Complete end-to-end service blueprint from certification through in-force; integrate digital tools for streamlined agent interactions.
• Partner Engagement & Conversion:
  • Drive onboarding and conversion of BGAs/IMOs/LOAs; set explicit conversion goals and track progress.
  • Conduct quarterly business reviews and publish outcomes to the shared scoreboard.
• Certification & Training:
  • Design and manage certification programs, including curriculum development and LMS operations.
  • Monitor completion rates, post-training conversion, and persistency metrics; publish results to dashboards.
• Analytics & Reporting:
  • Maintain public scoreboards for certification, lead performance, and partner outcomes.
  • Lead variance analysis and corrective actions; provide insights to senior leadership for decision-making.
• Budget Oversight:
  • Manage budget for running the network, including events, meetings, and related operational expenses.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years in life insurance distribution or field sales, with expertise in brokerage/IMO/BGA channels.
• Proven success in launching or scaling agent networks, sales desks, or wholesaler teams.
• Familiarity with certification and incentive programs; LOA/1099 experience preferred.

Requirements

• Must hold appropriate selling and oversight licenses, including Series 6, 63, and 26.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or industry designations (CLU, ChFC, FLMI) preferred.
• Approximately 40% travel for partner and agent engagement, certification, and launch events.

Benefits

• 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.
• Various retirement savings plans (including pension/401(k) savings plans and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions).
• 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.
• Full range of statutory leaves of absence.