Senior Information Risk Management Specialist – Disaster Recovery Center of Excellence

We're looking for a Senior Information Risk Management Specialist to join the Disaster Recovery Center of Excellence (DR CoE) within Global Information Risk Management (GIRM). This role sits within the Level 2 (2nd Line of Defense) independent oversight function responsible for providing risk-based assurance over Disaster Recovery (DR) plans, testing, and compliance to Manulife’s Disaster Recovery Standard.

You will play a hands-on role in executing independent reviews of DR Plans and End-to-End Tests ensuring evidence is validated, deficiencies are challenged, and Issues/Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) are tracked through to closure in line with the GIRM L2 DR Oversight & Challenge Methodology.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys detailed, evidence-based analysis, structured documentation, and cross-functional collaboration with the DR Practice Area, Segment IROs, and business partners, while contributing to the continuous improvement of CoE SOPs, KPIs, and SLAs.

Position Responsibilities:

Oversight Execution

• Perform independent Level 2 oversight and challenge of DR Plans and End to End Tests, attestations, and Unannounced Data Center Tabletop exercises against the Manulife’s Disaster Recovery Standard using the approved DR Oversight and Challenge Methodology.

• Validate completeness, actionability, approval governance (approval, separation of duties), pre-production deployment timing, RTO/RPO achievement, RTA/RPA evidence, scenario selection/rotation, and lessons learned.

• Apply risk-based sampling of critical applications/IT services and targeted judgmental sampling of non-critical applications/IT services including pre-production.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Liaise with DR Plan Owners, DR Coordinators, Segment IROs, and the DR Practice Area to obtain artifacts, clarify evidence, and socialize challenge statements.

• Document 2nd Line of Defense observations, evidence references, and challenge statements clearly to support L1 response and resolution dialogue.

Governance & Reporting

• Maintain accurate records in the DR Oversight & Challenge Tracker and centralized SharePoint repository to ensure auditability and traceability of every oversight activity.

• Monitor and follow through on Issues/CAPs raised in the GRC system of record, including validation of closure evidence and retest outcomes within prescribed timeframes.

• Contribute to KRI/KPI inputs, metrics, and process improvements, ensuring adherence to DR CoE SOPs, SLAs, and the IRM Independent Oversight & Challenge Methodology.

Required Qualifications:

• 3–5 years of experience in Information Risk Management, with strong hands-on exposure to Disaster Recovery (DR) risks, controls, and testing.

• Solid understanding of DR concepts, testing methodologies, attestation criteria, IT infrastructure/application recovery, and cloud recovery considerations.

• Familiar with operational risk and GRC tools including Issue/CAP lifecycle management.

• Proficient in MS Office; experience with data analytics tools (e.g., Power BI), Fusion, and Archer is a plus.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work with cross-functional stakeholders across regions and segments.

• Detail-oriented with strong analytical, problem-solving, and multitasking skills; able to work with minimal supervision.

Preferred Certifications:

• Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP)

• Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP)

• CompTIA Security+

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.

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].

Hybrid