Payroll Specialist

The Opportunity

Are you excited about being part of an opportunity to be at the forefront of transformation, innovation and service excellence for our U.S. Retirement business? Then we would love to have you join our FutureChoice Retirement Services Team as Payroll Specialist. You will help to shape a new retirement recordkeeping and operations ecosystem including the complimentary tenets of people, process, technology, and data. You will be instrumental in evolving a new culture focused on efficiently servicing, transforming, and growing our U.S. Retirement business while maintaining our reputation for service excellence.

As the operating model and service delivery continue to mature, the scope of the role is expected to expand, offering  broader exposure to client service and business partner delivery and creating opportunities for increasing involvement in the end-to-end client experience over time.

This is a full-time hybrid opportunity requiring you to be in-office just three (3) days per week We are open Monday through Fridays.  Successful candidates must be available for shifts that vary according to business demands.

Role Summary:

• The FutureChoice Payroll Specialist will provide operational and analytical support for payroll implementation, payroll processing, and in-force servicing activities for the FutureChoice retirement platform.
• This role supports a new and evolving operating model, with responsibilities expected to expand as plan volume, client needs, and operational complexity mature over time.
• The role requires strong attention to detail, sound judgment, and the ability to coordinate with internal partners to ensure accurate payroll setup, data validation, issue resolution, and service continuity.

Position Responsibilities:

• Support payroll-related implementation and in-force activities, including payroll feed setup, file testing, data validation, and configuration support with recordkeeping and supporting systems.
• Process payroll activity accurately and on time, including participant and employer contributions, census updates, new enrollments, forfeiture accounts, and related payroll transactions.
• Partner with internal teams to gather plan details, clarify payroll requirements, coordinate timelines, and support delivery across implementation, go-live, and ongoing servicing.
• Validate payroll testing and production files to ensure data integrity, accurate setup, and readiness for plan launch or ongoing processing.
• Identify, research, and help resolve payroll errors, exceptions, reconciliation items, and operational risks by coordinating with internal partners and escalating as appropriate.
• Provide support for escalated payroll plans and implementation-related issues, ensuring appropriate follow-through prior to handoff and post-transition stabilization.
• Support in-force payroll provider changes by assisting with coordination, progress tracking, issue resolution, and completion of required activities.
• Respond to payroll-related inquiries and service issues with a proactive, solution-based approach that supports strong internal and client outcomes.
• Perform quality control and review of payroll data updates, reporting, and related client or participant outputs to ensure accuracy and service standards are met.
• Provide subject matter expertise for research, analysis, and resolution of complex payroll inquiries, while supporting procedure documentation and process improvements.
• Support training, knowledge sharing, work distribution, and quality assurance activities for payroll operations as the team and platform mature.
• Perform other duties and functions as assigned by Operations Management to support evolving FutureChoice business needs.

Required Qualifications:

• At least 2 years of relevant payroll, back-office operations, retirement services, financial services, or related operational experience.
• Experience supporting payroll administration, payroll processing, data validation, document processing, administrative support, or similar operational work.
• Working knowledge of payroll operations, contribution processing, file validation, reconciliation, exception handling, and service quality controls.
• Post-secondary education in business, finance, or a related field is preferred. Equivalent work experience will also be considered.  At least 1-2 years relevant back-office experience preferred (e.g. payroll administration, document processing, administrative support)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and comfort using web-based business applications.
• Good written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively with internal partners and support issue resolution.
• Must be amenable and prepared to work both onsite and from home as needed, depending on business requirements and/or the current external environment or situation.
• Amenability to work on Philippine holidays, shifting schedules, weekends, and overtime when business needs require.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 401(k), pension plan, or U.S. retirement plan services experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with Omni, Decisions.com, or similar retirement operations and workflow tools is an asset.
• Experience supporting payroll implementation, payroll onboarding, SFTP/file testing, payroll provider changes, or recordkeeping platform setup is an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to identify trends, resolve exceptions, support quality checks, and recommend process improvements.
• Demonstrated experience distributing work, providing SME support, training others, or supporting team capability building.
• Strong attention to detail, problem-solving skills, adaptability to change, and ability to support high-volume work accurately.
• Ability to use AI and digital tools responsibly to support business-as-usual work, project initiatives, documentation, and process improvement.

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