Manulife Investment Management Timber and Agriculture is on a journey to become a customer centric, digital leader. The Strategic Innovation Team aids this transformation through identifying, testing, and implementing groundbreaking methods in forest and farm management. To support these efforts, we are looking for an experienced and highly motivated Solution Specialist with a practical skillset to enhance existing systems and processes, and a vision for innovative advancement.

 

The Solution Specialist will participate in the R&D effort with a focus on Esri GIS platform and associated systems. This includes the prioritization and development of Forest Operations workflows and automation of routine tasks. We are seeking a blend of hands-on expertise with attention to detail along with a keen eye towards the bigger picture of our innovation program. This individual will be a key link between multiple business units and external partners to enable a collaborative innovation environment. We are in search of an individual with a depth of knowledge in natural resources, GIS, and remote sensing, ready to deliver on our strategic priorities with the ability to see a vision through to practical solutions.   

Position Responsibilities:

Individual Responsibilities: (50%)  

Innovation Strategy:  Proven ability to leverage industry experience, professional judgement, analytical skillset, and innovative mindset to identify business challenges, develop clear business cases, and recommend solutions. Develop a continuous innovation strategy to advance the business using existing and emerging technologies that aligns with the organization’s objectives. This requires keeping abreast of emerging trends within the industry and integrating into the organization’s workflows. 

Project Coordination: Assist in the management and coordination of business and technical projects through all phases of ideation, development, and implementation. Support the identification of project needs and help establish roles, expectations, and goals with team members. Ensure assigned tasks and projects are progressing on schedule and align with business objectives. Provide updates on project milestones and facilitate communication among team members to promote collaboration and successful project delivery. 

 Shared Responsibilities: (50%) 

Workflow and Tool Enhancements; Design and develop workflows and tools to improve Resource Management System functionality in inventive ways to streamline business processes.  Enhance and extend the capabilities of the Esri GIS platform by designing automated solutions for increased productivity, using Python, FME, and other methods.  

Collaboration and Facilitation: Work with partners, both internal and external, to define and lead the scope, strategy, requirements, and implementation of innovation projects. Strong facilitation skills with the ability to encourage participation in R&D among colleagues across the organization. Responsible for implementing innovation projects across multiple team members; conducting business analysis and documenting business requirements to support each project. 

Communication: Subject matter expert who provides sound advice to management and colleagues throughout the global organization as well as communicating across partners, sponsors and management. Proven ability to communicate complex topics to a wide audience. 

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor of Science degree or higher in natural resource management, GIS/remote sensing, Computer Science, or a related field  

5+ years experience in the natural resource management or adjacent industry  

Proficiency with the Esri Enterprise platform including ArcGIS Pro, Portal, and Mobile

3+ years experience using Python or FME for analysis and automation, particularly within the Esri environment. 

Experience working with remote sensing data (inc LiDAR) and geospatial analysis  

Experience with other scripting and reporting tools (e.g. SQL, FME, ArcGIS Arcade, R, Power BI) 

Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate and influence various stakeholders across the organization as well as external vendors   

Takes a lead role in the innovation process and strategy execution 

Solid track record of running and delivering medium to large scale projects involving cross functional teams 

Able to effectively articulate technical vision, possibilities, and outcomes to technical and non-technical audience 

Strong problem-solving skills, ability to exercise judgement to cope with complex situations using both skills and experience to lead to the right outcome for the organization 

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge of silviculture, forest mensuration, appraisal, growth and yield modeling and forest operations is a plus

Esri certifications are a plus

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 recruitment@manulife.com.

Referenced Salary Location

Charlotte, North Carolina

Working Arrangement

Hybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$71,550.00 USD - $119,250.00 USD

If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact recruitment@manulife.com 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.

Know Your Rights I Family & Medical Leave I Employee Polygraph Protection I Right to Work I E-Verify I Pay Transparency

Company: John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.)