Senior Business Analyst

John Hancock is a subsidiary of Manulife Financial, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. The Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. John Hancock can be found on the internet at www.johnhancock.com Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '0945' on the SEHKThe 3rd Party Investment Systems group within MFC Global Investment Management provides technology development and support for the company's 3rd Party asset management operations.  This is a Business AnalystSenior Business Analyst position within the Application Management team working in support of equity and fixed income asset management clients.  The role offers the opportunity to work directly and in collaboration with the business stakeholders and the general investment user community, along with the technology development and project teams within the organization.  A solid background in technology, a strong business focus, familiarity with investment processes and terminology, a desire to interact with business clients, and excellent communication skills are essential.   The successful candidate will be responsible for oversight of key business applications such as Bloomberg, FactSet, Satuit, and other in-house and external technologies, working in partnership with the 3rd Party business clientele and collaborating with other teams from the larger Investment Systems organization to leverage resources and expertise in support of client objectives.  The role will require adherence to proper business systems processes governing client interactions, as well as requirements intake and management.  The candidate will align functionally as a partner to the business and will participate in determining optimal solutions that support the business/systems architecture, while providing industry best practices and regulatory mandates to the solution. Responsibilities:  ·Identify solutions and alternatives to business and system problems, outlining their relative merits, cost, compatibility, etc., to ensure clients make informed decisions   ·Establish relationships with business leaders in order to determine optimal solutions for complex business needs. Support the implementation of reengineered and integrated business processes to meet the needs of internal clients by leveraging and influencing the emerging industry capabilities and by working in partnership with external service providers. ·Use industry experience and contacts to assist Investments Division in understanding what other similar companies are doing in terms of providing like solutions for initiatives tables (i.e. "best of breed" solutions) ·Develop individual as well as cross-functional feasibility studies and business cases for new initiatives that will identify the business requirements and detail cost/benefit analysis including presentation to Senior Management to gain overall approval. ·Build and maintain external vendor relationships to keep abreast of changing practices in the financial sector and ability to bring together research of options available to assist business partners in making informed decisions regarding specific business needs.·Ensure that all processes and systems work within the mandated regulatory and compliance requirements for the industry. ·Develop test strategies, test plans, test cases and expected results in consultation with clients to ensure that initiatives being implemented meet expected deliverables. ·Ensure stakeholders have a common understanding of project deliverables and parameters (e.g. Time, cost, quality and benefits). ·Exercise judgment in identifying issues, modifying plans as business conditions change, assessing courses of action and developing recommendations ·Maintain focus as priorities change, keeping business needs and importance in perspective as it relates to overall strategic goals and communicating these changes to business lines in an understandable, justified and acceptable means. Essential College degree. 5+ years business analysis and subject matter experience in supporting Investment Operations Familiarity with Investment Order Management Systems and trade flow from front to back office. Familiarity with database and system concepts The ideal candidate would display the following skills: Charles River/Bloomberg and/or Portia application experience. Strong Investment business knowledge, especially in trading and investment operations. Ability to be flexible and adaptable, handle multiple demands and competing priorities, and meet deadlines. The desire to learn new things and perform activities across multiple roles in order to drive the success of the business. Ability to work well both independently and as part of a team that is spread across US and Canada. Proven customer service skills & orientation. Experience working in Application Management environment, preferably within the financial sector. Experience in evaluating and migrating to new software releases. Possess an understanding/experience of System/Software Development Life Cycles/methodology. JOB INFORMATION Company: Manulife Financial Location: Boston, MA 02108 Status: Full Time, Employee Job Category: Business/Strategic Management Learn more about the company Click here for video Length: 1:15 min Vibrant Culture     •     Wealth of Opportunity     •     Company with a Conscience