The Director, Internal Sales Desk is a senior sales leader responsible for building and leading a high-performing Sales Desk that drives distribution growth and delivers consistent, high-quality presales support.
This role oversees both Internal Wholesalers and Sales Support Specialists, ensuring a balanced model of proactive sales engagement and efficient service delivery across the presales lifecycle. The Director translates strategy into execution, develops talent, and drives continuous improvement in sales effectiveness, service quality, and operational performance. The position offers a sales based incentive with base salary and opportunities for performance bonuses in the all in target compensation range of $150,000 to $160,000, plus benefits.
Key Accountabilities
Lead and develop a high-performing, multi-tiered Sales Desk team
Align Sales Desk priorities with distribution strategy and business goals
Drive sales opportunity development and conversion outcomes
Deliver efficient, scalable, and high-quality presales support
Establish disciplined operations, service standards, and performance management
Contribute to distribution leadership and cross-functional initiatives
Position Responsibilities:
Leadership & Team Development
Lead, coach, and develop Internal Wholesalers and Sales Support Specialists with clear roles, expectations, and performance outcomes
Build a strong team culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Implement targeted development programs to strengthen sales capabilities and technical/service expertise
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Establish clear career pathways and succession planning across roles
Sales Execution & Opportunity Management
Translate distribution strategy into actionable Sales Desk plans and priorities
Drive proactive sales activity, opportunity identification, and pipeline development
Provide oversight on complex cases, proposals, and engagement strategies
Optimize collaboration between Internal Wholesalers (sales development) and Sales Support Specialists (case execution) to improve conversion and client experience
Sales Support and Service Delivery
Oversee end-to-end presales support, including inbound inquiries, case coordination, illustrations, and product support
Establish and manage service levels, response standards, and quality expectations for all support activities
Ensure consistent, accurate, and professional interactions with internal and external stakeholders
Manage workflow, capacity, and case distribution to support high-volume activity efficiently
Monitor service metrics (e.g., turnaround time, quality, responsiveness) and drive continuous improvement
Organizational Leadership & Governance
Serve as a key member of the Distribution Management team and Sales Leadership forums.
Contribute to enterprise planning, decision-making, and cross-functional initiatives.
Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on Sales Desk capabilities and performance.
Operational Excellence
Oversee daily Sales Desk operations across sales execution and service delivery
Define and optimize staffing models, workflows, and resource allocation
Implement performance metrics and reporting across sales and service functions
Drive improvements in tools, systems, and processes to increase efficiency and scalability
Partner with Sales, Product, and Distribution leaders to align priorities and execution
Act as a key liaison between field sales and internal support teams
Provide insights to inform business planning, process improvements, and system enhancements
Contribute to distribution strategy, planning, and leadership forums
Communication & Enablement
Ensure clear, consistent communication across Sales Desk and stakeholders
Lead training on sales campaigns, product updates, tools, and processes
Equip teams with the knowledge, resources, and messaging needed to perform effectively
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and business experience.
5+ years of progressive management and sales leadership experience.
Life and Annuities experience preferred
Required licenses: Life & Health.
7+ years of experience in insurance, financial services, or a closely related distribution environment.
Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional initiatives and managing complex priorities
Competencies
Sales leadership and execution
Talent development and performance management
Service operations and process optimization
Business acumen and analytical thinking
Stakeholder influence and collaboration
Change leadership and continuous improvement
Strong communication and decision-making
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.
LI-JH
The role being advertised is an existing vacancy.
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 hr@manulife.com.
Referenced Salary Location Boston, Massachusetts
Working Arrangement
Hybrid
Salary range is expected to be between $70,000.00 USD - $121,300.00 USD
Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance. 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. If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact hr@manulife.com for the salary range for your location.
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
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