AVP & Counsel, Advanced Markets

John Hancock seeks a dynamic and strategic Assistant Vice President & Counsel to lead the Advanced Markets legal and planning function. This highly visible role partners with senior leadership across distribution, product, legal, and underwriting to deliver sophisticated planning strategies for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. You will lead a team of distributor-facing attorneys, serve as an ambassador to the field, and be instrumental in expanding market opportunities while ensuring responsible growth and alignment with enterprise risk.

Position Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Distribution Alignment

• Lead a team of attorneys, Advanced Market Consultants and Specialty Market leaders that serve as trusted partners to National Account Vice Presidents and external wholesalers, supporting distribution partners, financial professionals, CPAs, and Estate Planning Attorneys and deliver technical expertise on complex planning for life insurance solutions. 

• Create a team culture that fosters team growth and opportunities for employees to develop. 

Complex Case Design & Enablement

• Drive collaboration between Advanced Markets Consultants and Product Competitive and Intelligence Team to marry advanced case design expertise and consultation across estate, charitable, business continuation, retirement planning and executive benefit planning with competitive product solutions.  

• Collaborate with product, underwriting, compliance, marketing, corporate legal, risk, compliance, and leadership to execute large, sophisticated life insurance planning.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Strategy

• Partner closely with the Insurance Leadership Team and senior executives to assess new market entry strategies, especially where complex regulatory, tax, or planning techniques intersect with target distribution channels and insurance product lines.

• Serve as the primary liaison between Advanced Markets and enterprise functions such as underwriting, legal, compliance, and marketing.

• Consult with underwriting leadership to oversee financial underwriting across multiple disciplines, including foreign national, high net worth, private and commercial financing, business, and retirement solutions. 

Risk Governance & Compliance

• Hold a formal charter to oversee risk governance for Advanced Markets activities, ensuring alignment with John Hancock’s enterprise risk priorities.

• Liaise with enterprise risk and compliance committees to align Advanced Markets strategies with evolving regulatory and corporate policies.

• Maintain and continuously refresh a risk mitigation framework that supports responsible, scalable sales growth.

Thought Leadership & Content Creation

• Keynote speaker and brand ambassador at industry trade conferences and advisor events.

• Author and review technical content, white papers, and planning guides for financial professionals.

• Represent John Hancock in the industry as a thought leader on estate, tax, retirement, and business planning.

Regulatory & Legislative Insight

• Monitor federal and state tax and estate law changes; advise on business impact and planning opportunities.

• Support government relations and advocacy efforts in coordination with public affairs.

Required Qualifications:

• J.D. from an accredited law school; active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

• 12–15+ years of legal experience in life insurance, estate and business planning, or advanced sales, including experience leading high-performing legal or advanced planning teams

• Recognized public speaker with proven ability to engage audiences in technical, legal, and planning topics

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence across underwriting, legal, product, and distribution teams

• Deep understanding of U.S. tax code as it applies to life insurance, estate/trust planning, charitable giving, executive benefits, and business succession

• Experience advising on ERISA, employee benefit plans, and executive benefit markets

• Familiarity with foreign national, premium finance, and high-net-worth planning strategies

• Excellent written and