Director & Chief Product Owner

Manulife John Hancock; Southwestern Ontario; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible environment

Global team

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Manulife John Hancock seeks a Director & Chief Product Owner to lead a value stream, defining desirable, viable, feasible, and sustainable solutions that meet end-user needs and drive ongoing value delivery.

In a SAFe environment, you will own the digital product vision, manage backlogs across multiple squads, mentor Product Owners, and collaborate with IT and business partners to execute large-scale initiatives aligned with corporate goals.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years of cross-functional leadership and SAFe/Scrum experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or related discipline; post-graduate degree preferred.
• Proven track record in digital strategy and financial services.
• Experience with JIRA and Confluence.

Responsibilities

• Lead large-scale initiatives across multiple value streams to deliver strategic outcomes.
• Define digital product vision, strategy, and roadmaps across global platforms.
• Own the product backlog and prioritize features across agile squads.
• Mentor Product Owners to foster customer-centricity.
• Partner with IT and business stakeholders to align objectives.

Skills

SAFe/Scrum

Leadership

Product strategy

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Engineering or related discipline

Post-graduate degree

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

Job description

The Director & Chief Product Owner acts as the value stream lead and is responsible for defining desirable, viable, feasible, and sustainable solutions that meet end user needs. They are focused on executing continuous improvements within their value stream to ensure value is being consistently delivered to end users. They act as a bridge between the business and development teams, ensuring that the product strategy aligns with the overall business objectives, the development teams understand and deliver on objectives, and delivery expectations are set and managed with key stakeholders.

We are seeking a visionary Director & Chief Product Owner to oversee strategic direction, development, and delivery of one of our digital product portfolio value streams. This role is pivotal in shaping the future of our end user experience and driving business transformation through innovative, data-driven solutions. Acting as the voice of the customer and a key influencer across business lines, you will partner with stakeholders and technology teams to define product strategy, prioritize features, and ensure successful execution of cross-functional, large-scale initiatives aligned with organizational goals.

As the senior product leader within our SAFe Agile framework, you will own the digital product vision, manage the backlog across multiple agile squads, and mentor Product Owners to foster a culture of customer-centricity and continuous improvement. Your ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on leadership will enable you to deliver measurable business outcomes, optimize digital capabilities, and champion change across a globally diverse organization.

Position Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Partner across business lines and value streams to lead large-scale initiatives and ensure strategic objectives achieve intended outcomes.
• Product Vision & Strategy: Define and communicate the digital product strategy, vision, and roadmap in alignment with business priorities and global technology strategy.
• Customer-Centric Design: Act as the voice of the customer, incorporating feedback and insights to influence product direction and deliver meaningful experiences.
• IT partnership: Collaborate closely with IT counterparts, align on solution design, development, QA, and testing strategies. Work together to ensure technical feasibility, share solution concepts with stakeholders, gather feedback, and jointly determine the best path forward for delivering high-quality products.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Use advanced analytics, A/B testing, and experimentation to validate hypotheses and optimize product offerings.
• Agile Delivery: Own the product backlog and feature prioritization across multiple agile squads and initiatives, ensuring consistent delivery of business value.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Coordinate across multiple stakeholders to drive complex product development decisions, requirements, and success criteria.
• Mentorship & Leadership: Lead, develop, and mentor Product Owners to foster a culture of customer-centricity and continuous improvement.
• Integrated Planning: Partner with IT leaders to develop and manage integrated plans for initiatives, including milestone planning, testing, reviews, and approvals.
• Performance Optimization: Monitor KPIs and drive continuous improvement through data analytics and insights.
• Communication & Change Leadership: Present key insights, vision, and progress updates to stakeholders, acting as a change agent across the organization.

Required Qualifications:

• 8-10 years of experience leading cross-functional teams and initiatives using SAFe/Scrum methodologies in a complex, globally diverse organization.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or related discipline; post-graduate degree preferred.
• At least 5 years of industry experience with individual insurance and wealth products, service processes, and customer needs.
• Proven track record in digital strategy and transformation within financial services, with strong knowledge of emerging digital technologies.
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies, release management, and tools such as JIRA and Confluence.
• Strong ability to adapt to change and understand the impact of emerging technologies.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across all levels.
• Experience with data analytics, change management, and digital engagement strategies.

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.

The role being advertised is an existing vacancy.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helpi