Associate Director, Operations Insights Automation

Manulife; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 1,800,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Manulife is seeking an Associate Director, Operations Insights Automation to lead the Asia Operations data insights and automation portfolio. You will guide a team of data engineers to deliver scalable insights, KPI automation, dashboards and data solutions across key Operations value streams.

This role links regional, market and global stakeholders with the Data Office and Technology partners, translating business priorities into scalable solutions while driving delivery excellence, team

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• 10+ years in data analytics/BI, analytics, automation, or operations.
• Proven experience leading regional data initiatives from requirement to adoption.
• Strong business analysis: elicitation, process mapping, KPI definitions, UAT, operating-model design.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders across Operations, Tech, Data and Finance.

Responsibilities

• Lead regional insights and automation portfolio management across Asia.
• Oversee intake, prioritization, and delivery planning for dashboards, KPIs and data insights.
• Ensure scope, milestones, risks, dependencies, and delivery outcomes are visible.
• Coordinate delivery across markets and align regional standards with market needs.
• Lead end-to-end KPI automation, dashboards and insight solutions from discovery to deployment.
• Partner with leaders to translate objectives into reporting needs and data requirements.
• Drive capability building and continuous improvement across Power BI and related platforms.

Skills

Leadership & people mgmt

Stakeholder management

Data governance

Business analysis

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Tools

Power BI

SQL

Azure data services

Databricks

Power Platform

Job description

Associate Director, Operations Insights Automation

The Associate Director, Operations Insights Automation will lead the Asia Operations data insights and automation portfolio, working closely with a team of five data engineers to deliver scalable insights, KPI automation, dashboards, and data solutions across key Operations value streams.

The role will serve as a key link between regional, market, and global stakeholders, the Data Office, and Technology partners, translating business priorities into scalable solutions while driving delivery excellence, team capability, data governance, and adoption.

Position Responsibilities:

Regional insights and automation portfolio management

• Support the Head of Asia Operations Insights Automation and Low Code Solutions in managing the regional portfolio, roadmap, priorities, and delivery commitments.
• Lead the intake, assessment, prioritization, and delivery planning of new dashboard, KPI, data-insight, and automation requirements.
• Maintain clear visibility of scope, milestones, risks, dependencies, resourcing, decisions, and delivery outcomes.
• Coordinate delivery across Asia markets and Operations value streams, aligning regional standards with market requirements.
• Assess requests against business value, strategic alignment, delivery effort, data readiness, operational risk, and long-term supportability.

Business analysis and insight development

• Partner with regional value-stream leaders, market Operations teams, Business Management, Risk and Control, Data, and Technology to clarify objectives and reporting needs.
• Translate business problems into structured requirements, KPI definitions, functional specifications, data requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria.
• Conduct current-state and gap analysis across processes, systems, data sources, reporting logic, controls, and operating models.
• Lead the development of actionable insights beyond routine reporting, including productivity drivers, service outcomes, financial impact, cost and benefit realization, adoption, and operational risk indicators.
• Challenge unclear or conflicting requirements constructively and facilitate alignment on definitions and expected outcomes before development begins.

KPI, dashboard, and data automation delivery

• Lead end-to-end delivery of KPI automation, dashboards, and insight solutions from discovery and design through development coordination, testing, deployment, hypercare, and ongoing enhancement.
• Work with data engineers and solution architects to translate business logic into scalable data models, automated calculations, and reporting solutions.
• Oversee changes arising from product or system updates, source-data changes, KPI-definition revisions, migrations, and new management requirements.
• Ensure calculation logic, source-to-report mappings, data dictionaries, validation evidence, assumptions, and decision records are complete and maintained.
• Coordinate the investigation and resolution of data-quality, pipeline, access, reconciliation, and reporting issues with market Data and Technology teams.

Stakeholder and delivery leadership

• Serve as a primary regional contact for Operations insights and automation initiatives, engaging regional, market, and global stakeholders.
• Facilitate workshops and decisions involving regional, market, and global business owners, subject-matter experts, data engineers, IT, the Data Office, Risk, and Control partners.
• Manage team capacity, objectives, development plans, performance, and succession readiness to sustain delivery capability.
• Lead, coach, and develop team members while coordinating offshore and cross-functional resources, setting clear expectations, and strengthening accountability and performance.
• Communicate progress, risks, dependencies, decisions, trade-offs, and required actions to senior stakeholders in a timely manner.
• Prepare concise executive updates, recommendations, decision materials, portfolio reports, and team communications.
• Manage expectations and escal… ???

Capability building and continuous improvement

• Identify reusable analytical approaches, delivery templates, business definitions, data models, controls, and practices that can scale across markets.
• Support capability uplift through training, knowledge sharing, community sessions, practical use cases, and coaching.
• Promote self-service analysis and responsible adoption of Power BI, Power Platform, Copilot Studio, and other approved data and AI capabilities.
• Monitor relevant industry and technology developments and recommend practical improvements to the team’s insight, automation, and delivery capabilities.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Analytics, Data Science, Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related discipline.
• Typically 10 or more years of relevant experience in data analytics, business intelligence, business analysis, transformation, automation, project delivery, or Operations management.
• Demonstrated experience leading regional or cross-functional data, reporting, automation, or transformation initiatives from requirement definition through implementation and adoption.
• Strong business analysis experience, including requirement elicitation, process analysis, KPI definition, data mapping, functional design, UAT, and operating-model design.
• Experience influencing senior regional, market, and global stakeholders across Operations, Technology, Data, Finance, Risk, Control, and PMO in a matrix environment.
• Proven people‑leadership experience, including coaching, performance management, capability development, and leading technical or analytical teams across multiple locations.
• Financial‑services or insurance Operations experience is strongly preferred.
• Strong experience with Power BI and enterprise data environments is required.
• Working knowledge of SQL, data models, data pipelines, and data‑quality concepts is required; advanced hands‑on programming is advantageous but not essential.
• Experience with Microsoft Power Platform, Azure data services, Databricks, enterprise data lakes, Planview, or comparable tools is advantageous.
• Relevant credentials such as PMP, Scrum, Agile, Lean Six Sigma, Microsoft Power BI, or Microsoft Power Platform certification are advantageous.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English; proficiency in another Asian language is an advantage.

Key Measures of Success:

• Regional insights and automation priorities are delivered against agreed scope, quality, milestones, and business outcomes.
• KPI and dashboard requirements are translated into clear, approved, and traceable business logic.
• KPI definitions and reporting practices become more consistent and reusable across markets.
• Rework caused by unclear requirements, incomplete mappings, weak validation, or undocumented decisions is reduced.
• UAT, stakeholder sign‑off, deployment readiness, and post‑launch support are completed in a timely and controlled manner.
• Senior stakeholders have clear visibility of delivery status, risks, dependencies, decisions, and required actions.
• Insight and automation solutions achieve sustained adoption and demonstrable operational or financial value.
• Solutions have clear ownership, documentation, controls, and sustainable maintenance arrangements.

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.

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 [e-mail] .