Director, AI & Data Strategy & Transformation

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

Job summary

Manulife Hong Kong is seeking a Director of AI & Data Strategy & Transformation to lead transformation execution across HK and Macau. You will drive adoption, build organizational capability, and coordinate cross-functional execution with product, platform and delivery teams.

The role emphasizes governance, cost-center oversight and enterprise change leadership. As AI solutions scale, you will shape the operating rhythm, champion programs through HR, and ensure new capabilities become

Qualifications

• 10+ years in business transformation, organizational change, or enterprise program leadership.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional transformations end to end.
• Experience designing adoption interventions for tech, data or AI transformations.
• Experience building Champions networks or communities of practice.
• Experience facilitating cross-functional governance forums and translating decisions into actions.
• Experience managing budgets, cost centers and operating rhythms with Finance.
• Strong facilitation, influencing and structured problem-solving skills.
• Practical familiarity with AI, data and analytics capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional AI & Data transformation execution with clear ownership and accountability.
• Develop and implement change and adoption plans for AI initiatives across business readiness, communications, learning and processes.
• Establish and chair the Operational AI & Data Governance Council; coordinate governance submissions and follow-up actions.
• Coordinate AI & Data management operating rhythm, budget oversight and performance reviews with Finance and HR.

Skills

Strategic program leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Change enablement

Adoption planning

Facilitation & stakeholder management

Governance facilitation

Budget & cost control

Problem solving & execution

AI & data familiarity

Financial services experience

Job description

Director, AI & Data Strategy & Transformation

Lead the execution of selected AI & Data transformation priorities across Manulife Hong Kong and Macau, driving adoption and change enablement so agreed capabilities are embedded into business-as-usual; facilitate the Operational AI & Data Governance Council; and support the AI & Data management operating rhythm, cost-center and functional performance.

As Manulife Hong Kong scales AI solutions, enterprise data products, analytics capabilities and employee AI tools, successful transformation increasingly depends on changing how people work, ensuring new capabilities are adopted, building organizational capability and coordinating cross-functional execution.

Dedicated transformation leadership is required to turn agreed AI & Data priorities into sustained business change, while enabling the product, platform and delivery teams to retain clear ownership of their respective areas.

Position Responsibilities:

1. Lead AI & Data Transformation Execution

• Support head of AI & Data Strategy and Transformation, and lead selected cross-functional AI & Data transformations; translate agreed priorities into practical transformation plans covering business-process change, organizational readiness, ownership and implementation.
• Coordinating with business and enabling teams, drive clear ownership, decisions and accountability throughout transformation execution, resolve cross-functional dependencies and escalation material issues where required.
• Track implementation outcomes and work with business owners to address gaps preventing sustained business impact.

2. Drive AI & Data Adoption and Change Enablement

• Develop and execute change and adoption plans for agreed AI & Data initiatives, covering business readiness, communications, learning, process change, user enablement and transition into business-as-usual.
• Jointly lead the AI & Data Champions programs with Human Resources and the relevant AI, Data and BI teams as a scalable mechanism for capability building and adoption; Develop Champions into business problem owners who can identify opportunities, apply AI and data to real business problems and support wider organizational adoption.
• Monitor usage, readiness, capability and behavioral-change indicators for assigned initiatives and use these insights to continuously improve adoption interventions.

3. Facilitate Operational AI & Data Governance

• Establish and facilitate the Operational AI & Data Governance Council, including its operating cadence, agendas, decision processes, escalation pathways and action tracking.
• Bring together AI, Data, Technology, Risk, Compliance and business owners to review cross-cutting AI & Data governance matters and support timely decisions; Coordinate governance submissions and ensure decisions, actions, accountable owners and escalations are clearly captured and followed through.
• Support implementation of the AI & Data risk-management framework by coordinating across accountable domain owners and identifying gaps, dependencies or issues requiring cross-functional resolution.
• Monitor and improve the Council’s operating effectiveness while ensuring domain owners retain accountability for their respective standards, controls and governance processes.

4. Drive AI & Data Functional Performance and Operating Effectiveness

• Coordinate the AI & Data management operating rhythm, including regular performance and resource reviews, ensuring decisions, actions and accountabilities are clearly captured and followed through.
• Manage the AI & Data cost center, maintaining oversight of budget, actual expenditure, forecasts, resource commitments and material variances in partnership with Finance.
• Support AI & Data leadership on selected cross-functional priorities and emerging issues requiring dedicated coordination, structured problem solving or accelerated execution.

Required Qualifications:

• At least 10 years of experience in business transformation, organizational change, management consulting, digital transformation, data, analytics, AI, innovation or enterprise program leadership.
• Proven experience executing complex cross-functional transformations involving process, capability, behavioral and ways-of-working change.
• Demonstrated ability to lead selected strategic projects end to end, including mobilization, stakeholder alignment, implementation, issue resolution and transition into business-as-usual.
• Strong practical experience designing and executing adoption and change interventions for technology-, data- or AI-enabled transformation.
• Experience building organizational capability through Champions networks, communities of practice, learning programs or comparable enterprise change mechanisms.
• Experience facilitating cross-functional governance forums and translating decisions into accountable actions and follow-through.
• Experience managing or coordinating functional budgets, cost centers, resource planning, management operating rhythms and performance-management processes in partnership with Finance and Human Resources.
• Strong facilitation, influencing and structured problem-solving skills, with the ability to mobilize stakeholders across organizational boundaries.
• Practical familiarity with AI, data and analytics capabilities, with sufficient knowledge to work effectively with specialist AI, Data, BI and Technology teams.
• Financial services or insurance experience is preferred.
• Execution-oriented: turns agreed direction into concrete actions and outcomes.
• Transformation-minded: focuses on changing behaviors, processes and ways of working, not simply delivering activities.
• Pragmatic: distinguishes what requires formal structure from what requires hands-on intervention.
• Collaborative: mobilizes stakeholders across business and enabling functions without blurring accountability.
• Disciplined: maintains strong follow-through on commitments, resources, performance and decisions.

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.

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 [e-mail].

Working Arrangement

Hybrid