Head of Investment

Manulife Insurance Berhad; Kuala Lumpur; Hybrid; MYR 500,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Job summary

Manulife Insurance Berhad seeks Head of Investments to lead the Malaysia portfolio, ensuring risk-adjusted returns and regulatory compliance. The HOI collaborates with regional desks, actuaries, finance, and product teams to craft and implement investment strategies.

You will chair investment committees, oversee outsourcing, and guide asset allocation across multi-asset classes while embedding governance and risk controls in a dynamic, client-centric environment.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of investment experience in the insurance or institutional asset management industry.
• Experience in multi-asset class investments.
• Active involvement in asset and liability management.
• Strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills to lead multi-discipline projects effectively.
• University degree in investment, finance, economics, or other relevant quantitative discipline.
• Self-starter, proactive, a mature leader that is able to work in a remote reporting setting.
• Tech and AI savvy to be able to work productively in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and interpret local macroeconomic and market trends to support investment and risk management strategies.
• Oversee risk-adjusted returns, manager selection, and performance monitoring for the portfolio.
• Guide organization on alternative long-duration assets and support marketing and product development with investment insights.
• Lead Investment Committee and support ALM/Board processes and present investment updates.
• Recommend and implement changes to investment guidelines and policies.
• Contribute to competitor analysis through surveillance of industry trends and best practices.
• Lead cross-functional teams for investment initiatives.
• Liaise with Actuarial, Finance, Legal, Tax, Product, and other units to provide integrated investment support.
• As our investment representative with peers and external stakeholders to stay abreast of industry standards.
• Oversee investment outsourcing, including review and SLAs.

Skills

Investment experience

Multi-asset investing

Asset liability management

Analytics & communication

Finance degree

Remote leadership

Tech & AI savvy

Education

Finance/Economics degree

Job description

As a member of the General Account Investments Asia team, the Head of Investments (“HOI”), Malaysia is accountable for managing the investment portfolio in accordance with approved strategies, regulatory requirements, and internal guidelines. The HOI acts as a trusted asset adviser, building credibility with regulators, boards, and local teams, and is responsible for delivering risk-adjusted returns, and performance oversight.

As a client-centric investment professional, the incumbent will closely collaborate with Manulife’s general account investment desks and other functional areas at the business unit, regional, and group levels. This collaboration will focus on the development and implementation of investment strategies, tactical portfolio optimization, and delivery of product pricing and other investment-related support, all aimed at achieving the objective of Manulife Malaysia and its supporting businesses.

Preferred Responsibilities

• As part of an emerging markets team (GAEA), monitor and interpret local macroeconomic and market trends, providing regular updates and insights to support our investment and risk management strategies.
• Oversee risk-adjusted returns, manager selection, and performance monitoring for the investment portfolio.
• Guide the organization on alternative long-duration assets and support marketing and product development with investment insights.
• Lead the Investment Committee and support Asset Liability Management Committee and Board Committee processes and present investment updates and performance as required.
• Recommend and implement changes to investment guidelines and policies as appropriate.
• Contribute to competitor analysis through surveillance of industry trends, market information and best practices.
• Lead cross-functional teams for investment initiatives.
• Liaise with business unit functional areas—eg Actuarial, Finance, Legal, Tax, Product, etc to provide integrated investment support not only for the Malaysian entity and occasionally for the wider initiative for emerging markets. Responsibilities include capital review, ongoing surveillance, and ensuring compliance with investment-related regulatory requirements across reinsured portfolios.
• As our investment representative with peers and external stakeholders to keep abreast of the latest industry trend and standards, and to lead the investment efforts as an industry leader.
• Oversee investment outsourcing, including review and maintenance of investment management, advisory, and service level agreements etc.

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of investment experience in the insurance or institutional asset management industry
• Experience in multi asset class investments
• Active involvement in asset and liability management
• Strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills to lead multi-discipline projects effectively
• University degree in investment, finance, economics, or other relevant quantitative discipline
• Self-starter, proactive, a mature leader that is able to work in a remote reporting setting
• Tech and AI savvy to be able to work productively in a fast-paced environment

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 ••••@manulife.com .

Working Arrangement

Hybrid

Unlock job insights

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services group that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. We operate primarily as John Hancock in the United States and Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance, as well as wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. At the end of 2017, we had about 35,000 employees, 73,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving more than 26 million customers. As of March 31, 2018, we had over $1.1 trillion (US$850 billion) in assets under management and administration, and in the previous 12 months we made $26.9 billion in payments to our customers. Our principal operations are in Asia, Canada and the United States where we have served customers for more than 100 years. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.

Manulife Insurance Berhad is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manulife Holdings Berhad, a member of Canada-based Manulife Financial Corporation. Manulife Insurance core business is the provision of individual life insurance products to meet the financial and protection needs of Malaysians.

Currently, Manulife Insurance fulfills the needs of more than 300,000 policyholders, served by a dedicated agency force of approximately 2,000 agents, supported by a network of 7 Regional Support Centres and 3 branches, with around 70 agency offices strategically located throughout Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia.