Head of IT Governance

Manulife Insurance Berhad; Kuala Lumpur; Hybrid; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider in Kuala Lumpur is seeking an experienced IT Risk Manager to oversee technology risk and compliance. The successful candidate will deliver audit readiness, enhance IT resilience, and manage procurement activities. Ideal candidates will possess a university degree and have significant experience in IT Finance accounting and procurement processes. This hybrid role offers a dynamic working environment focused on growth and inclusion.

Benefits

Flexible environment

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of working experience in relevant field.
• Experience with budgeting, capitalization, and payments tracking.
• Familiarity with IT Strategy planning and adherence to KPI.

Responsibilities

• Deliver audit readiness and compliance assurance.
• Strengthen IT risk posture and regulatory alignment.
• Optimize IT financial governance and cost efficiency.
• Ensure procurement compliance and vendor governance.
• Enhance IT resilience and regulatory readiness.

Skills

Leadership skills

IT Finance accounting

IT Procurement process

Familiarity with IT Security

Negotiation skills

Education

University degree

Job description

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This position exists to operationally address risk when technology is used, deployed, and changed as well as to ensure technology survivability when critical business processes are supported by technology. Lastly, to ensure that value is reaped in optimizing and managing the total cost of ownership and usage of technology. The success of the role is measured by the continuous improvement in technology risk posture and value derived from ownership.

Position Responsibilities

• Deliver audit readiness and compliance assurance by leading all IT‑related internal and external audit engagements, ensuring timely execution, effective coordination, and resolution of findings. Maintain up‑to‑date, regulator‑aligned IT policies and drive organization‑wide awareness and adherence to minimize compliance risks.
• Strengthen IT risk posture and regulatory alignment through proactive gap analysis, timely remediation of security vulnerabilities (e.g., patching, access rights, EOL components), and implementation of solutions that address evolving regulatory requirements and internal controls.
• Enable strategic IT governance and operational stability by providing accurate inputs for executive reporting and strategic planning, and by leading the Change Approval Board (CAB) to ensure all IT changes are justified, tested, and deployed with minimal risk to business operations.
• Optimize IT financial governance and cost efficiency by overseeing monthly IT spend analysis, guiding annual BAU and governance budgeting, and validating related party transactions to ensure accuracy and compliance. Deliver timely and accurate financial reporting for key forums such as Monthly Operation Reviews (MOR), Quarterly Incremental Planning (QIP), and Malaysia Scorecard updates, while supporting project teams in reclassifying infrastructure costs to appropriate initiatives.
• Ensure procurement compliance and vendor governance by managing IT procurement activities in alignment with policy standards, including software, hardware, and vendor renewals. Maintain accurate records in Ivalua and the outsourcing vendor register for timely reporting to Risk Management, while driving cost optimization through analysis of existing IT charges and identifying opportunities for savings.
• Enhance IT resilience and regulatory readiness by coordinating local application teams with global infrastructure and business units for data center and disaster recovery (DR) exercises, ensuring alignment and preparedness. Lead the annual IT business impact assessment and maintain up‑to‑date Fusion records and system testing in collaboration with Risk and Compliance. Support regulatory compliance by compiling and updating IT system data for submissions, conducting key control testing, and ensuring adherence to IT‑related policies in partnership with the Risk Management team.

Required Qualifications

• University degree (with at least 10‑15 years of working experience)
• Experience in IT Finance accounting (budgeting, capitalization, accrual, payments tracking, reporting, licensing, and subscriptions)
• Experience with IT Procurement process (quotation, cost negotiation, contract drafting and review, and payments)
• Familiarity with IT Security related processes
• Familiarity with IT Strategy planning and adherence to KPI as well as negotiation of targets
• Proven leadership skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Change Request management, ITIL certifications will be helpful
• Experience in IT Disaster Recovery will be advantageous
• Experience with being IT audited by both internal and external auditors; exposure to COBIT framework will be advantageous

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 our story.

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

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