Director, People Partner

Manulife Financial; Makati; On-site; PHP 2,500,000 - 5,000,000; Full time

Job summary

MITDC Philippines seeks a People Director to lead a forward‑looking talent strategy focused on succession planning, talent management, change management, organizational and performance management, and employee engagement.

The role emphasizes shaping culture for agile, tech‑centered ways of working, partnering with Global COEs, and driving data‑driven decisions to scale operations and improve service delivery.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of technology delivery center operations and digital workforce dynamics.
• Ability to translate business strategy into actionable People strategies.
• Proven ability to influence across a matrix and build trust with global leaders.
• Experience navigating mergers, consolidations, and large-scale change.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver People strategy aligned with MITDC Philippines' growth and transformation.
• Advise leadership on organizational effectiveness, culture, and workforce transformation.
• Lead People operations and advisory support across MITDC functions with a tech-forward employee experience.
• Shape workforce plans for engineering and digital roles and collaborate to build pipelines for tech skills.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to enable large-scale change initiatives and adopt Agile ways of working.

Job description

The People Director for MITDC Philippines is responsible for shaping and executing a forward‑looking talent strategy that supports the organization’s digital, operational, and cultural transformation, specifically in the areas of succession planning, talent management, change management, organizational and performance management, employee engagement, training and development, and compensation.

Responsibilities

People Leadership

• Develop and deliver People strategy aligned with MITDC’s growth and digital transformation.
• Serve as advisor to MITDC leadership on organizational effectiveness, culture building, leadership development, and workforce transformation.
• Lead People operations and advisory support across all MITDC functions, ensuring a consistent, tech-forward employee experience.

Tech & Digital Talent Leadership

• Shape workforce plans for engineering, technology, and digital roles, leveraging understanding of tech talent markets.
• Partner with talent acquisition and workforce planning to build competitive pipelines for niche and emerging tech skills.

Transformation & Change Management

• Partner with cross‑function teams to enable potential large‑scale change initiatives (i.e. digital adoption, Agile ways of working, and capability uplifts).
• Partner with Global and Region teams to shape the culture for agile, tech‑centered ways of working, in alignment with Asia Delivery Center practices.

Enterprise Collaboration

• Represent MITDC in global and regional People forums, contributing to enterprise‑wide People strategy.
• Partner with global COEs (Talent, Total Rewards, HR Tech, Employee Relations) to harmonize processes and elevate service standards.

Data‑driven & Digital People Excellence

• Use people analytics, available people technology, and AI‑enabled insights to shape talent strategy, workforce planning, and business recommendations.
• Partner and enable modernization and optimization of people processes for scale, cost efficiency, and digital maturity.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure full compliance with all labor, governance, and regulatory requirements while aligning with global standards and risk frameworks.

Required Qualifications

Successful People Partner

• Will be able to manage groups within a complex matrix structure that involves regional and global reporting lines. Other elements to include (but not limited to):

Knowing the Business

• Strong understanding of technology delivery center operations, shared services economics, and digital workforce dynamics.
• Ability to translate business strategy into actionable People strategies.

Enterprise Leadership & Influence

• Proven ability to influence across a matrix, shape multi‑year change, and build trust with global leaders.
• Ability to integrate diverse teams, cultures, and work models during consolidation or transformation.

Future of Work Mindset

• Knowledge and growth mindset to delve deep in people technologies, automation impacts, skills‑based workforce planning, and data‑driven decision‑making.

Executing with Excellence

• Exposure and experience with navigating integration, mergers, and operational consolidations.
• Sets challenging objectives and is focused on achieving results that are aligned with the organization’s vision.
• Pursues excellence in planning and delivering sustainable results.
• Owns problems through to resolution, makes timely decisions, applies analytic/systematic reasoning to positively impact team results, organizational performance, and the customer experience.

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.

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