Director, Portfolio Management

Manulife/John Hancock; Singapore; Hybrid; SGD 220,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Manulife/John Hancock is seeking a Director of Portfolio Management to drive enterprise-wide portfolio strategy and governance. You will own outcomes related to prioritization, resource optimization, and benefits realization, while influencing senior leaders across product, digital platform, and technology domains.

This hybrid role requires 10–15 years in portfolio/program management within large enterprises, with strong financial acumen and proficiency in portfolio tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, Finance, or a related field.
• Master’s degree or professional certification in Portfolio Management, Program Management, or Strategic Planning (e.g., PfMP, PMP, SAFe POPM, MoP).
• Certifications in Agile or Lean practices (e.g., SAFe, Scrum, Kanban) are highly desirable.
• 10-15 years of experience in portfolio and program management within large, complex enterprises.
• Proven ability in influencing executive decision-making; establishing intake and prioritization frameworks; driving strategic alignment and value realization; leading cross-functional programs; capacity planning and optimization; working with senior leadership and governance bodies; exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Define Outcome-Oriented Portfolio Roadmap aligned with corporate objectives.
• Prioritize Portfolio Demand based on business value and strategic impact.
• Optimize Portfolio Performance through throughput, resources, and delivery efficiency.
• Oversee Benefits Realization with KPIs, OKRs, and value metrics.
• Orchestrate Resource Capacity Planning with forecasting and allocation.
• Manage Portfolio Value, Risk, and Cost with transparency and mitigation.
• Lead Strategic Programs across cross-functional teams using adaptive delivery models.
• Engage stakeholders across the enterprise to align portfolio decisions and outcomes.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Executive presence

Leadership

Ambiguity management

Analytical decision-making

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration/IT/Finance or related field

Master's degree or professional certification in Portfolio/Program Management or Strategic Planning

Certifications in Agile/Lean (SAFe/Scrum/Kanban)

Tools

Clarity

Planview

Jira Align

MS Project Online

Smartsheet

Job description

The Director of Portfolio Management is accountable for driving enterprise-wide portfolio strategy, ensuring investments deliver measurable business value and align with corporate objectives. This role leads portfolio governance, influences senior leadership decisions, and owns outcomes related to strategic prioritization, resource optimization, and benefits realization.

Responsibilities

• Define Outcome-Oriented Portfolio Roadmap: Develop and maintain a strategic portfolio roadmap aligned with corporate objectives and adaptable to change.
• Prioritize Portfolio Demand: Streamline intake and prioritize initiatives based on business value and strategic impact.
• Optimize Portfolio Performance: Drive continuous improvement in throughput, resource utilization, and delivery efficiency.
• Oversee Benefits Realization: Define, monitor, and report on KPIs, OKRs, and value metrics to ensure strategic outcomes are achieved.
• Orchestrate Resource Capacity Planning: Forecast, allocate, and adjust resources to meet portfolio demand and delivery timelines.
• Manage and Communicate Value, Risk, and Cost: Track portfolio performance, risks, and costs to ensure transparency and value realization.
• Oversee Strategic Programs: Lead complex, cross-functional initiatives using up-to-date and adaptive delivery models.
• Influence Stakeholders Across the Enterprise: Influence senior leaderships and initiatives owners to align with organization strategic objectives. Lead Product Owners, Digital Platform Owners, and Technology Leads to ensure cohesive execution.

Accountabilities

• Establish and Manage Intake Process Design and implement a standardized intake framework for portfolio initiatives. Ensure intake criteria align with strategic goals, business value, and feasibility.
• Prioritize Portfolio Demand: Apply prioritization models to assess initiatives. Facilitate and influence decision-making forums to align prioritization with enterprise strategy.
• Define and Maintain Outcome-Oriented Portfolio Roadmap: Develop a dynamic roadmap that reflects strategic objectives and adapts to change. Ensure visibility and traceability of initiatives from intake to delivery.
• Optimize Portfolio Performance: Monitor throughput, resource utilization, and delivery efficiency. Identify and remove bottlenecks to improve flow and value realization.
• Oversee Benefits Realization: Influence definition of KPIs, OKRs, and value metrics for initiatives. Track and report on benefits realization to ensure strategic outcomes are achieved.
• Orchestrate Resource Capacity Planning: Forecast and allocate resources based on demand and delivery timelines. Collaborate with delivery teams to adjust capacity as needed.
• Manage Portfolio Value, Risk, and Cost: Maintain transparency of portfolio performance, risks, and financials. Escalate risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Lead Strategic Programs: Oversee complex, cross-functional programs using traditional and adaptive delivery models. Ensure alignment with portfolio priorities and strategic outcomes.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Communication: Maintain regular communication with stakeholders across business and technology. Ensure transparency of portfolio decisions, progress, and outcomes.
• Risk and Dependency Management: Identify and manage cross-portfolio risks and dependencies. Coordinate mitigation plans and contingency strategies.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, Finance, or a related field.
• Master’s degree or professional certification in Portfolio Management, Program Management, or Strategic Planning (e.g., PfMP, PMP, SAFe POPM, MoP).
• Certifications in Agile or Lean practices (e.g., SAFe, Scrum, Kanban) are highly desirable.
• 10-15 years of experience in portfolio and program management within large, complex enterprises.
• Proven ability in: influence executive decision-making; establishing and managing intake and prioritization frameworks; driving strategic alignment and value realization; leading cross-functional programs and initiatives; resource capacity planning and optimization; experience working with senior leadership and governance bodies to influence strategic decisions; exceptional communication, executive presence, and stakeholder engagement skills; familiarity with portfolio management tools (e.g., Clarity, Planview, Jira Align, MS Project Online, Smartsheet); strong understanding of financial management, including budgeting, cost tracking, and benefit realization.

Core Competencies and Skills

• Strategic thinking and financial acumen.
• Executive presence and ability to influence at the highest levels.
• Leadership in organizational change and transformation.
• Ability to lead through ambiguity and drive enterprise alignment.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills.
• Knowledge of risk management, dependency mapping, and scenario planning.

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.
• Joining us means you’ll be empowered to learn and grow your career.
• As part of our global team, you’ll help shape the future you want to see – and discover that better can take you anywhere you want to go.

About Manulife and John Hancock

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

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