Head of Product Transformation and Innovation

Manulife; Singapore; Hybrid; SGD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider in Singapore is seeking a Head of Product Transformation & Innovation. This role involves leading the overhaul of product development processes while embedding strategic and commercial thinking. You will drive cross-functional collaboration and aim to enhance customer-centric innovations. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in the life insurance industry and possess strong leadership and communication skills. The role operates in a hybrid work model.

Benefits

Flexible work environment

Support for career growth

Inclusive workplace

Qualifications

• 10 years of relevant experience in the life insurance industry.
• Proven leadership skills, strategic thinking, decision making, and execution skills.
• Highly developed communication and relationship skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the redesign of the product development lifecycle to enable effective go-to-market execution.
• Drive process redesign, digital/AI enablement, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Establish structured product management rhythms to balance delivery and innovation.

Skills

Leadership skills

Strategic thinking

Decision making

Communication skills

Relationship management

Education

University degree

Job description

The Head of Product Transformation & Innovation will lead the strategic overhaul of Manulife Singapore’s product development and delivery model, embedding a strong commercial lens into every stage of the process. This role is pivotal in evolving the product function from a reactive, BAU-driven setup into a future-ready, customer-centric, innovation-driven and commercially accountable team.

By driving process redesign, digital/AI enablement and cross-functional collaboration, this role will directly address key pain points – such as need of strategic structure, prolonged development cycles, fragmented channel input, and operational risk due to unclear or inconsistent processes. The ultimate goal is to accelerate speed-to-market, improve execution discipline, and ensure product initiatives are aligned with business growth and customer value.

Position Responsibilities:

1. Product Development Transformation

• Lead the redesign of the product development lifecycle to enable faster, more structured, and commercially aligned go-to-market execution.
• Partner with IT, Operations, Underwriting, and Distribution to implement capabilities and technology modules aimed at reducing turnaround times by 50%.
• Introduce prioritisation frameworks and governance models to replace ad hoc, request-driven workflows with strategic decision-making.

2. Strategic Product Enablement

• Build a proposition-driven approach to product development that ensures consistent customer and cross-channel alignment.
• Establish structured product management rhythms (reviews, checkpoints, and governance) to balance short-term delivery with long-term innovation.
• Elevate the product team’s role from technical execution to strategic leadership, embedding commercial thinking into product planning and evaluation.

3. Organisational Change & Capability Build

• Drive mindset and skillset transformation across the product organisation, fostering agility, accountability, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Strengthen stakeholder engagement across senior leadership to ensure alignment, sponsorship, and visibility of product initiatives.
• Serve as the key interface between product, business leadership, and enabling functions, ensuring clarity of priorities and disciplined execution.

Required Qualifications:

• 10 years of relevant experience in life insurance industry
• University degree
• Proven leadership skills, strategic thinking, decision making and execution skills
• Highly developed communication and relationship skills

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.

Acerca de Manulife y John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation es un importante proveedor internacional de servicios financieros que ayuda a las personas a tomar decisiones de una manera más fácil y a vivir mejor. Para obtener más información acerca de nosotros, visite http://www.manulife.com .

Manulife es un empleador que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades

En Manulife/John Hancock, valoramos nuestra diversidad. Nos esforzamos por atraer, formar y retener una fuerza laboral tan diversa como los clientes a los que prestamos servicios, y para fomentar un entorno laboral inclusivo en el que se aprovechen las fortalezas de las culturas y las personas. Estamos comprometidos con la equidad en las contrataciones, la retención de talento, el ascenso y la remuneración, y administramos todas nuestras prácticas y programas sin discriminación por motivos de raza, ascendencia, lugar de origen, color, origen étnico, ciudadanía, religión o creencias religiosas, credo, sexo (incluyendo el embarazo y las afecciones relacionadas con este), orientación sexual, características genéticas, condición de veterano, identidad de género, expresión de género, edad, estado civil, estatus familiar, discapacidad, o cualquier otro aspecto protegido por la ley vigente.

Nuestra prioridad es eliminar las barreras para garantizar la igualdad de acceso al empleo. Un representante de Recursos Humanos trabajará con los solicitantes que requieran una adaptación razonable durante el proceso de solicitud. Toda la información que se haya compartido durante el proceso de solicitud de adaptación se almacenará y utilizará de manera congruente con las leyes y las políticas de Manulife/John Hancock correspondientes. Para solicitar una adaptación razonable en el proceso de solicitud, envíenos un mensaje a [e-mail] .

Modalidades de Trabajo

Híbrido