Lead, Transformation Portfolio & Strategic Initiatives

Manulife Financial Corporation; Singapore; Hybrid; SGD 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Job summary

Manulife Singapore is seeking a senior leader to drive the bancassurance transformation portfolio, translating strategic priorities into an integrated roadmap and guiding investment decisions across bank partnerships.

You will oversee governance, lead high-impact initiatives from mobilisation through implementation, and build the Business & Process Transformation team while strengthening delivery capabilities across the organisation.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in management consulting, transformation leadership, programme management, or corporate strategy.
• Experience leading cross-functional transformation portfolios and delivering high-impact initiatives.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and connect transformation activity with measurable outcomes.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Familiarity with Agile delivery and portfolio-management methodologies.
• MBA or another relevant postgraduate qualification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain an integrated roadmap of bancassurance transformation initiatives.
• Lead portfolio governance, prioritisation, sequencing and resource trade-offs.
• Establish governance with clear decision points, accountabilities and escalation mechanisms.
• Lead high-impact initiatives from mobilisation through implementation.
• Define outcomes, scope, milestones, dependencies and delivery plans.
• Identify and resolve cross-functional issues to stay aligned with priorities.
• Establish measurable commercial, customer and operational outcomes.
• Monitor delivery progress and benefits realisation against business cases.
• Mobilise stakeholders across product, distribution, digital, technology and operations.
• Present portfolio choices and recommendations to senior management.
• Lead and develop the Business & Process Transformation team.
• Establish transformation disciplines across governance, readiness, change and adoption.
• Partner with Digital Platforms and Strategy teams to connect intent, investment and execution.

Skills

Transformation leadership

Portfolio management

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

This is an opportunity to lead Manulife Singapore’s bancassurance transformation portfolio and deliver selected complex strategic initiatives across key bank partnerships. You will translate strategic priorities into an integrated transformation roadmap, guide investment and resource decisions, and coordinate execution across business functions and partner organisations. Through effective portfolio governance and delivery leadership, you will help ensure transformation initiatives achieve measurable commercial, customer and operational outcomes. You will also lead and develop the Business & Process Transformation team while strengthening transformation, change and adoption capabilities across the organisation.

Position Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain an integrated roadmap of approved bancassurance transformation initiatives, aligned with business and partnership priorities.
• Lead portfolio prioritisation, sequencing, capacity planning and resource trade-off discussions.
• Establish effective portfolio governance, including clear decision points, accountabilities and escalation mechanisms.
• Lead selected complex and high-impact strategic initiatives from mobilisation through implementation.
• Define initiative outcomes, scope, accountabilities, milestones, dependencies and delivery plans.
• Identify and resolve cross-functional issues to keep delivery aligned with strategic objectives and bank-partnership priorities.
• Establish measurable commercial, customer and operational outcomes for transformation initiatives.
• Monitor delivery progress, adoption and benefits realisation against approved business cases.
• Recommend corrective actions, reprioritisation or scope adjustments when expected outcomes are at risk.
• Mobilise stakeholders across Product, Distribution, Digital, Technology, Operations, Underwriting, Marketing, Finance, Risk and Compliance.
• Partner with bank stakeholders to align priorities, manage dependencies and coordinate implementation requirements.
• Present portfolio choices, risks, trade-offs and recommendations to senior management and relevant governance forums.
• Lead and develop the Business & Process Transformation team.
• Establish consistent transformation disciplines across initiative governance, business readiness, change management and adoption.
• Partner with Digital Platforms, Digital Business and Strategy teams to connect strategic intent, investment decisions and execution.

Required Qualifications:

• Significant experience in management consulting, transformation leadership, programme management, corporate strategy or business change.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional transformation portfolios and delivering high-impact strategic initiatives.
• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to connect transformation activity with measurable business, customer and operational outcomes.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders, resolve cross-functional dependencies and operate effectively in complex partnership environments.
• Experience leading and developing transformation, programme or project teams.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management capabilities, including the ability to present portfolio choices, risks and recommendations clearly to senior audiences.
• Bachelor’s degree.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in bancassurance, banking, insurance, wealth management or the broader financial-services sector.
• Strong understanding of Singapore’s financial-services and distribution landscape.
• Experience delivering digital, customer-journey, process or operating-model transformation.
• Management consulting experience at engagement manager, project leader or an equivalent level.
• Familiarity with Agile delivery, product ownership and portfolio-management methodologies.
• An MBA or another relevant postgraduate qualification.
• Relevant certifications such as Agile Product Owner, Scrum, PMP or other programme-management qualifications.

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 [e-mail].

Working Arrangement

Hybrid