Lead, Transformation Programs

Manulife (Singapore) Pte Ltd; Singapore; Hybrid; SGD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider in Singapore is seeking a skilled Transformation Program Lead to drive strategic initiatives across business functions. This role involves managing complex transformation programs, analyzing performance for improvement opportunities, and driving organizational change. The ideal candidate will have a deep background in program management, excellent communication skills, and over 8 years of experience in the financial services sector. This is a hybrid position, offering flexibility in working arrangements.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant experience in Insurance or financial services.
• Advanced skills in PowerPoint, Excel, and Word.
• Excellent speaking and writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Partner with leadership to drive strategic initiatives.
• Lead planning and governance of transformation programs.
• Analyze business performance and recommend improvements.
• Drive organizational change and enhance stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Analytical skills

Program management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree

Tools

PowerPoint

Excel

Word

Job description

We are seeking a highly skilled and adaptable Transformation Program Lead to drive strategic initiatives across multiple business functions. This individual will play a critical role in managing complex, cross-functional programs that enable business transformation, operational excellence, and innovation. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical and program management capabilities, a proven ability to deliver results in ambiguous environments, and a change-oriented mindset.

This role reports into the Chief Transformation Officer and works closely with Corporate Transformation Directors in the team.

Position Responsibilities

• Partner with the Chief Transformation Officer, executive leadership and the Transformation Director to translate strategic objectives into actionable programs and initiatives.
• Partnering with regional and global colleagues to drive the global & regional strategy and change initiatives across Manulife Singapore
• Lead the planning, execution, and governance of multiple transformation programs, ensuring alignment with business priorities, and supporting the CTO in managing his functions priorities.
• Establish robust program management frameworks, KPIs, and reporting mechanisms, including communicating progress, risks, and outcomes effectively to all stakeholders.
• Analyze business performance, identify improvement opportunities, and develop actionable recommendations. Use data-driven insights to inform decision-making and track program impact.
• Drive organizational change by embedding new ways of working, fostering a culture of agility and innovation.
• Work alongside the respective key business stakeholders in developing, executing and monitoring respective business and operational strategies to drive customer excellence across the organization.
• Build and maintain effective partnerships with key cross functional leaders/ program sponsors, and project team members through prompt and effective communication.
• Supports day-to-day change management activities in driving user enablement and adoption for initiatives

Accountabilities (Individual / Shared)

Key Shared Accountabilities

• Strategic Alignment of Projects: Ensure project objectives align with strategic priorities and portfolio goals, including validating scope and expected outcomes during intake and planning phases.
• Risk and Issue Management: Escalate risks and issues that may impact delivery or strategic outcomes. They collaborate on mitigation strategies and contingency planning.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Communication: Ensure consistent messaging and updates across stakeholder groups. Influence communication plans and engagement strategies to maintain alignment and support.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with at 8+ years’ relevant experience in Insurance (preferred) or financial services
• Stakeholder management: effectively collaborate & work alongside senior members of the organization within both local and regional capacities to drive the successful execution of transformation initiatives.
• Communication: excellent speaking and writing skills are required to convey key messages in a succinct manner.
• PowerPoint, Word and Excel: Advanced skills on PowerPoint with the ability to tell a story and sell a message. Can analyse large quantities of data, generate charts in Excel. Should have the ability to translate what the data is saying into applicable and useful information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous Strategy and Business Transformation experience working for a multinational company, consulting and financial services firms, insurance experience is preferred
• Project management: experience executing projects by developing deliverables timelines and effectively managing stakeholders. PMP, Management of Portfolios (MoP) and/or Agile qualifications are a bonus but not a must.

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