Senior Manager/Director, Product Transformation

This role drives the end-to-end transformation of product development and delivery, creating more efficient, scalable, and insight-driven processes across the product lifecycle. You will lead key transformation and change initiatives, embed structured delivery and governance, and introduce process and AI-enabled capabilities that improve product time-to-market, quality, and operational discipline. Working across Product, IT, Operations, and Distribution, you will turn strategy into measurable outcomes and support clearer senior management decision-making. This individual contributor opportunity offers broad exposure to cross-functional transformation, complex program delivery, and the design of sustainable ways of working.

Position Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver product transformation roadmaps across the end-to-end product lifecycle, from design through adoption.

• Support Book of Work planning, prioritisation, monthly governance forums, and reporting cadence.

• Establish feedback loops and insights tracking to continuously improve product and process outcomes.

• Redesign and optimise product development and operational processes to improve efficiency and consistency and reduce rework.

• Lead change implementation, including the development of standard operating procedures, governance mechanisms, and adoption plans.

• Embed continuous improvement practices and support the transition of new processes and tools into business-as-usual operations.

• Provide structured program and project management across multiple initiatives and workstreams.

• Coordinate cross-functional delivery across Product, IT, Operations, and Distribution, with clear ownership, planning, risk management, and follow-through.

• Prepare SteerCo decks, executive updates, governance materials, and concise reporting that support informed decisions.

• Deliver process redesign outputs, SOPs, playbooks, and other practical tools for key workflows.

Required Qualifications

• Typically seven or more years of relevant experience in transformation, change management, product delivery, operations, business process improvement, or a related discipline. Equivalent depth of experience and demonstrated capability will also be considered.

• Strong transformation and change management skills, with demonstrated experience leading initiatives from design through implementation, adoption, and transition into business-as-usual operations.

• Experience in at least one of the following areas: product delivery, operations, or business process improvement.

• Experience translating strategy into execution through structured planning, prioritisation, governance, ownership, and follow-through.

• Experience redesigning processes, developing SOPs or playbooks, and implementing sustainable ways of working.

• Strong analytical thinking and problem diagnosis skills, with the ability to simplify complex workflows and improve operational efficiency.

• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at different seniority levels.

• Strong planning, prioritisation, communication, and risk management skills across multiple initiatives and workstreams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with digital and AI-enabled transformation approaches.

• Practical experience applying human-centred design or structured problem-solving approaches.

• Experience improving product time-to-market, turnaround time, customer or distributor experience, employee experience, or governance quality.

• Experience working in a complex or regulated business environment.

• Exposure to Agile, Lean, Six Sigma, Design Thinking, or other relevant transformation methodologies.

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 [email protected].

Working Arrangement