Head of Product Transformation and Innovation

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.

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].