Chief Operations Officer, Singapore

As a member of Manulife Asia Operations Leadership Team and Manulife Singapore Executive Team, the major responsibilities of this role include building a strong service culture across the Company, deploying customer and distributor centric solutions, ensuring the Company achieves industry leading service standards measured against competitors’ benchmarks, and meeting or exceeding service expectations of policyholders and all distribution channels. 

These objectives are to be achieved with improved productivity, procedures, processes and strong compliance with all corporate and regulatory requirements. This position supervises the New Business, Underwriting, Policy Servicing, Claims and Client Servicing for all business lines. It also oversees Operations Delivery, Corporate Real Estate, Procurement, Business Continuity Management, Operations Strategy, Budget and Reporting, and Operations Transformation. 

Responsibilities:

• Define, champion, and drive significant improvements in the way we deliver solutions and services to our customers and distribution partners to improve the service delivery and experience, support growth and profitability through the leadership and oversight of the Operations Functions.

• Provide leadership and strategic direction to plan, develop and implement the pro-business and customer-centric processes and systems to deliver unsurpassed customer and distributor experience.

• Accountable for Business Transformation, Distribution Experience teams and functions under Operations: New Business & Underwriting, Claims, Advisory and Policy Services, Client Services, Operations Strategy, Risk & Controls; and oversight of Procurement, Office Management and GHNW UW departments.

• Be the Customer Champion to drive transformational changes in employee’s mindset to increase company’s market share and profitability in a customer-centric way.

• Identify, develop and manage talented staff and company bench-strength with the ultimate goal to build a High Performing Team.

• In addition to those listed above, this role will also include oversight responsibilities of the operations under Manulife Financial Advisers (MFA) within this function.

Individual Accountabilities:

• The discharge of responsibilities will be in accordance with company policies (such as Code of Business Conduct & Ethics) and applicable laws (such as the MAS Guidelines on Individual Accountability and Conduct).

• Responsible for the actions of the employees and the conduct of business under the role’s purview.

• Refine strategic business objectives, translate strategies into discrete priorities, drive quality execution of initiatives, and monitor, measure and communicate results. 

• Drive an exceptional distributor experience vision and the execution on a one-stop support and service center to all financial planners and partners

• Ensure customer and distribution channel satisfaction by ensuring appropriate services and support are available to the customer, meeting or exceeding target turnaround times and service levels.

• Create sustainable service culture by supporting any Customer Focus initiatives.

• Ensure continuous service and productivity improvement through use of technology, process redesign and nurturing a lean, change culture.

• Supervise the talent identification, employee and team development through a talent management process or employee transfer to achieve an effective and efficient organization.

Key Shared Accountabilities:

• Support business development initiatives, to grow the business and strengthen Manulife position in the industry and to transform the business to be future ready.

• Build relationship with main partners and decision makers at corporate level, in order to create business development opportunities.

• Manage local and regional, internal and external senior stakeholders in driving the operations agenda that align with local and regional business strategy.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Passion for improving things and obsessed about finding exceptional ways to deliver a solution to an identified problem.

• Leadership ability and strong managerial skills

• Ability to communicate complex concepts and strong ideas clearly to the business partners, senior management

Experience:

• 15 years of experience in Insurance with includes 10 years of managerial exposure

• Demonstrated success in leading big cross-functional teams

• Experience and knowledge of process improvement and reengineering

Behaviours/Attributes:

• Good leader and a reliable team player

• Effective oral and written communication skill in English, with the ability convey concepts, ideas, and to influence stakeholders at all levels

• Mentor talents and contribute to their career growth and development

Problems/Challenges:

• Effecting development of quality and quantity of resources and behaviours to embed a continuous improvement culture throughout the division.

• Leveraging existing knowledge and skills alongside bringing in new talent to support development of the business.

• Prioritising and satisfying the varying service needs of different distribution partners.

• Maintaining staff engagement in a dynamic environment requiring significant change to cope with transformation, supporting planned growth with increasing complexity.

Position Dimension/Organizational Impact:

• The candidate’s contribution will be essential in leading and transforming Manulife Singapore to be a digital and customer centric organisation impacting the way we work within Operations and across the company.  

• Please refer to organization chart attached.

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].