AVP, Product Strategy and Governance

This is a unique opportunity to lead Manulife’s product strategy and governance agenda as we transform toward a customer‑segment and proposition‑driven model. In this role, you will shape the strategic direction of our product portfolio by embedding data‑driven insights, customer analytics, and strong governance to ensure we deliver solutions that make decisions easier and lives better. You will partner across Distribution, Marketing, Risk, Tech, and our Product Transformation team to influence how our products are designed, prioritised, and governed. This role offers the chance to build a new team, drive enterprise‑level impact, and help define how Manulife brings customer‑centric, compliant, and competitive products to market. You will gain visibility across senior leadership and play a key role in shaping the future of our product organisation.

Position Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership by clearly communicating the product vision and aligning the team toward proposition‑led objectives. Lead the development of customer‑segment, persona‑ and proposition‑based product strategies supported by robust analytics, insights, and market intelligence.

• Oversee the product governance framework, ensuring strong risk controls, compliance, and alignment with regulatory expectations.

• Drive insight‑led portfolio management, including opportunity assessment, performance reviews, and strategic prioritisation.

• Partner closely with Distribution, Marketing, Legal, Risk, Finance, Technology & Operations to ensure seamless execution of product initiatives.

• Provide proactive and strategic advice on product development, ensuring all propositions are supported by data, market relevance, and financial viability.

• Maintain oversight of product governance forums, audits, and regulatory deliverables, ensuring timely and accurate submissions.

• Champion continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to streamline governance processes without compromising control rigor.

• Prepare and present strategic recommendations to senior leadership, ensuring alignment with corporate strategy and customer needs.

Requirements:

• 15+ years’ knowledge and experience

• Strong experience in customer‑centric strategy, segmentation, insights, or analytics‑driven decision‑making.

• Proven leadership in product governance, regulatory management, or other product development roles.

• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.

• Excellent analytical, strategic thinking, and problem‑solving abilities.

• Highly collaborative, adaptable, and results‑oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

• Experience leading teams and developing talent.

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].