Head of Technology Transformation

The Technology function in Manulife Philippines enables business growth operational efficiency customer and agent experience and organizational resilience by building and maintaining reliable secure scalable and outcome-focused technology solutions.

The Head of Technology Transformation is a senior leadership role accountable for leading the implementation of CIO-sponsored initiatives and changes across the Technology organization. Working in close coordination with the respective Technology Leads the incumbent converts agreed improvement priorities into practical implementation plans drives adoption and ensures changes are embedded into day-to-day ways of working.

The role focuses on strengthening technology delivery and operations including operating-model improvements BAU squads software delivery practices quality automation AI-enabled productivity workforce effectiveness vendor effectiveness and continual improvement.

The role works closely with the technology leads and business functions to identify and prioritize opportunities for improvement and use AI and automation and other means as necessary to solve those problems

The role also acts as the CIOs point person for urgent or cross-functional BAU challenges that do not naturally fall within an existing Technology Leads remit. While the nature of job duties will evolve and dynamic the responsibilities below provide an overview of certain key areas.

Responsibilities:

Technology Transformation Leadership

Lead the implementation of Technology function changes and improvement initiatives sponsored by the CIO to achieve the desired outcomes.

Convert agreed objectives into clear outcomes implementation plans milestones owners dependencies adoption actions and success measures.

Lead execution in close coordination with the Technology Leads who retain accountability for their respective portfolios capabilities and teams.

Move initiatives beyond assessment and recommendation into implementation adoption and sustainable business-as-usual ownership.

Track transformation outcomes risks decisions and benefits and provide concise updates to the CIO and relevant leadership forums.

Drive approved improvements to the Technology operating model ownership clarity ways of working workforce effectiveness vendor effectiveness and organizational productivity.

Software Delivery and IT Operations Transformation

Drive improvements across the software delivery lifecycle including requirements impact analysis estimation development testing release documentation handover and production support.

Support implementation and continuous optimization of product launch and persistent-squad operating models.

Improve project-to-squad transition cross-team coordination delivery predictability quality operational readiness and measurable performance.

Identify systemic delivery or operational bottlenecks and work with the relevant accountable leads to implement sustainable improvements.

AI-Enabled Technology Productivity

Champion practical adoption of AI and automation across Technology to improve productivity quality employee experience operational efficiency and speed to market.

Drive adoption of approved tools and capabilities such as Microsoft 365 Copilot GitHub Copilot Copilot Studio AI assistants and AI agents.

Identify prioritize and implement practical use cases across requirements analysis software development testing documentation knowledge management reporting service management and operations.

Identify and implement automation use cases across IT Operations monitoring alert security remediations investigation and tech upgrades

Build experimentation and learning into the Technology culture while moving successful use cases into repeatable sustainable ways of working.

Define and track measurable outcomes from AI and automation adoption including cycle-time reduction productivity quality and user experience improvements.

Partner with the enterprise AI and Data function on selected business-user irritants or enterprise use cases where Technology participation is required without assuming ownership of enterprise AI strategy.

Technology Direction Alignment

Ensure transformation initiatives remain aligned with approved business priorities and the target-state architecture roadmap prepared by Enterprise Architecture.

Work with the PMO Lead so transformation dependencies and relevant initiatives are appropriately reflected in the annual funding and initiative prioritization process.

CIO-Sponsored and Cross-Functional Challenges

Lead special initiatives and urgent matters assigned by the CIO.

Take temporary end-to-end technology delivery ownership of adhoc cross-functional or BAU challenges that do not clearly fall within an existing Technology Leads remit.

Rapidly diagnose issues coordinate the required teams drive decisions and actions and maintain transparency on progress and risks.

Establish a sustainable accountable owner controls and operating mechanism before transitioning ongoing responsibility.

Individual Accountabilities

Accountable for implementation and adoption of the Technology transformation initiatives sponsored by the CIO.

Accountable for maintaining a clear outcome-based view of transformation progress risks dependencies decisions and benefits.

Accountable for ensuring each assigned initiative has clear objectives accountable participants success measures and an agreed transition to sustainable ownership.

Accountable for driving measurable AI and automation adoption within Technology in partnership with the relevant capability and delivery leads.

Accountable for resolving CIO-assigned cross-functional challenges and establishing durable ownership after stabilization.

Accountable for influencing challenging and coordinating across functions without duplicating the formal accountability of other Technology Leads.

Shared Accountabilities

Transformation prioritization and sequencing with the CIO and Technology Leadership Team.

Annual Book of Work alignment with the PMO Lead function heads and relevant sponsors.

Target-state technology alignment with Enterprise Architecture.

AI-enabled Technology productivity with Engineering QA Delivery Operations and the enterprise AI and Data function.

Resource and capability requirements with the accountable Technology Leads.

Benefits definition and realization with initiative owners and Finance.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Information Technology Computer Science Engineering Business or a related field; postgraduate qualification is advantageous.
• 10 years of progressive experience in technology transformation large-scale change technology delivery management consulting or technology leadership.
• Demonstrated success implementing cross-functional technology transformation from diagnosis and design through execution adoption and measurable outcomes.
• Strong knowledge of technology operating models software delivery lifecycle agile and hybrid delivery quality engineering IT operations automation and vendor management.
• Practical experience using AI to solve technology or business problems and a strong enthusiasm for experimentation and adoption.
• Experience delivering or implementing AI-enabled capabilities such as copilots generative AI assistants AI agents Copilot Studio solutions or comparable enterprise tools.
• Experience with Microsoft 365 Copilot or comparable premium productivity copilots and GitHub Copilot or comparable AI-assisted software development tools is preferred.
• Ability to identify high-value AI use cases move them beyond pilots and demonstrate measurable productivity quality or user-experience outcomes.
• Ability to structure ambiguous problems synthesize information establish ownership and drive execution acoss teams without relying solely on formal authority.
• Strong executive communication facilitation influencing negotiation change leadership and conflict-resolution skills.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen including benefits investment trade-offs vendor value and capacity constraints.
• Experience in financial services or insurance is preferred.

When you join our team:

• Well empower you to learn and grow the career you want.
• Well recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well-being and inclusion are more than just words.
• As part of our global team well 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 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 .