AI Delivery Lead, Asia

The AI Transformation Delivery Asia is part of the Asia AI team and will help drive business-led AI and GenAI initiatives across Manulifes Asia markets.

This is not a traditional IT delivery role where business teams provide detailed requirements and the delivery team simply coordinates development. Instead this is a business consulting-style AI transformation delivery role. The person will work with business sponsors product owners local AI teams IT Data Finance PMO and global stakeholders to first understand the business problem then help shape what the AI-enabled solution should achieve what the MVP should look like how it should be delivered what change management should happen and how success should be measured.

The successful candidate will help teams move from broad ambition such as we need an AI assistant or we need automation into a clear problem statement practical use case scope MVP design delivery plan governance path adoption approach KPI framework and value-realization plan. This role requires strong business judgment structured problem solving stakeholder influence delivery discipline and the ability to learn AI/GenAI concepts quickly. Technical understanding is important but the person is not expected to be a solution architect developer or detailed technical requirements analyst.

Position Responsibilities:

1. Frame Business Problems and Shape AI Solutions

• Work with business team to clarify the real business problem before moving into solution design.
• Help teams distinguish between a requested feature and the underlying business outcome.
• Challenge assumptions respectfully when the business value user need adoption path or feasibility is unclear.
• Facilitate solution-shaping discussions across business AI IT Data Finance and PMO.
• Translate business objectives into clear artefacts such as problem statements use case scope MVP definition roadmap user stories assumptions risks dependencies success measures and decision points.

2. Drive AI Transformation Delivery

• Support delivery of GenAI initiatives across Asia from intake and problem framing through business case planning governance approval implementation launch adoption and post-launch tracking with regional and global colleagues.
• Partner with local execution squads including Product Owners IT Project Managers Scrum Masters Business Analysts QA Data/AI teams and market business leads.
• Convert high-level AI opportunities into actionable MVPs delivery plans test plans release plans and adoption plans.
• Maintain visibility of project health milestones blockers dependencies decisions required and escalation points.
• Drive progress through structured follow-ups practical issue resolution and disciplined delivery cadence.
• Ensure delivery conversations remain anchored on business outcomes user impact governance readiness and measurable value not only on timeline or technical completion.

3. Manage Program Reporting Roadmaps and Executive Updates

• Prepare and maintain delivery updates for Asia AI leadership global GenAI program reviews portfolio reviews KPI reviews benefit updates and other recurring management forums.
• Consolidate input from market teams product owners AI teams PMO Finance IT and Data teams into concise executive-ready updates.
• Ensure reporting focuses not only on delivery activity but also on business impact delivery risk benefit realization adoption progress and decisions required.
• Maintain a clear roadmap view of AI initiatives across Asia markets and business areas.
• Help leadership understand what is progressing what is delayed what decisions are needed and what support is required.
• Improve consistency of reporting templates delivery cadence action tracking and portfolio-level transparency across Asia AI.

4. Support Budget Cost and Benefit Tracking

• Support project budgeting cost estimation and funding tracking using clear assumptions and consistent templates.
• Coordinate with Finance PMO IT Data Office and market teams to track one-time costs ongoing costs resource assumptions and funding sources.
• Help reconcile financial information across business cases project plans Planview or equivalent systems finance inputs and leadership reporting materials.
• Identify where delivery timeline changes may impact benefit realization ROI business-case commitments or funding assumptions.
• Support leadership discussions on cost benefit value realization and funding trade-offs.

5. Enable Benefit Realization and KPI Discipline

• Work with business sponsors and market teams to define meaningful success measures for AI initiatives.
• Help teams distinguish between early adoption indicators and actual business value realization.
• Support tracking of adoption usage quality process efficiency business impact and financial value where applicable.
• Clarify metric owners data sources baselines targets and reporting cadence.
• Coordinate KPI review cadence across relevant stakeholders.
• Help translate AI value into credible evidence-based leadership-ready narratives.
• Ensure launched AI solutions are followed through with adoption measurement and continuous improvement not treated as complete at technical go-live.

6. Build Cross-Functional Stakeholder Alignment

• Act as a coordination point across Asia AI local market teams Global AI Program Asia PMO Finance IT Data Risk Legal Compliance and business functions.
• Proactively identify stakeholders who need to be involved beyond the immediate project team.
• Ensure stakeholders understand objectives roles timelines dependencies decision rights and escalation paths.
• Create transparency through structured communication regular updates clear action tracking and timely escalation.
• Influence stakeholders without relying only on formal authority.
• Help local teams align around shared outcomes when priorities ownership or expectations differ.

7. Bring Structure to Ambiguity

• Operate effectively in a fast-moving AI transformation environment where priorities solution scope ownership and stakeholder expectations may evolve.
• Break down ambiguous problems into clear workstreams actions owners risks and decision points.
• Help teams move from discussion to action by clarifying what needs to be true what evidence is required and what decision is needed next.
• Encourage iterative delivery while maintaining appropriate governance and control.
• Build reusable delivery playbooks templates checklists and ways of working for future AI initiatives across Asia.
• Help Asia AI scale from individual initiatives to a more repeatable regional delivery model.

Required Qualifications:

• 810 years of experience in business consulting transformation delivery project/program management digital delivery product management strategy execution or related roles.
• Business consulting or transformation delivery background rather than a traditional IT project management profile.
• Experience working across complex regional or multi-market environments with the ability to influence stakeholders across business technology finance and PMO teams.
• Experience supporting technology digital GenAI-related initiatives is preferred.
• Experience supporting business cases cost tracking revenue / benefit tracking KPI reporting or portfolio governance is preferred.
• Experience in financial services or insurance transformation especially across distribution operations underwriting claims or contact center functions is an advantage.

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 .