The Director, Product Proposition & Solutions is responsible for defining, developing, and executing innovative product strategies that drive sustainable growth, customer value, and market differentiation. This role leads the end-to-end product lifecycle across key portfolios, ensuring alignment with business objectives while delivering competitive, customer-centric solutions.

The role acts as a strategic bridge between business, technology, and customer needs—translating insights into actionable product propositions and delivering impactful outcomes.

Position Responsibilities:

• Develop, monitor and refine long term product strategies for key product portfolios that will distinguish Manulife’s product offerings in the marketplace 

• Conduct research and analysis including customer research, trend forecast and competitive positioning

• Build the strategic roadmap to align to overarching business goals

• Analyze the market to develop to identify opportunities and recommend sound product strategies to support the launch of key products, features and services

• Lead key product projects from inception to launch

• Build and grow vendor relationships 

• Maintain a relevant and concise product shelf that has a positive impact to sales and persistency

• Participate in capabilities presentations, distribution roadshows and industry events 

• Track, measure and report successes, trends and anticipated business to manage resources effectively  

• Monitoring the performance of products

• Mentor or manage junior members of the team

• Acts as the voice of the customer in the definition of product; incorporates feedback from customer interviews and user research

• Leads the ideation, design, and planning of the product

• Works with software development teams to define hypotheses, run experiments (surveys, concept testing, analytics tools,), and analyze data to make decisions on features that influence the direction of the product (owner of product backlog)

• Works with strategic design to gain an understanding of use personas, pain points and journeys

• Provides insights into product, technology and market trends

• Defines roadmaps and detailed user stories, and partner with scrum masters to enable delivery of prioritized features

• Collaborates with engineers & leadership to uncover pain points and opportunities to accelerate the delivery of new value through software

• Specifies and effectively communicates desired outcomes for current and future products

• Information to and from internal contacts to capture intelligence gathered in the field. 

• Focus on risk management, work with legal and compliance departments to obtain necessary approvals and support, while ensuring material meets regulatory requirements

Required Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in finance, marketing, business, or related field 

• 10+ years relevant experience in product management, development and product strategy    

• In-depth knowledge of financial services and industry practices 

• Solution Focused: exemplary problem solving 

• Innovative Mindset

• Influence and Persuasion: drive and influence change 

• Compelling Communication: strong communication, interpersonal and presentation skills; business case development and delivery  

• Collaboration: strong client and relationship management skills 

• Strategic thinker  

• Strong mentoring, coaching, and consulting skills 

• Demonstrated ability to influence others beyond formal authority both inside and outside of the organization

• Financial understanding of product profitability

• Advanced project management, problem solving and analytical skills

• Strong leadership capabilities applied within team settings and with individual contributors

• Thorough knowledge of compliance standards and practices 

• An entrepreneurial spirit and comfort working within in rapidly changing environment

• Adaptability: Effectively adapts and supports integrated change to achieve results in an evolving environment

• Technology Savvy: Leverages technology to plan, innovate, measure results, interact and engage with customers to create value and impact business results. results.

• Strong business acumen, with an aptitude for both strategic, broad thinking and critical and analytical thinking  

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].