Director – Chief Product Owner

Manulife

Director & Chief Product Owner leading strategic direction and delivery of digital product portfolio at Manulife. Fostering customer-centricity and driving business transformation through innovative solutions.

Posted 6/3/2026full-timeWaterloo • 🇨🇦 CanadaLead💰 CA$118,300 - CA$168,300 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Partner across business lines and value streams to lead large-scale initiatives and ensure strategic objectives achieve intended outcomes.
Define and communicate the digital product strategy, vision, and roadmap in alignment with business priorities and global technology strategy.
Act as the voice of the customer, incorporating feedback and insights to influence product direction and deliver meaningful experiences.
Collaborate closely with IT counterparts, aligning on solution design, development, QA, and testing strategies.
Use advanced analytics, A/B testing, and experimentation to validate hypotheses and optimize product offerings.
Own the product backlog and feature prioritization across multiple agile squads and initiatives, ensuring consistent delivery of business value.
Coordinate across multiple stakeholders to drive complex product development decisions, requirements, and success criteria.
Lead, develop, and mentor Product Owners to foster a culture of customer-centricity and continuous improvement.
Partner with IT leaders to develop and manage integrated plans for initiatives, including milestone planning, testing, reviews, and approvals.
Monitor KPIs and drive continuous improvement through data analytics and insights.
Present key insights, vision, and progress updates to stakeholders, acting as a change agent across the organization.

Requirements

What you’ll need

8–10 years of experience leading cross-functional teams and initiatives using SAFe/Scrum methodologies in a complex, globally diverse organization.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or related discipline; post-graduate degree preferred.
At least 5 years of industry experience with individual insurance and wealth products, service processes, and customer needs.
Proven track record in digital strategy and transformation within financial services, with strong knowledge of emerging digital technologies.
Familiarity with agile development methodologies, release management, and tools such as JIRA and Confluence.
Strong ability to adapt to change and understand the impact of emerging technologies.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across all levels.
Experience with data analytics, change management, and digital engagement strategies.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Health insurance
Dental benefits
Mental health support
Vision coverage
Short- and long-term disability insurance
Life and AD&D insurance
Adoption/surrogacy benefits
Wellness programs
Employee/family assistance plans
Pension plans
Global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

digital product strategyA/B testingdata analyticsproduct backlog managementfeature prioritizationSAFe methodologyScrum methodologychange managementdigital engagement strategiesemerging digital technologies

Soft Skills

leadershipcustomer-centricitycollaborationcommunicationproblem-solvingdecision-makingadaptabilitymentoringinfluencingcontinuous improvement