Canada Retirement – Product Owner

Join Manulife, a leader in Canada Retirement solutions, where innovation meets customer-centric design. We strive to create exceptional product experiences for our plan sponsors and advisors. Our dynamic environment values fresh ideas and collaboration. Within Canada Retirement we are seeking a highly motivated Product Owner for the Sponsor & Advisor Experience Pillar who will work closely with the our business functional areas to dig deep into the products we offer, would like to offer and everything in between. This is a fast paced, changing environment where every day brings something new, and innovative ideas are encouraged. You will be partnering closely with our development squads to evolve the digital experiences through simplified and intuitive design; putting the sponsor and advisors needs first by providing the right tools and solutions to facilitate positive digital experiences. As part of the product team, you deeply understand our customers and are the bridge between business and technology to design experiences our customers will love. 

You are the Product Owner we are looking for if:

• You are a tactical strategist
• You are business savvy but have a love for technology
• You feel empowered to make decisions, yet are collaborative in your approach
• You are passionate and engaged
• You are a change champion
• You believe no idea is a bad idea if it is analyzed thoroughly
• You dig deep into the ‘why’ and ‘why not’
• You thrive on documentation, simplifying the complex

What motivates you?

• You obsess about customers, listen, engage and act for their benefit.
• You can set targets based on the concept and strive to measure it – regardless of the outcome.
• You think big, with curiosity to discover ways to use your agile approach and enable business change.
• You thrive in teams and enjoy getting things done together.
• You take ownership and build solutions, focusing on what matters.
• You do what is right, work with integrity and speak up.
• You share your humanity, helping us build a diverse and inclusive work environment for everyone.

Overall, the Product Owner balances the customer needs, the business needs, while monitoring market trends and keeping a pulse on the competitive landscape.

In your quest to deliver enhanced and new digital capabilities for our plan members, your collaborative nature will bring together internal players from IT, Marketing, Compliance and Finance (to name a few).  You possess an excellent balance of analytical, communication, and leadership skills and are comfortable challenging others to continually improve our offering.  As the Product Owner, you are responsible for the success of your squad.

What will you be as a Product Owner?

• Own the product backlog and feature prioritization
• Provide clarity on what and why of customer / business needs
• Drive the product strategy, planning, and delivery of key capabilities for features
• Ensure progress against important milestones
• Act as the voice of the customer in the definition of product; incorporate feedback from customer insights and research
• Work in collaboration with internal and external key stakeholders to ensure successful development and implementation of features
• Ability to determine solutions and opportunities that will close gaps in product/service
• Launch new digital transactions
• Monitor the outcomes and experience of launched features and iterate where required
• Enhance and manage existing digital properties

Your background includes:

• 3 – 5 years of relevant work experience

• Understanding and/or past interaction with Plan Sponsors, Plan Administrators, Plan Members and/or the Advisor and Consultant communities.
• Working knowledge of how Retirement products are used
• Prior track record of delivering digital projects, working within innovative environments, and leading execution across functional teams and business units.
• Highly effective communicator who can clearly articulate business needs between technical and non-technical resources as well as present strategy and vision to senior management.
• Strong relationship development and management skills.
• Entrepreneurial drive and demonstrated ability to achieve stretch goals in an innovative and fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Product management or design experience with a focus on Digital.
• Experience defining and tracking key digital performance indicators.
• Ability to take initiatives, work with minimal supervision and passion to solve problems.

Nice to have:

• Understanding of agile / design thinking concept development and project management methodologies.
• User centered design, user experience and journey mapping skills.
• Competitive intelligence investigations

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 recruitment@manulife.com.

Salary range is expected to be between

If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact recruitment@manulife.com for the salary range for your location. The actual salary will vary depending on local market conditions, geography and relevant job-related factors such as knowledge, skills, qualifications, experience, and education/training. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.

Manulife offers eligible employees a wide array of customizable benefits, including health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage, adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits, and employee/family assistance plans. We also offer eligible employees various retirement savings plans (including pension and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources. Our generous paid time off program in Canada includes holidays, vacation, personal, and sick days, and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence. If you are applying for this role in the U.S., please contact recruitment@manulife.com for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.