Lead Portfolio Manager

The Lead Portfolio Manager is responsible for overseeing the strategic planning, governance, and execution of a technology portfolio within a financial services and insurance organization. This role ensures technology initiatives are aligned with business priorities, regulatory expectations, risk management standards, and the company’s digital transformation agenda. The Lead Portfolio Manager partners closely with senior business and technology leaders to drive value, optimize resources, and deliver measurable outcomes across the technology investment portfolio.

Position Responsibilities:

• Lead the strategic planning, prioritization, and execution of the technology investment portfolio, ensuring alignment with corporate strategy and regulatory obligations.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with senior Business, Technology, Operations, and Risk leaders to ensure technology initiatives support enterprise objectives.
• Oversee delivery of complex, multi-year programs related to modernization, cloud transformation, digital customer experience, data analytics, and operational efficiency.
• Use data analytics and insights—leveraging tools such as Power BI—to drive decision-making, optimize the portfolio, and provide actionable intelligence to executive leadership.
• Develop and enhance governance frameworks, portfolio standards, and intake processes tailored to financial/insurance regulatory and risk management requirements.
• Proactively identify and mitigate portfolio-level risks, ensuring alignment with enterprise risk management frameworks within the regulated financial services environment.
• Manage the evaluation and prioritization of new technology initiatives, ensuring clear alignment to business value, customer impact, and resource availability.
• Craft and deliver executive-ready presentations and strategic updates for senior leadership, including investment performance, risks, trends, and recommendations.
• Lead a small and focused team of senior product owners as well as provide guidance and mentoring when needed.

Required Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in technology portfolio management, program management, or enterprise PMO roles within financial services or insurance.
• Understanding of regulatory environments, risk management, and governance frameworks relevant to financial institutions is preferred
• Proven ability to influence senior leadership and drive large-scale organizational change.
• Advanced proficiency in data analytics and dashboarding tools, with the ability to translate complex data into clear strategic insights.
• Deep knowledge of technology delivery methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, hybrid models) and their application in large enterprises.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with experience preparing materials for executive and board-level audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Agile or PM Certifications like CSPO or PMP/PMP-ACP are preferred

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 hr@manulife.com.

Hybrid