Technical Program Manager – Strategic Initiatives

Manulife•Boston, MA

9d•$107,450 - $199,550•Hybrid

About The Position

The Technical Program Manager (TPM) leads strategic initiatives that deliver integrated technology solutions across John Hancock Insurance. The role shapes complex, high-impact programs spanning product enablement, distribution, policy administration, servicing, and operations. The TPM partners with business initiative owners, product owners, and technology leaders to align capabilities, capacity, and investment with commitments across the insurance value chain. The TPM translates business, product, regulatory, and customer needs into coordinated development, testing, implementation, and business-readiness plans. The role is accountable for delivery on schedule and within budget, with strong risk management, and connects business outcomes with technology execution. It also involves navigating effective-date-driven product changes and leading across multiple platforms and stakeholder groups.

Requirements

3–5 years of technical program management expertise in a related field.
At least 3 years delivering technology solutions in the life and annuity insurance industry.
Familiarity with life and annuity insurance regulatory and business concepts and the operational cadence of product changes.
Excellent organizational and problem-solving abilities, including the ability to manage creative tension.
Ability to influence and execute work without directly managing resources.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to articulate a technical vision and translate outcomes into possibilities, options, and execution.
Comfort leading communications, including presentations to senior leadership, sponsors, and stakeholders about business cases and roadmaps.
Demonstrated experience managing complex releases involving product, rate, or assumption updates and effective-date-driven changes, while coordinating business readiness and producer communications.

Nice To Haves

Direct exposure to policy administration and supporting policyholder and agent/producer workflows, including new business, underwriting, illustration, and application submission, as well as downstream capabilities.
Project and initiative management skills, including proficiency with management software tools and methodologies such as Agile and the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
Understanding of Agile metrics, Scrum, and similar methodologies to track progress, measure team performance, and identify areas for improvement.
Working knowledge of data, integration, and platform capabilities required for AI solutions, including secure access to approved enterprise data.
A proven track record delivering complex, large-scale IT solutions, including modernization and integration work such as APIs and data pipelines in regulated environments.
Working knowledge of insurance regulatory and compliance considerations and the ability to partner with Compliance and Legal to ensure controls and evidence are in place.
Experience with test governance, including test-driven development (TDD), parallel testing, defect triage with business SMEs, and sign-off processes.
Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and negotiate with peers and leaders.
Ability to manage execution plans to a budget and provide regular updated financial forecasts for labor and non-labor expenses.
Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, including balancing short-term and long-term objectives and trade-offs.
Highly adaptable, flexible, and resilient, with the ability to thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

Oversee the full Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) for initiatives supporting John Hancock Insurance priorities, from initiation and delivery through implementation, stabilization, and post-launch support across policyholder, producer, and operations journeys.
Manage technology delivery through initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, closure, and post-initiative evaluation to meet scope, budget, schedule, regulatory, operational-readiness, and customer commitments.
Apply software engineering and technology knowledge to implement technology strategies and ensure effective software delivery.
Provide cross-functional leadership and build alignment for efforts such as product architecture and coordinating business requests with IT organization service areas.
Identify and mitigate technical risks that could affect initiative success.
Partner with Business Initiative leads to build schedules, milestones, goals, and scope, incorporating technology components, solutions, feasibility, and delivery considerations.
Foster a culture of innovation and collaboration while driving alignment and productivity across the aligned team.

Benefits

Flexible environment supporting well-being and inclusion.
Customizable health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life, and AD&D insurance coverage.
Adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits.
Employee and family assistance plans.
Retirement savings plans, including pension and 401(k) savings plans.
Global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions.
Financial education and counseling resources.
Paid time off in the U.S., including up to 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days, 150 hours of vacation, and 40 hours of sick time (or more where required by law).
Statutory leaves of absence.
Incentive programs and incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.