Assistant Vice President, Strategy and Transformation

About the Company

Singlife is a Singapore-based financial services group focused on helping people achieve better financial security through technology-enabled solutions and a broad mix of products and services. Its offering spans insurance plans, employee benefits, partnerships with financial adviser channels and bancassurance, as well as investment and advisory services through the GROW with Singlife platform. The company also provides the Singlife Account, a mobile-first insurance savings plan.

Singlife serves as the exclusive insurance provider for the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs and Public Officers Group Insurance Scheme. It is also a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Sustainable Insurance and the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment, reflecting its commitment to sustainability.

The company was formed through the merger of Aviva Singapore and Singlife in September 2020, creating one of Singapore’s largest homegrown financial services businesses in a transaction valued at S$3.2 billion. In March 2024, Singlife was acquired by Sumitomo Life, one of Japan’s leading life insurers, in a deal that valued the business at S$4.6 billion and ranked among Southeast Asia’s largest insurance transactions.

Role Overview

This position sits within the Strategy & Transformation team and supports both innovation and enterprise strategy work. The role is designed for someone who can combine strategic thinking, commercial judgment, and external ecosystem engagement to help shape future opportunities for the business.

The team has 10 members in total, including this role, and the scope covers innovation, strategy, and transformation initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Study market movements, competitor activity, and wider cross-industry shifts to identify where future disruption may arise.
• Partner with senior leaders to define and frame important business issues that go beyond day-to-day operations.
• Spot, assess, and test new opportunities, turning signals from the market into practical and commercially sound proposals.
• Lead innovation work from concept stage through execution, including pilots and proofs of concept with defined success measures and business justification.
• Develop and sustain an external network across insurtechs, fintechs, startups, venture communities, and strategic suppliers to uncover opportunities and possible partnerships.
• Promote an innovation-first culture by creating and running workshops, programmes, and engagement sessions that encourage creative yet commercially grounded thinking.
• Review innovation ideas through a strong business lens by examining business models, unit economics, and alignment to strategy.
• Work closely with business teams to deliver key initiatives, including coordination, project management, internal alignment, and strategic support.
• Support strategy projects by performing market research, competitor analysis, and preparing senior management and governance materials.
• Assist with selected enterprise strategy efforts by helping business units solve problems, coordinate delivery, and implement initiatives.

Team Structure

You will be part of the Strategy & Transformation team, which consists of 10 people including this position.

Requirements

• Background in innovation, strategy, or a blended role, preferably in financial services, insurance, or consulting.
• Proven ability to connect with and build trust among external partners such as startups, vendors, and innovation ecosystem players.
• Strong commercial sense, including the ability to evaluate business models, assess market potential, and challenge or validate business cases.
• Working knowledge of innovation approaches such as design thinking, lean startup, and agile experimentation, with the discipline to apply them carefully.
• Understanding of insurance products, distribution channels, and the business levers that drive performance, plus the ability to link innovation themes to practical business issues.
• Clear, structured thinker who can simplify complex and fast-changing information into actionable recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Strong communication and persuasion skills, with confidence in discussions with senior leaders, external partners, and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to use MS Office effectively, especially PowerPoint, and to build or evaluate financial models independently for commercial cases.

Application Note

Candidates who can demonstrate the required experience and capabilities are encouraged to apply.