Background: We are working with Manulife, a leading global insurer. Manulife have recently announced a life insurance JV with Mahindra & Mahindra. Suresh Agarwal was named CEO and Managing Director on February 23, 2026.

To support this new JV, Manulife are establishing a local entity, Manulife Services India (reporting into Manulife Asia), based in Mumbai, which will provide support and services to the JV business. They are now hiring the first roles into this new entity and so an exciting opportunity to build a business within a large established global organisation.

This role is ideal for strong generalists (chief of staff type skill set) excited to work within a fast paced corporate venture environment.

This is a generalist role but some experience in Insurance or Financial Services would be a plus.

General Description:

The Officer-in-Charge (OIC) will be the accountable leader for Manulife India Services Pvt. Ltd., responsible for end-to-end statutory financial statements preparation and sign-off, stewardship of the entity's bank and Demat accounts, and comprehensive regulatory, tax, and government liaison activities. The OIC will ensure strong governance, robust internal controls, and efficient operations for a small, high-performing team (c. 3 members) managing an annual operating budget of ~USD 2.5 million.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Financial Reporting & Controls

- Own the full cycle of entity financial statements: monthly close, quarterly and annual statutory financials, notes to accounts, and audit packs in compliance with Indian GAAP/Ind AS (as applicable) and Company policy.

- Sign off statutory financial statements and management representations; coordinate with internal, statutory, and tax auditors to ensure timely, high-quality audit closure.

- Establish and maintain a strong control environment (SoX/ICFR where applicable): reconciliations, journals, intercompany, fixed assets, provisioning, and documentation.

- Prepare and present entity financial performance, outlook, and variance analysis to Regional Finance, Entity Board/Directors, and Group stakeholders.

- Manage the annual planning and monthly forecasting cycles; ensure delivery within the approved budget and challenge cost/benefit as needed.

2. Treasury, Banking & Demat Operations

- Act as primary operator/authorized signatory for the entity bank account(s) and Demat account; ensure compliant, timely, and accurate transactions.

- Oversee cash flow, liquidity buffers, and investment/redemption activities aligned to Group policies and local regulations.

- Ensure effective banking relationships, mandates, user access controls, and payment security (including digital banking platforms).

3. Taxation & Regulatory Compliance

- Closely work with our Tax consultants and Reg Compliance Consultants to

Ensure timely and accurate compliance for Direct Tax (corporate tax, TDS), Indirect Tax (GST), and transfer pricing documentation (as applicable).

- Manage all filings with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), Registrar of Companies (RoC), and other authorities, coordinate Board meetings and secretarial records.

- Monitor regulatory changes; update controls, policies, and processes to maintain continuous compliance.

4. Governance, Risk & Policy Stewardship

- Maintain and enforce entity-level policies (finance, procurement, travel & expense, gifts & entertainment, data privacy) consistent with Group standards and Indian law.

- Identify, assess, and remediate operational and financial risks, drive issue logs, action plans, and timely closure.

- Ensure ethical conduct, conflict-of-interest disclosures, and compliance training completion within the team.

5. Operations, Vendors & Admin

- Oversee vendor onboarding, PO/contract reviews, and invoice/payment cycle, etc.

- Coordinate shared services and local service providers (accounting, tax, secretarial, payroll, facilities).

- Ensure accurate payroll inputs, statutory benefits compliance (PF/ESIC as applicable), and employee reimbursements aligned to policy.

- Oversee record retention, entity documentation, and support for inspections/inquiries.

6. Stakeholder & Government Relations

- Serve as the primary point of contact for local authorities, tax officers, inspectors, and government bodies.

- Represent the entity in correspondence, hearings, assessments, and reconciliations; prepare robust submissions and maintain case files.

- Build productive relationships with banks, auditors, legal counsel, consultants, and internal Group teams.

7. People Leadership

- Entity manage a small, agile team (c. 3 members): coach, develop skills, and foster a culture of ownership and integrity.

Qualifications & Experience:

- Education/Certification: Chartered Accountant (CA) required. Company Secretary (CS) or MBA (Finance) preferred.

- Experience: 8-12 years in finance controllership/ statutory reporting/tax in India, including hands-on audits and regulatory interactions; prior experience operating bank and Demat accounts preferred.

- Tools: Advanced Excel; familiarity with ERP/GL systems (e.g., SAP/Oracle/Netsuite), e-filing portals (MCA, GST, Income Tax), and banking portals.

Skills & Attributes:

- High integrity, sound judgment, and "hands-on" ownership in a lean setup.

- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.

- Clear, concise communication-written and verbal-with senior leadership and regulators.

- Ability to prioritize, meet deadlines, and operate with minimal supervision.

- Continuous improvement mindset; comfort with process standardization and automation.

- Authority & Delegations

- Authorized signatory for entity bank and Demat accounts within approved DOA.

- Approval of payments, journals, and filings per the entity Delegation of Authority and Group policies.

- Representation authority with regulators and external parties.

Reports To: AVP, Program Manager

Working Model: Hybrid (50/50 on-site and remote working)

Location: South Mumbai

Engagement Structure: This is a contract-to-hire opportunity. The selected candidate will initially be engaged on a 3-month contractual basis, after which the role is expected to convert into a permanent position with the organisation