Sr. Product Manager

If you’re passionate about helping people protect what matters most to them, as well as innovating and simplifying processes and operations to provide the best customer value, then Nationwide’s Property and Casualty team could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

We are looking for a strategic and analytical leader with excellent communication skills to take ownership of Product and Portfolio Management responsibilities for our Alternative Distribution channel. This emerging insurance distribution channel consists of carrier partners, embedded OEM/Mortgage/Life integrations, franchise and strategic partnerships that operate on a national scale.  This role represents a unique opportunity to shape the agent experience while applying core Product Management concepts and interact with industry leading partners. 

Key Responsibilities

• Portfolio Management:  Identify strategies and tactics to manage Alternative Distribution firms to clearly defined profit and growth goals
• Strategic Collaboration:  Work with Relationship Management Team to implement action plans that foster profitable growth
• API Experience: Optimizing agency integration patterns and the presentation of Nationwide’s rate against other carriers in partnership with experience teams
• Analytics & Forecasting: Engaging in portfolio analysis, agency reviews, dashboard analytics, and forecasting
• Cross-functional Communications: Share the Alternative Distribution strategy across business units

Experience in one of more of the following areas is ideal.

• State Management
• Product or Portfolio Management
• Business Insights
• Relationship Management

Location options include offices in Columbus, OH or Des Moines, IA, or a Work-From-Home/Remote capacity anywhere in the country.

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Job Description Summary

Our work is essential to helping Nationwide build future capability to serve customer needs. Keeping existing products relevant and marketable and building new products takes research, critical thinking, practicality and collaboration. If you enjoy gathering input and information, working independently and on a team and creating innovative solutions for customers, we want to know more about you!

As a Senior Product Manager, you'll develop, apply and implement product strategy in alignment with market strategies and lead and collaborate on critical initiatives across regions and other functional departments. You’ll also influence decisions with internal and external partners at all levels and you'll be responsible for positioning products for profitable growth within the largest or most complex region with the most financial impact and complexity. In addition, you'll implement processes related to financial planning, rate reviews, market development and communication of product management and you'll support regional and corporate objectives through ongoing analysis and monitoring of results to ensure alignment, communication of results and sharing product performance and perspective.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Gathers information from multiple internal and external sources according to company guidelines, including competitor filings to perform analysis. May require gathering information from internal subject matter specialists or partners and data through reports or other external published or non-published electronic means. Provides and applies context and understanding of information to anticipate the multiple variables and complexities needed to research. May coordinate project/product research through others.

• Analyzes product performance and proactively finds opportunities at state, line of business and agency level. Identifies and analyzes key product, performance and profitability drivers such as distribution, rate structure and rules performance to validate assumptions, identify adverse impacts, trends and solutions. Applies judgment, understanding and curiosity to data and provides high level analysis considering multiple complexities to build fully developed solutions. Analyzes and reviews financial results, product profitability, business mix and competitive information and forecasts performance. May coordinate the analysis of others to include larger reviews.

• Manages own schedule to complete work within established time and service standards. Plans work to ensure rate review and other key processes are completed to ensure speed to market.

• Develops comprehensive product strategy for the state(s) for overall profitability using rate reviews, pricing, risk appetite, placement, timing, etc. Determines how to apply and implement strategic decisions in alignment with market strategies (agents, tools, sales, etc.). Influences decisions with internal and external partners at all levels that impact national plan and geographic responsibility.

• Leads departmental projects across regions. Recommends strategic direction to leadership and responsible for implementation and ongoing ownership of the initiative including the tactical decisions to ensure success across departments, regions and business units.

• Develops and implements a coordinated product strategy (including pricing and design features) across all product lines. Directs the implementation and maintenance of features/capabilities of products with accountability for product growth and profitability in the assigned region in support of national strategies. Plans and develops strategies to take advantage of opportunities within the market to achieve corporate objectives.

• Consults with leadership and internal partners regarding analysis, ideas and business performance providing recommendations based on in-depth functional and regional knowledge.

• Leads ongoing review and consultation on distribution and underwriting performance initiatives. Provides data and analysis to establish understanding of complex issues and focus attention on meaningful concepts at the regional leadership level. Consults with line of business and verticals to share regional implications of national strategies. Promotes teamwork among regional and staff partners to ensure alignment with initiatives.

• Provides regional perspective and expertise to research and development, pricing and training. May be involved on industry boards or lead cross functional teams.

• Communicates and presents critical initiatives across the department and directs implementation throughout the organization to achieve profit and growth objectives. Communicates information regarding new product improvements, pricing, organizational decisions, expected results, opportunities and focus areas to internal and external partners at all levels. Translates sophisticated data and strategic concepts into understandable communications to be shared with multiple audiences. Discerns the most relevant information and flexes style and message appropriate for the audience that instills confidence, conveys the strategic vision, and influences actions.

• Proactively builds and strengthens relationships with peers, internal and external partners to support completion of ongoing assignments. May participate in cross-functional teams to complete projects or support the business. Provides strong leadership, is approachable, and instills trust at all levels.

• Participates in training classes, department and company meetings. Pursues additional education to increase personal, professional and technical knowledge and skills. May assist trainers as a subject matter authority by providing content or delivering information to help educate regional underwriting and product partners. Mentors associates and provide education to others at all levels.

• Supervises associate management, including performance, salary planning and administration, training and development, workflow and organization planning, day-to-day management, hiring and placement and disciplinary actions.

May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to AVP. Direct reports may include roles at the manager and below levels.

Typical Skills and Experiences:

Education: Bachelor’s degree in insurance, actuarial science, mathematics, risk management, economics, finance, accounting, business administration or equivalent or Masters’ of Business Administration degree preferred.

License/Certification/Designation: Progress toward or completion of CPCU, AU CIC, INS ARM, Actuarial exams or similar designations preferred.

Experience: Ten years of experience in underwriting and product preferred. Cross-functional experience from other areas and experience with data analysis preferred.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Detailed knowledge of core business functions, and insurance products and pricing architecture, state regulations, underwriting procedures and standard methodologies. Solid understanding of financials, trend analysis and competitor data. Proficiency in analytical tools, relational databases, data visualization techniques, query-based language and/or statistical software experience preferred. Excellent verbal and written communication skills necessary to present information, communicate and influence internal and external partners at all levels. Skilled in the use of related systems and analytical tools. Ability to drive for results, deal with ambiguity, solve problems, learn on the fly, make quality decisions, see trends and patterns within data. Ability to manage projects, opposing priorities, timelines and resources to complete work. Strong organizational agility and political savvy preferred.

Other criteria, including leadership skills, proficiencies and experiences may take precedence.

Staffing exceptions to the above require approval by the hiring manager’s leader and Human Resources Business Partner.

Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide Values.

Job Conditions:

Overtime Eligibility: Exempt (Not Eligible)

Working Conditions: Normal office environment. Additional hours as required. Some overnight travel required.

ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.

We currently anticipate accepting applications until 10/31/2025. However, we encourage early submissions, as the posting may close sooner if a strong candidate slate is identified before the deadline.

Benefits

We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including: medical/dental/vision, life insurance, short and long term disability coverage, paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date, nine paid holidays, 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off, 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off, 401(k) with company match, company-paid pension plan, business casual attire, and more. To learn more about the benefits we offer, click here.

Nationwide is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged. Nationwide prohibits discrimination and harassment and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic (or classification) protected by applicable law.

This position could be filled within any of the lower 48 U.S. states.Smoke-Free Iowa Statement: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, its affiliates and subsidiaries comply with the Iowa Smokefree Air Act. Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed areas on or around company premises as well as company issued vehicles. The company offers designated smoking areas in which smoking is permitted at each individual location. The Act prohibits retaliation for reporting complaints or violations. For more information on the Iowa Smokefree Air Act, individuals may contact the Smokefree Air Act Helpline at 888-944-2247.
For NY residents please review the following state law information: Notice of Employee Rights, Protections, and Obligations LS740 (ny.gov) https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/02/ls740_1.pdf

NOTE TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES:

We value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. Nationwide does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. All resumes submitted by employment agencies directly to any Nationwide employee or hiring manager in any form without a signed Nationwide Client Services Agreement on file and search engagement for that position will be deemed unsolicited in nature. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is subsequently hired as a result of the referral or through other means.

Nationwide pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement within the actual starting salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity and location of the role as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. If a Sales job, Sales Incentives, based on performance goals are possible in addition to this range. Note on Compensation for Part-Time Roles: Please be aware that the salary ranges listed below reflect full-time compensation. Actual compensation may be prorated based on the number of hours worked relative to a full-time schedule.The national salary range for Sr Product Manager - Personal Lines : $110,000.00-$212,000.00The expected starting salary range for Sr Product Manager - Personal Lines : $119,000.00 - $179,000.00