Associate Product Manager - Underwriting Strategy
Nationwide Mutual InsuranceAssociate Product Manager – Underwriting Strategy
The Associate Product Manager, Underwriting Strategy, will play a critical role in shaping and advancing the portfolio-level underwriting strategy for our Pet Insurance products. This role requires a blend of analytical rigor, strategic thinking, and strong cross functional collaboration to drive profitable growth.
The APM will use data-driven insights to evaluate portfolio performance, identify trends, and uncover opportunities to strengthen pricing, optimize coverage, and refine risk appetite. They will apply foundational underwriting knowledge and strong business acumen to understand economic drivers and evaluate the impact of strategic decisions across the portfolio.
Success in this role requires exceptional analytical thinking—distilling complex datasets into clear insights—and an ability to communicate those findings effectively across both technical and nontechnical audiences. The APM must be adept at solving complex problems, proposing structured, actionable recommendations, and influencing stakeholders across Product, Underwriting, Actuarial, Claims, and other functions.
Operating in a dynamic and evolving environment, this individual will demonstrate adaptability and a proactive, strategic mindset, ensuring that decisions are not only rooted in data but also aligned with long-term product and profitability goals. Through strong relationships, effective communication, and balanced judgment, the APM will help translate strategic underwriting goals into operational execution and measurable portfolio outcomes.
Key focus areas include:
Assessing portfolio trends and identifying areas for profitable growth.
Applying underwriting acumen and analytical techniques to evaluate performance.
Supporting pricing, coverage, and appetite decisions driven by data insights.
Partnering with Underwriting and Product to operationalize strategic recommendations.
Contributing to a cohesive, scalable underwriting strategy for Pet Insurance.
This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a data-driven environment, enjoys solving complex business problems, and is motivated by the challenge of building a strong, strategic underwriting foundation for a growing product line.
Key Responsibilities
Analyze product, portfolio, and segment performance to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for profitable growth.
Support development and execution of underwriting strategies related to pricing, coverage, rules, and risk appetite.
Conduct quantitative analyses using available data sources to assess performance drivers and evaluate proposed business actions.
Develop recommendations for rate changes, coverage revisions, underwriting rules, and appetite adjustments.
Collaborate closely with Underwriting, Product, Actuarial, Claims, Distribution, and other partners to operationalize strategy and ensure alignment across teams.
Monitor competitive landscape, market shifts, and regulatory changes that may impact underwriting strategy.
Qualifications
Required:
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Mathematics, Statistics, Analytics, or related field.
1–3 years of experience in product, underwriting, insurance analytics, or a related discipline.
Strong analytical skills and experience working with datasets, metrics, and performance insights.
Understanding of underwriting principles, insurance product structures, and pricing fundamentals.
Proficiency in Excel; experience with SQL, Tableau, Power BI, or similar tools is a plus.
Ability to synthesize complex information and communicate it clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Preferred:
Experience in pet insurance, P&C insurance, or specialty insurance markets.
Familiarity with rating models, segmentation strategies, and portfolio management concepts.
Exposure to agile product development or cross functional project work.
Demonstrated ability to think strategically and translate insights into action.
This role does not qualify for employer sponsored work authorization. Nationwide does not participate in the STEM OPT extension program.
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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 an Associate Product Manager, you'll build and maintain assigned product features and capabilities with shared responsibility for growth and profitability. This will include developing project work plans for new business or new implementation. You'll have opportunities to help with planning for assigned products and states. We'll count on you to interpret trends, both industry and company-related and make recommendations based on your analysis. In addition, you'll need to evaluate regulatory and compliance issues and their implementation.
Job Description
Key Responsibilities:
Provides recommendations and feedback on pricing point decisions, indications, rate factors, design features and associated processes. Performs competitive analysis.
Supports all functional areas of the company related to product design and management. Makes product recommendations based on acquired functional and regional knowledge.
Assists in developing key initiatives on product strategy and profitability within assigned state(s).
Helps with analysis of market information on competitors; rollout of new initiatives; and new business development and implementation projects. Partners with Underwriting to develop standards and guidelines.
Develops and delivers new product training as appropriate.
Analyzes financial results, product profitability and assists in forecasting regional needs. Forecasts and models results of action plans. Identifies and evaluates business opportunities.
Assists in exploring, sponsoring and evaluating new tools and technology and software. Confirms the quality and effectiveness of rate changes ands system improvement implementations. May provide guidance to appropriate functional areas to develop business specifications.
Assists with the rate review process for assigned product. Researches and provides internal and external data, competitor information and market basket reports to analyze, evaluate, interpret and make recommendations about product changes.
Develops product communication plans and makes presentations to assigned states and business partners of the organization.
Interacts with other business partners while developing cross-functional knowledge in claims, sales, marketing, pricing, operations, underwriting and finance.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.
Reporting Relationships: Reports to: Director or Manager. Individual contributor.
Typical Skills and Experience:
Experience: Four years of experience in personal lines or commercial lines insurance including financial services, marketing or communications. Previous product management experience preferred.
Education: Undergraduate studies such as insurance, actuarial science, mathematics, risk management, economics, finance, accounting, business administration or related field preferred. Insurance licenses or designations such as CPCU, ARM, CLU, FLMI, ChFC, CFP, NASD, etc. preferred.
Knowledge: Good understanding of analytical tools, knowledge of core business functions, underwriting policies and practices, performance measurement techniques, and systems required. Knowledge of related pricing, marketing, insurance models/contracts, and financial analysis. Excellent verbal and written communications to influence, train others, present information, communicate with management, agents and policy holders. Must be skilled in the use of related systems and analytical tools. Ability to drive for results, deal with ambiguity, solve problems, learn on the job, make decisions, see trends/patterns within regions. Project management skills necessary.
Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.
Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by Officer/Director and Human Resources.
Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrate the Nationwide Values.
Job Conditions:
Overtime Eligibility: Not Eligible (Exempt)
Working Conditions: Normal office environment; extended and/or non-standard work hours based on project and service delivery needs. Travel as needed.
ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to the principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some associates assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.
We currently anticipate accepting applications until 04/16/2026. 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 Associate Product Manager, Staff - P&C : $79,500.00-$148,500.00The expected starting salary range for Associate Product Manager, Staff - P&C : $79,500.00 - $119,500.00