Job Description

If you’re passionate about being part of a dynamic organization that enables a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales to drive innovation and adopt new technologies that deliver business results, then Nationwide’s Technology 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.

This role will work a hybrid schedule coming into the Columbus, Ohio office 2 days per week on Wednesdays & Thursdays.

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Software Engineering Product Manager to lead the Annuity Data Platform (ADP) team. This role is pivotal in developing, scaling, and operationalizing the Annuity Data Platform to support the Annuity Modernization Program, with particular emphasis on first-launch delivery, data readiness, and enabling broader Data Strategy outcomes. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with ALIP, Real Time Integrations, Workflow, Correspondence, Data Architecture, and impacted Business Stakeholders to deliver reliable, scalable, and reusable data capabilities that support modernization outcomes across the annuity value chain. The role will also help advance AI capability development in the data space, partnering with business and technology leaders to identify, shape, and deliver AI-based solutions that improve decisioning, efficiency, insights, and customer experience.

Roles and Responsibilities:

1. Annuity Data Platform Strategy and Roadmap

·Define and drive the strategic direction for the Annuity Data Platform in alignment with organizational goals, the Annuity Modernization Program, and broader Data Strategy priorities.

·Establish an outcome-based roadmap for ADP that balances first-launch delivery commitments with longer-term platform scalability, reuse, analytics, and AI enablement.

·Partner with architecture and business leaders to ensure the platform supports critical modernization capabilities, downstream consumers, and future-state reporting, analytics, and AI needs.

2. First-Launch Delivery Execution

·Lead the ADP team in delivering data capabilities required for Annuity Modernization first launch, including support for priority business capabilities and critical-path features.

·Ensure backlog readiness, sequencing, and alignment to milestone planning, integrated plans, and cross-team handoffs so the ADP team can execute predictably against committed outcomes.

·Drive resolution of scope, dependency, and capacity issues impacting delivery, while maintaining focus on business value, schedule commitments, and quality.

3. Data Platform Engineering and Operational Excellence

·Lead the design, development, and operationalization of scalable, secure, and resilient data platform capabilities that meet business and technology needs.

·Establish and mature engineering practices across the ADP team, including DevSecOps, automation, observability, and support for reliable run operations.

·Ensure strong controls around platform health, data quality, stability, support readiness, and risk mitigation as ADP becomes foundational to multiple annuity capabilities.

4. Data Strategy and AI Enablement

·Partner with enterprise and program data leaders to shape and implement Data Strategy for Annuity, including data modeling, lineage, governance, and reusable platform patterns.

·Identify high-value opportunities for AI-based solutions enabled by trusted, governed, and reusable data assets on the ADP platform.

·Help define and mature foundational AI capabilities in the data space, including reliable data pipelines, governed data assets, reusable data products, and platform patterns that enable analytics, automation, and AI use cases.

·Ensure the platform enables trusted, consumable data for operational processes, regulatory needs, reporting, analytics, and future AI-driven solutions.

5. AI and Business Solution Enablement

·Work closely with business stakeholders to understand pain points, process inefficiencies, and decisioning opportunities that can be addressed through data and AI-based solutions

·Partner across business and technology teams to translate opportunities into actionable use cases, roadmaps, and delivery plans.

·Promote pragmatic adoption of AI-enabled capabilities that improve operational efficiency, speed to insight, and business value while aligning to enterprise standards and risk controls.

·Ensure AI and data solutions are tied to measurable business outcomes and support the broader goals of Annuity Modernization

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration

·Foster close partnerships across Annuity Technology, IDS, Data Architecture, Program Leadership, and business stakeholders to ensure seamless execution of platform and capability delivery.

·Work closely with partner teams such as ALIP, Real Time Integrations, Workflow, Correspondence, and other impacted assets to manage interdependencies, resolve blockers, and align delivery plans.

·Serve as a key leadership face-off for ADP within planning, governance, and escalation forums.

7. Workforce, Vendor, and Financial Management

·Develop and manage a workforce strategy for the ADP team that aligns skills and capacity to modernization demand, platform priorities, and first-launch commitments.

·Manage vendor relationships and external partnerships to ensure high-quality delivery, efficient onboarding, and effective scaling where needed.

·Optimize build and run costs while maintaining delivery quality, platform resiliency, and long-term value realization.

8. Continuous Improvement and Team Leadership

·Build a strong, engaged engineering culture that emphasizes accountability, collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement.

·Strengthen the team’s ability to plan, execute, and support data platform work through clear operating rhythms, performance measures, and talent development.

·Stay current on industry trends in data platforms, cloud, automation, analytics, and AI, and apply those learnings to improve team effectiveness and platform outcomes.

Qualifications:

·Proven experience leading software engineering and/or data platform teams in large, complex technology environments.

·Strong understanding of data platforms, data engineering, data architecture, and modern software delivery practices.

·Experience leading transformational programs with significant cross-functional dependency management, delivery execution, and operational accountability.

·Strong knowledge of DevSecOps, SRE/operational practices, automation, and engineering maturity improvement.

·Experience enabling data-driven and AI-supported solutions through strong partnership with business stakeholders, architects, and engineering teams.

·Strong understanding of the foundational capabilities needed to support analytics, automation, and AI use cases, including data quality, governance, lineage, and scalable platform design.

·Excellent collaboration, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across business and technology organizations.

·Ability to lead and inspire cross-functional teams while balancing immediate delivery needs with longer-term strategic platform outcomes.

·Up-to-date knowledge of technology trends and software engineering discipline, particularly in cloud, data, analytics, and emerging AI capabilities

#LI-AC1

If you’re enthusiastic about delivering secure technology solutions to support a company providing extraordinary care to its customers, then Nationwide Technology is the place for you. Nationwide's industry-leading technology workforce embraces an agile work environment and a collaborative culture to deliver outstanding solutions and results. If that sounds like something you aspire to, we want to hear from you!

As a Software Engineering Product Manager, you’ll be accountable for a suite of in house or third party applications. You'll lead teams of technology professionals to enable business outcomes and provide reliable customer-centric solutions and experiences.

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for applying secure software and systems engineering practices throughout the delivery lifecycle to ensure our data and technology solutions are protected from threats and vulnerabilities.

• Partners with leaders to ensure a viable total cost of ownership and ongoing health and wellness of applications.

• Assists in the development and implementation of application suite roadmaps through the evaluation of business needs, competitive landscape, technology currency and information security considerations.

• Manages risk mitigation controls and provides support for internal and external audits.

• Supports the engineering build of the application suite and non technical efforts for the products.

• Represents voice of the customer, acts in a forward-facing role to business partners as an active member of a portfolio management team in the advocation of business case development, planning, financial management and evaluation of portfolio.

• Hire and develop talent, provide consistent coaching and feedback.

• Responsible for delivery availability and resiliency following established operating mechanisms and best practices.

May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to Technology Director or above. Leads a team of 5 or more technology professionals.

Typical Skills and Experiences:

Education: Undergraduate studies in management information systems, engineering, math, computer science or comparable experience and education preferred.

Experience: Six years of experience in application suite management with four years or more leading numerous teams across multiple technologies. Proven experience in empowering and building an engaged team.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Detailed understanding and knowledge of the systems development life cycle and modern methodologies, practices, tools, and techniques. Solid understanding of concepts and techniques in project delivery, budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis. Ability to develop and implement roadmap strategies. Proven decision-making and problem-solving skills. Coaching and career development of team. Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships. Insurance/financial services industry knowledge is a plus.

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

Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and Human Resources Business Partner.

Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates Nationwide Values.

Job Conditions:

Overtime Eligibility: Not Eligible (Exempt)

Working Conditions: Normal office environment. Associates may have on-call responsibility after normal working hours and/or on weekends.

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 assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.

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.

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 Manager, Software Engineering Product Manager : $118,000.00-$222,000.00The expected starting salary range for Manager, Software Engineering Product Manager : $118,000.00 - $178,000.00