Consultant, Data Product Owner (ESS Programs & E-Risk)

Nationwide; Columbus (OH); Hybrid; USD 118,000 - 222,000; Full time

Job summary

Nationwide is seeking a Data Product Owner to be the data voice of the customer within a Technology line, responsible for vision, backlog, and delivery of data products. You’ll coordinate with business stakeholders, IT, and data teams to deliver trusted data for Programs and E-Risk.

You will drive UAT, define success metrics, and ensure data governance while balancing business value and feasibility. This role emphasizes collaboration and data-driven decision making in a dynamic, agile

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher in a technical or analytical field and strong data capabilities.
• 5–8 years of experience delivering technology-enabled business solutions.
• Experience translating business needs into data requirements and UAT coordination.

Responsibilities

• Owns solution vision and roadmap for a data product.
• Acts as customer proxy to developers and agile teams for a data product.
• Drives backlog grooming, epics, and user stories for data initiatives.
• Ensures data governance, access controls, and defect resolution.

Skills

Communication (oral & written)

Data knowledge

Analytical skills

SQL

Python

Stakeholder influence

Education

Undergraduate studies in CS / MIS / Business / Statistics / Math

Graduate studies in Business / Statistics / CS

Tools

SQL

Python

Job description

Job Conditions

If you’re passionate about helping people protect what matters most to them at a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales, 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 and partners are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

This role combines Data Product Owner and Business Advisor responsibilities, bringing together strong communication, stakeholder partnership, and data expertise. The position translates business needs into clear data requirements and supports the delivery of trusted data for Programs and E-Risk.

• Key responsibilities include sourcing, validating, and delivering Policy, Claims, Coverage, and related data for reporting, analytics, operational decisions, and predictive analytics use cases. The role leads and supports User Acceptance Testing by defining scenarios, validating outcomes, coordinating business handoffs, and documenting data changes and impacts. It also supports data quality by identifying defects, assessing downstream impacts, partnering on issue prioritization, and validating changes.
• The ideal candidate brings a curious mindset, strong business partnership skills, and the ability to influence through data and technical solutions. They will develop actionable recommendations, perform exploratory analysis to resolve data questions, help prioritize IT data work, and serve as a Programs data advisor for the business.
• This role collaborates with Programs Operations, Lifecycle Management, IT, DDS Data Engineering, Visualization, and Data Governance teams, as well as product vendors, to deliver trusted data products, reporting solutions, and visualizations. Success requires balancing business value, technical feasibility, data quality, and governance standards while maintaining clear documentation and follow-through.
• Technical qualifications include advanced SQL skills and Python knowledge; strong knowledge of P&C insurance, including ESS and Programs data domains; and experience with Data Warehousing, Lakehouse architecture, and enterprise data environments. Experience with Power BI and/or Tableau is preferred, along with familiarity with AI-enabled tools that improve speed to market, accelerate analysis, and enhance delivery effectiveness.

Ideal candidates will be based in Columbus, Des Moines or Scottsdale regions, with remote work available in those areas.

This role does not qualify for employer-sponsored work authorization. Nationwide does not participate in the STEM OPT Extension program.

Job Description Summary

Nationwide’s industry leading workforce is passionate about creating data solutions that are secure, reliable and efficient in support of our mission to provide extraordinary care. Nationwide embraces an agile work environment and collaborative culture through the understanding of business processes, relationship entities and requirements using data analysis, quality, visualization, governance, engineering, robotic process automation, and machine learning to produce targeted data solutions. If you have the drive and desire to be part of a future forward data enabled culture, we want to hear from you.

As a Data Product Owner, you’ll be the data-related voice of the customer within a Technology development line and serve as the primary liaison between the business and Technology. You’ll be responsible for creating and maintaining the vision and value for the data product. You’ll continually re-prioritize backlog of defects and new development requests for the line(s) that support their data products, working with Technology leadership to influence staffing decisions against work priorities. Your role provides business-minded thought leadership throughout all phases of data development, including intake, work initiation and iteration planning and project estimations; they develop business requirements, manage communications between Technology and business, resolve blockers/questions/support needs, conduct/coordinate User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and approve releases. You’ll evaluate potential impacts to data products, coordinate with stakeholders and serve as steward for data governance, access rights/audits and defect resolution.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Executes on the solution vision/roadmap.
• Serves as the customer and business proxy to developers and agile delivery teams for a single data product/experience impacting a single line of business.
• Actively participates in daily scrum meetings, grooming meetings, project status meetings, sprint planning and review meetings. Drives near-term milestone planning by overlaying the prioritized backlog against fixed-time blockers (monthly/quarterly) to help manage interdependencies and coordination across development teams.
• 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.
• Participates in planning and execution of user acceptance testing, triage issues and works with development team to resolve.
• Manages all communications related to data product between Technology line, business stakeholders and work requestors, resolving blockers/risks on behalf of business, with some supervision. Conducts/coordinates User Acceptance Testing.
• Defines, monitors and analyzes metrics that reflect the quality and success of the data solution(s).
• Serves as steward for data product, providing end-to-end subject matter expertise, including related up- and downstream systems and processes.
• Acts as governance advocate, ensuring data metrics are understood and leveraged as intended by business users. Responsible for ongoing data accuracy, including defect reporting, prioritization and resolution.
• Assists in the governance of all data access requests and has final right of refusal for accesses.
• Defines, prioritizes and grooms the agile delivery team's product backlog to ensure continuous delivery, as well as develops, prioritizes and manages epics and user stories for the development team.

May Perform Other Responsibilities As Assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to Manager, Director or AVP Data Leader.

Typical Skills And Experiences

Education

Undergraduate studies in computer science, management information systems, business, statistics, math, a related field or comparable experience and education strongly preferred. Graduate studies in business, statistics, math, computer science or a related field are a plus.

License/Certification/Designation

Certifications are not required, CSPO, SAFe POPM, PSPO or equivalent designation preferred.

Experience

Five to eight years of relevant experience delivering Technology enabled business solutions. Experience leading small to medium-scale initiatives across business and technology teams. Experience with product roadmap development, prioritizing business cases, SQL and Python preferred. Insurance/financial services industry knowledge a plus.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills

Data application and practices knowledge. Sound decision making. Strong oral and written communication skills. Strong analytical skills with high attention to detail and accuracy. Ability to prioritize, facilitate large meetings, influence senior leaders, resolve conflict, negotiate and coach others.

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 HR Business Partner.

Values

Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide Values.

Job Conditions

Overtime Eligibility

Exempt (Not Eligible)

Working Conditions

Normal office environment.

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.

Salary Information

The national salary range for Consultant, Data Product Owner : $118,000.00-$222,000.00

The expected starting salary range for Consultant, Data Product Owner : $118,000.00 - $178,000.00