Director, Software Engineering Product Manager (Annuity Data Platform)

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company; Columbus (OH); Hybrid; USD 149,000 - 262,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision

Life insurance

Disability coverage

PTO 18 days/year pro-rated quarterly

Nine paid holidays

401(k) with company match

Company-paid pension plan

Business casual attire

Job summary

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company seeks a seasoned Director for Software Engineering Product Management to own the Annuity Data Platform roadmap and drive modernization, analytics, and AI enablement. This leadership role requires balancing near-term launch commitments with long-term enterprise reuse and governance across a broad stakeholder network.

You will lead a cross-functional team, manage budgets, and partner with data architecture and program leadership to deliver measurable business

Qualifications

• Eight or more years of experience in application suite management with five or more years leading numerous teams across multiple technologies.
• Undergraduate studies in management information systems, engineering, math, computer science or comparable experience and education are preferred.
• Proven ability to empower and build an engaged team.
• Deep understanding of SDLC and modern methodologies, practices, tools, and techniques.
• Experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Ability to develop and implement roadmap strategies.
• Insurance/financial services industry knowledge is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategic vision, priorities, and outcome-based roadmap for the Annuity Data Platform.
• Lead design, engineering, and operation of scalable data-platform capabilities including DevSecOps and observability.
• Partner with enterprise data, architecture, program, and business leaders to shape data strategy and governance.
• Translate stakeholder pain points into prioritized use cases and measurable outcomes.
• Lead governance, planning, and escalation forums across multiple teams and assets.
• Develop workforce and vendor strategy for modernization and cost optimization.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Data strategy

Problem solving

Stakeholder management

Education

Undergraduate studies in MIS/engineering/math/CS

Tools

AWS

Azure

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 (preferred), Des Moines, Iowa, or Scottsdale, Arizona office 2 days per week. Remote internal associates may also be considered.

Role Purpose

Own and drive the strategic direction and outcome-based roadmap for the Annuity Data Platform. Align the platform to Annuity Modernization, the enterprise Data Strategy, first-launch commitments, and longer-term scalability, reuse, analytics, automation, and AI enablement. Provide end-to-end accountability for platform strategy, delivery, operational health, workforce capacity, vendor performance, financial stewardship, and measurable business outcomes.

Key Accountabilities

• Set and own the strategic vision, priorities, and outcome-based roadmap for the Annuity Data Platform, balancing near-term launch commitments with long-term modernization and enterprise reuse.
• Lead the design, engineering, and operationalization of scalable, secure, and resilient data-platform capabilities, including DevSecOps, automation, observability, data quality, support readiness, platform health, stability, and risk controls.
• Partner with enterprise data, architecture, program, and business leaders to shape and implement the Annuity Data Strategy, governance, reusable data products, and platform patterns supporting operational, regulatory, reporting, analytics, automation, and AI needs.
• Identify and advance high-value data- and AI-enabled business solutions by translating stakeholder pain points and decision opportunities into prioritized use cases, delivery plans, measurable outcomes, and enterprise-aligned risk controls.
• Serve as the leadership face-off for the Annuity Data Platform in planning, governance, dependency management, and escalation forums across Annuity Technology, IDS, EDO, Data Architecture, Program Leadership, business stakeholders, and partner assets.
• Develop the workforce and vendor strategy required for modernization demand; align skills and capacity, maintain delivery quality and resiliency, manage knowledge transfer, and optimize build-and-run costs.
• Build an engaged engineering culture centered on accountability, collaboration, talent development, operating discipline, performance measures, continuous improvement, and adoption of relevant cloud, data, analytics, automation, and AI practices.

Software Engineering Product Manager – 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.
• Ensure a viable total cost of ownership and ongoing health, stability, and sustainability of applications.
• Own the strategic vision, develop and implement application suite roadmaps that encompass evolving the application capabilities and operating platforms through the evaluation of business needs, competitive landscape, technology currency and information security considerations.
• Own risk mitigation controls and provide support for internal and external audits.
• Support the engineering build of the application suite and non-technical efforts for the products.
• Represent the voice of the customer and act in a forward-facing role to business partners as an active member of a portfolio management team in advocating for business case development, planning, financial management, and portfolio evaluation.
• Lead all aspects of associate management, including performance, salary administration, training and development, hiring, day-to-day management and corrective actions.
• Ensure delivery availability and resiliency through established operating mechanisms and best practices.
• May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education: Undergraduate studies in management information systems, engineering, math, computer science or comparable experience and education are preferred.
• License/Certification/Designation: Technology certifications or designations are not required, but encouraged, (e.g., Amazon Web Services, Azure, Scripting and Development Languages, Delivery Methods, Security).
• Experience: Eight or more years of experience in application suite management with five or more years leading numerous teams across multiple technologies.
• Proven experience in empowering and building an engaged team.
• Detailed understanding and expert knowledge of the systems development life cycle and modern methodologies, practices, tools, and techniques.
• Extensive knowledge 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.
• Ability to build and develop positive partnerships.
• Insurance/financial services industry knowledge is a plus.
• Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies, and experiences may take precedence.

Job Conditions

• Overtime Eligibility: Not Eligible (Exempt).
• Working Conditions: Hybrid to 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.
• We currently anticipate accepting applications until 10/23/2026. However, we encourage early submissions, as the posting may close sooner if a strong candidate slate is identified before the deadline.

Benefits

• 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.

Salary

National salary range for Director, Software Engineering Product Manager: $149,000.00-$262,000.00.

Expected starting salary range for Director, Software Engineering Product Manager: $149,000.00 - $223,000.00.

Values

Regularly and consistently demonstrates Nationwide Values.

Equal Opportunity

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.

Additional Information

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.

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.

Check out why others think we’re a great place to work, too, and let us know – can you see yourself at Nationwide?

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.