Product Manager, Workers Compensation

CNA; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 97,000 - 189,000; Full time

Job summary

CNA in Chicago is seeking a Product Manager to define, communicate, and manage the product vision, strategy, and roadmap for a complex business capability. You will partner with business owners, architects, and delivery teams to translate strategic objectives into prioritized capabilities delivering measurable business value.

The ideal candidate has a blend of insurance domain expertise, leadership skills, and experience driving Agile initiatives.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years in Commercial insurance plus 8 years in product management roles.
• Deep knowledge of Underwriting and Operations across multiple P&C lines.
• Workers’ Compensation knowledge including NCCI rules.

Responsibilities

• Owns and communicates product vision, strategy, and backlog.
• Collaborates with stakeholders and tech teams to translate initiatives.
• Develops and maintains a prioritized product roadmap.
• Leads change management and supports system enhancements.

Skills

Strategic planning

Stakeholder mgmt

Agile

Leadership

Communication

AI capabilities

Product vision

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's preferred

Job description

You have a clear vision of where your career can go. And we have the leadership to help you get there. At CNA, we strive to create a culture in which people know they matter and are part of something important, ensuring the abilities of all employees are used to their fullest potential. The Product Manager partners with business owners to define, maintain, and communicate the product vision, strategy, and roadmap for a moderately large and complex business capability or, alternatively, several smaller product areas. The Product Manager owns product outcomes, translating strategic objectives into clear, prioritized plans and investments that guide delivery teams toward achieving measurable business value. This position works closely with business stakeholders, solution architects, and delivery teams to identify needs, define requirements, and deliver effective solutions that support business objectives. Responsibilities include managing a diverse portfolio of work ranging from large-scale initiatives and regulatory changes to smaller enhancements, and defect resolution. We are searching for candidates with the following attributes and experience:

• Minimum of three years’ experience working within the Commercial insurance industry coupled with eight years’ experience as a Product Manager, Senior Product Owner, Product Owner, or similar role.
• Deep knowledge in the Underwriting and Operations processes, including experience with multiple P&C lines of business.
• Workers’ Compensation experience, including familiarity with NCCI and independent rating bureau rules and regulations.

The ideal candidate is organized, collaborative, and able to balance multiple priorities while ensuring systems and processes continue to meet the evolving needs of the business and its users.

This is a Chicago-based hybrid role with limited travel requirements on an as needed basis.

JOB DESCRIPTION: Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Performs a combination of duties in accordance with departmental guidelines: Partners with business stakeholders to support the Workers’ Compensation line of business through ongoing system enhancements, maintenance activities, and operational support. Owns and has final accountability for the product vision, strategy, roadmap, priorities, and business outcomes for their product area. Collaborates with business stakeholders and technology teams to translate strategic initiatives into prioritized capabilities and delivery plans. Develops, maintains, and communicates a prioritized product roadmap and backlog, ensuring alignment to business objectives and delivery of measurable value. Develops detailed requirements and acceptance criteria Partners with system architects to prioritize architecture work aligned with the architectural runway and business priorities Provides strategic insights into work activities to help development teams in sizing Participates in release management and solution validation, including working closely with application support teams to prioritize system defects and user feedback. Support change management, training and communication needs. Supports the development of a high performing Product Management team at CNA. Provides leadership and mentoring, coaching and development support to empower Product Owners to proactively manage product backlogs to deliver business value. May perform additional duties as assigned. Reporting Relationship Typically AVP or above.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Ability to transform circulars, bulletins, meeting notes, and e‑mails into detailed requirements to enhance our core internal systems.
• Proven ability to effectively coach, develop, mentor and inspire a team.
• Expert domain knowledge of the solutions being developed and proven ability to deliver outcomes across business functions in pursuit of value within their area of expertise and for the company.
• Proven ability to think strategically and develop plans and roadmaps to realize outcomes aligned with business strategy.
• Strong ability to resolve conflicts, facilitate discussions, propose viable alternatives, and consider different approaches.
• Proven ability to interact effectively with stakeholders at all levels, including business and technical/product teams; building and maintaining collaborative relationships.
• Ability to pivot and enact change quickly.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong leadership and management skills, demonstrating integrity and professionalism.
• Growth mindset with a willingness to experiment, learn, and continuously adapt, including leveraging emerging AI capabilities to improve products, processes, and team effectiveness.

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree, with Master's preferred, in a related discipline or equivalent work experience. Typically a minimum of ten years of related work experience, preferably as a Product Manager, Product Owner or equivalent role. Successful track record with Agile methodologies. Applicable certifications preferred - SAFe PO/PM, CSPO or PSPO. Demonstrated curiosity and experience evaluating, piloting, or scaling AI-enabled capabilities to solve business problems and improve user experiences #LI-Hybrid #LI-DM1

In certain jurisdictions, CNA is legally required to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. In District of Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Washington, the national base pay range for this job level is $97,000 to $189,000 annually. Salary determinations are based on various factors, including but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and location.

CNA offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to help our employees – and their family members – achieve their physical, financial, emotional and social wellbeing goals. For a detailed look at CNA’s benefits, please visit cnabenefits.com.

CNA utilizes AI-enabled technology during the recruiting process. For more information, please visit our careers page.

CNA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the recruitment process. To request an accommodation, please contact [e-mail]

At CNA, we are focused on success, individually and collectively. We pride ourselves on promoting a culture that challenges and engages people. We strive to connect people, departments and business areas, to function as a team, and to serve our customers and communities with professionalism and respect. Our dedication to employee engagement, continuous learning and the open exchange of ideas is the cornerstone of our business. These ideals, combined with our focus on the customer, enable us to explore new market opportunities and build on our success. Our values, culture and financial strength are what differentiates us from other employers and make CNA the place you want to work.

At CNA, we are committed to advancing a culture of inclusion – one that attracts talent from all walks of life, foster respect and collaboration, and enables all of our colleagues to do their best work.

At CNA, we have a long standing commitment to the diverse communities in which we live and work. We actively make a difference for the greater good through partnerships, sustainability, initiatives, and working together for a better tomorrow.

Corporate Social Responsibility is not one person, or one department, it's the entire enterprise coming together to make the world a better place.