Senior Director - Insurance Product Experimentation - Hybrid

Northwestern Mutual

Senior Director - Insurance Product Experimentation - Hybrid

Posted 8 Hours Ago

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Milwaukee WI USA

Hybrid

144K-248K Annually

Senior level

Fintech • Insurance • Financial Services

Start-Up Vibes with The Stability of a Fortune 100 Company.

The Role

Lead a pod-based experimentation program to design run and evaluate pre-market insurance product tests. Manage cross-functional teams (actuarial UX SMEs) convert ambiguous ideas into testable hypotheses drive rapid execution and decisions synthesize insights for leadership and build repeatable experimentation practices to inform scaling iteration or termination of product concepts.

Summary Generated by Built In

Summary
We are seeking a skilled Program Manager to join a newly established dedicated pod-based team responsible for designing and executing pre-market experiments to evaluate new insurance products and go-to-market concepts. This role sits at the intersection of business strategy product design and experimentation driving rapid testing to assess viability desirability and feasibility before full-scale investment.
The Program Manager is responsible for the end-to-end experimentation program-from idea intake through execution readout and decision support. This role partners closely with Actuarial UX designers and business SMEs to translate ambiguous concepts into structured experiments and actionable insights.
Success in this role requires strong insurance domain expertise high business credibility and the ability to operate with urgency challenge assumptions and drive work forward in a fast-paced iterative environment.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Drive the experimentation pod(s): Program Manage cross-functional pods (actuarial UX SMEs) to intake scope design and execute experiments that test new insurance product ideas and capabilities.
Translate ideas into structured experiments: Convert early-stage often ambiguous concepts into clear hypotheses test designs and measurable outcomes across: Customer desirability Advisor/field adoption Financial viability Operational/technical feasibility
Push pace and decision-making: Drive momentum across experiments-ensuring rapid design execution and learning cycles. Hold the team and stakeholders accountable to timelines decisions and outcomes.
Act as a bridge to the business: Leverage deep insurance knowledge to build credibility with product actuarial distribution and leadership stakeholders. Ensure experiments are grounded in real-world constraints and opportunities.
Challenge thinking and shape better solutions: Bring a point of view. Ask the right questions challenge assumptions and elevate the quality of both the problem framing and potential solutions.
Synthesize insights and inform decisions: Translate experiment results into clear actionable insights and recommendations for leadership-highlighting trade-offs risks and next steps (e.g. scale iterate or stop).
Drive alignment across stakeholders: Align leaders and SMEs on experiment priorities design and interpretation of results. Ensure clarity on what is being tested why it matters and how outcomes will be used.
Manage scope risk and outcomes (not just process): Focus on delivering business impact-not just project mechanics. Adjust scope and approach dynamically based on learnings and constraints.
Establish and evolve experimentation practices: Build repeatable approaches tools and best practices for running effective pre-market tests within the insurance context.

Qualifications
Experience

10+ years of experience in program management product development or strategy roles
Highly desired: Strong experience in insurance (product actuarial distribution or related functions) with demonstrated credibility across business stakeholders
Experience leading cross-functional efforts in ambiguous early-stage environments (e.g. innovation product incubation or transformation work)
Proven ability to take concepts from idea through testing and decision

Core Capabilities

Strong business acumen with the ability to connect experimentation work to real business outcomes
Ability to operate with speed and urgency while maintaining rigor in thinking and execution
Comfortable with ambiguity; able to structure problems and create clarity
Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills including senior leadership
Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills; able to challenge constructively
Ability to synthesize complex information into clear executive-ready insights and recommendations

Leadership & Style

Self-starter who actively drives work forward without waiting for direction
Willingness to challenge the status quo and push for better faster outcomes
Collaborative but decisive-ensures alignment without slowing progress
High degree of ownership and accountability for results

What Success Looks Like (6-12 Months)

Established a high-functioning experimentation capability
Delivered multiple end-to-end experiments with clear outcomes and leadership decisions
Built credibility with key business stakeholders (actuarial product distribution)
Helped the business avoid low-value investments and accelerate high-potential ideas
Defined a repeatable model for pre-market testing of insurance product concepts

Compensation Range:
Pay Range - Start:
$144000.00
Pay Range - End:
$216000.00
Geographic Specific Pay Structure:
Structure 110:
$158400.00 USD - $237600.00 USD
Structure 115:
$165600.00 USD - $248400.00 USD
We believe in fairness and transparency. It's why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However final salaries are based on a number of factors including the skills and experience of the candidate; the current market; location of the candidate; and other factors uncovered in the hiring process. The standard pay structure is listed but if you're living in California New York City or other eligible location geographic specific pay structures compensation and benefits could be applicable click here to learn more.
Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do. Get started now!
Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes talented individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas seek challenges assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.
Skills
KPIs & Metrics (NM) - Expert Risk Management (NM) - Expert Business Acumen (NM) - Expert Program Management (NM) - Expert Program Governance (NM) - Expert Customer Centricity (NM) - Expert Accountability (NM) - Advanced Prioritization (NM) - Expert Change Adaptability (NM) - Expert Emotional Intelligence (NM) - Expert Analytical Thinking (NM) - Expert Process Mindset (NM) - Expert Business Influence (NM) - Advanced Stakeholder Relationship (NM) - Expert Adaptive Communication (NM) - Expert Consulting (NM) - Expert
FIND YOUR FUTURE
We're excited about the potential people bring to Northwestern Mutual. You can grow your career here while enjoying first-class perks benefits and our commitment to a culture of belonging.

Flexible work schedules
Concierge service
Comprehensive benefits
Employee resource groups

Skills Required

10+ years of experience in program management product development or strategy roles
Strong experience in insurance (product actuarial distribution or related functions)
Experience leading cross-functional efforts in ambiguous early-stage or incubation environments
Proven ability to take concepts from idea through testing and decision
Strong business acumen and ability to connect experimentation to business outcomes
Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills including senior leadership
Ability to synthesize complex information into clear executive-ready insights and recommendations
Self-starter with high ownership collaborative but decisive leadership style

What the Team is Saying

Northwestern Mutual Compensation & Benefits Highlights

Retirement Support—Retirement benefits include both a 401(k) and a company‑funded Cash Balance plan with age/service‑based credits and a noted additional contribution in a recent year—an uncommon pairing among large employers. This combination elevates long‑term financial security beyond typical single‑plan offerings.
Healthcare Strength—Health coverage spans medical dental and vision alongside on‑site Mutual Health Centers fitness centers or reimbursement mental‑health support and named condition‑management programs. This breadth indicates strong investment in preventive care access and overall wellbeing.
Parental & Family Support—Paid parental leave caregiving leave fertility benefits via specialized partners and adoption/surrogacy assistance (with specified reimbursements) reflect robust family support. The scope of these programs suggests meaningful backing across diverse family‑building needs.

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The Company

HQ: Milwaukee WI

8400 Employees

Year Founded: 1857

What We Do

You’ll Like It Here At Northwestern Mutual we believe that our lives and our work matter. And that doing what’s right is good for everyone. We follow through by designing tech that improves the community and cultivating creative ways to make finance accessible anywhere. These guiding principles have allowed our company to grow for more than 160 years. Here you’ll be with a team who emphasizes integrity and prioritizes security to design experiences that better everyone. You’ll work in cross functional teams to create optimal solutions that are rooted in innovative strategy and thoughtful execution. And you’re provided development tools and opportunities to become a leader all with the support of a collaborative team. You’ll be surrounded in a culture that values innovation and works to always evolve to stay ahead of trends and client needs. We are intentional in seeking out team members who will challenge us. Our employees choose us for the career opportunities commitment to philanthropy and desire to have a meaningful impact in the lives of our clients. You have career passions and goals. We have ambition and opportunity for you to grow your future in tech. Discover today: https://careers.northwesternmutual.com/

Why Work With Us

We invest in our people. We know careers are about choices so we provide intentional opportunity. Here you can build creative ways to make finance accessible anywhere and revolutionize traditional processes. As a mutual company our focus is our people — whether professional development or investments in the community.