Group Product Manager

Position Title:Group Product Manager
Reports To:Director, Group Marketing
Department: Group Marketing
Term: Permanent Full-Time

Work Arrangements: This is a hybrid role. You will work in our office in Waterloo, ON a minimum of two (2) assigned, consecutive days every other week, plus a fifth (5th) assigned day per month. You are welcome to work from the office more than the minimum requirement and there may be some roles that are required to work in our office more than the minimum requirement.

The Opportunity:Equitable is growing! We are looking for a Group Product Manager to join our Group Marketing team!

The Group Product Manager will develop and launch competitive solutions and product enhancements to help drive growth and address the needs of our Group Benefits clients. They will lead product development projects of all sizes and manage cross-functional project teams. They will conduct market research to better understand evolving client needs and industry trends. And they will serve as a subject matter expert on our solutions and provide product support to our Sales team and other internal stakeholders.

Now is an exciting time to join one of the Waterloo Area's and Southwestern Ontario's Top Employers for 2024!

What you will be doing:

• Developing competitive solutions that meet client needs and that are aligned with Equitable Life's growth, retention and profitability goals.

This includes:

• Monitoring industry trends, customer needs and competitor products to identify gaps and opportunities in our offering
• Generating product ideas and assessing the potential of those ideas
• Developing business cases for new products or product enhancements
• Investigating potential third-party service providers and negotiating partnerships to enhance our offering

• Ensuring our existing products continue to meet client needs, remain competitive and continue to meet objectives for growth, retention, and profitability.

This includes:

• Monitoring the performance of products
• Identifying gaps or issues with existing product offerings and leading initiatives to implement enhancements
• Monitoring changes in legislation and taxation, and leading initiatives to implement required product changes
• Monitoring competitor product offerings and evolving client needs, and recommending strategies to close gaps or capitalize on opportunities

• • Managing relationships with our third-party Service Providers; ensuring they maintain standards for quality and delivery; addressing any services issues that arise; and monitoring and communicating enhancements or updates to their offerings
• Managing the market research requirements for divisional needs.

This includes:

• Conducting market research to better understand customer needs, competitive offerings and industry trends

• Serving as a subject matter expert and providing product support to internal stakeholders.

This includes:

• Providing front-line product support to the Group Sales and Service teams and other internal departments
• Liaising with partners and third-party providers to clarify product features and coverage
• Developing and providing training to internal audiences to support Group projects and product launches
• Assisting with content development for our Advisor and Plan Administrator eNews bulletins, ensuring we communicate trends or developments (e.g. legislative or tax changes) that impact our product offering

What you will bring:

• 5-10 years group insurance experience, including a strong technical knowledge of contracts/products and how key processes (underwriting, claims, administration) impact our product and service offering
• Experience in product development is required
• Experience in underwriting, sales or claims is an asset
• The ability to balance a strong market orientation with an understanding of risk management is required
• Strong organization and prioritization skills
• Demonstrated project management skills and experience with the ability to plan and execute multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to write business cases and product specifications, as well as the ability to lead a team or peers and those more senior without direct line authority
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills with the ability to effectively lead initiatives, gain support and build consensus with stakeholders
• Ability to develop, recommend and implement new products and product enhancements that meet business objectives
• Innovative problem-solver with strong analytical and decision-making skills
• Ability to drive projects through to completion by collaborating with colleagues or working independently with little or no supervision
• The ability to quickly understand the impact of industry trends and competitor developments and how they impact our product offerings
• University degree required
• Industry designations an asset
• MBA an asset

What's in it for you:

• A healthy work-life balance with employee wellness top of mind
• Annual bonus program, annual vacation allowance, and company-paid benefits program
• An additional paid volunteer day each year so you can spend time giving back to the community
• Immediate enrollment in the company's pension program with employer matching
• Employee resource groups that support an inclusive work environment
• Tuition support and specialized program assistance
• An onsite full-service cafeteria with a variety of daily options
• Discounts on company products and services, and access to exclusive employee perks
• Regular EQ Together events focused on company togetherness and collaboration
  

As part of the recruitment/offer process you will be required to:

• Provide two professional references (minimum one supervisor and above)

To learn more about Equitable, we encourage you to explore our organization.
At Equitable, we are committed to providing equal access to employment opportunities across our organization. Please contact our HR team at careers@equitable.ca if you would like to receive our job postings in an alternative format or require an accommodation with the application process.
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