Senior Product Manager

Senior Product Manager - Permanent - Raleigh, NC/Hybrid - $125,000 - $145,000.

The final salary or hourly wage, as applicable, paid to each candidate/applicant for this position is ultimately dependent on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate's/applicant's qualifications, skills, and level of experience as well as the geographical location of the position.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship not available.

Our client is seeking a Senior Product Manager in Raleigh, NC/Hybrid.

Role Description

Define and own the digital product roadmap and go-to-market execution for externalized partner platform - covering APIs, data feeds, status services, event streams, and the foundation for emerging integration patterns
Translate evolving industry standards (including IRI Digital First for Annuities) into product roadmap, ensuring we don't just conform to the standard but use it as a launchpad for differentiation
Represent in relevant industry working groups, influencing how carriers, distributors, and vendors define and adopt modern annuity APIs and data exchange patterns
Conduct deep voice-of-partner research with IMOs, banks, broker-dealers, RIAs, and wealth platforms to understand friction in the current ecosystem and how externalized services can solve it
Build a long-term vision for how products and capabilities are consumed across multiple channels and surfaces, today and into the future
Author clear, actionable specs for complex API workflows, balancing configurability for partners with the standardization needed to scale
Partner closely with engineering to deliver a high-performance, scalable platform layer that is genuinely developer-friendly for both internal teams and external systems integrators
Optimize and enable collaboration between stakeholders across operations, actuarial, distribution, strategy, compliance, technology, finance, and data
Own roadmap prioritization to balance speed to market, new platform features, partner-driven feature requests, and emerging opportunities at the edge of where our industry is heading
Manage external vendor relationships and identify build / buy / partner opportunities to accelerate speed to market
Research emerging market trends and translate them into actionable product moves
Define clear outcomes that measure partner adoption, integration velocity, transaction volume through external surfaces, and business impact, and use them to drive decision-making
Support the development of partner-facing materials including API documentation, developer portal content, and integration guides

Skills & Requirements

7+ years of experience as a Digital Product Manager, with significant time spent on API, platform, or developer-facing products and a combined Bachelors Degree in Comp Sci (or equivalent) from a reputable university.
Insurance, fintech, wealth-tech, or similarly regulated enterprise domain experience; annuity or life insurance experience strongly preferred
API-first mindset: you understand that the API is the product, and you've defined technical requirements for developers and systems integrators - not just feature specs for an internal UI
Demonstrated ability to take a vague market opportunity and turn it into a concrete, successful product
Experience with platform-style software where partners build differentiated experiences on top of your foundation
Ability to synthesize complex internal needs across the company while considering both partner value and future growth
Aptitude and willingness to deeply understand the annuity industry, the distribution ecosystem, and the regulatory environment
Experience using Agile/Scrum/Sprint methodology including sprint planning and execution, as well as strong fluency with software development management tools
Track record of leading new initiatives in a fast-paced environment and driving them through ambiguity to outcome
Excellent written and verbal communication; comfort representing the company externally to partners, industry working groups, and at industry events
Team player who thrives at the intersection of strategy, delivery, and cross-functional collaboration
Prior involvement with industry standards bodies (IRI, ACORD, NAIC, LIMRA)
Experience with annuity or life lifecycle systems - illustration, e-application, suitability, PAS, post-issue servicing
Familiarity with how carriers and distribution platforms integrate today, and where those patterns are heading
Experience with event-driven architecture, webhooks, OpenAPI/Swagger specs, and developer experience design
Exposure to emerging integration patterns and how enterprise systems will be consumed by the next generation of tools

Benefits/Other Compensation:

Medical, Dental, Life Insurance, 401K.

Why Hays?

You will be working with a professional recruiter who has intimate knowledge of the industry and market trends. Your Hays recruiter will lead you through a thorough screening process in order to understand your skills, experience, needs, and drivers. You will also get support on resume writing, interview tips, and career planning, so when there's a position you really want, you're fully prepared to get it.

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Hays is committed to building a thriving culture of diversity that embraces people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better we serve our candidates, clients, and employees. We are an equal employment opportunity employer, and we comply with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, marital status, genetic information, HIV-positive status, as well as any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. One of Hays' guiding principles is 'do the right thing'.
We also believe that actions speak louder than words.
In that regard, we train our staff on ensuring inclusivity throughout the entire recruitment process and counsel our clients on these principles. If you have any questions about Hays or any of our processes, please contact us.

In accordance with applicable federal, state, and local law protecting qualified individuals with known disabilities, Hays will attempt to reasonably accommodate those individuals unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the company. Any qualified applicant or consultant with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of the job should call or text .

Drug testing may be required; please contact a recruiter for more information.

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