Product Project Manager

Job Summary 

The Product Project Manager will manage and drive Product Delivery projects for Combined North America across functional and technology areas. This important role will guide and partner with individual leads to execute the delivery of new product designs, implementation, rollout, and supporting activities in accordance with project goals. The Product Project Manager is accountable for setting and maintaining timelines and project plans with a consistent sense of urgency, raising and resolving escalations, strong communication, effective tracking of activities, accomplishments, and change management. The Product Project Manager will foster collaboration and teamwork, and communicate project status to project team, product team, stakeholders, and senior leadership. Product Project Manager will take on additional responsibilities as needed to support the successful execution of product strategy priorities.

Responsibilities 

• Responsible for overall, end-to-end project management, coordination, and delivery of assigned product projects. Projects may be large and complex or relatively small and straightforward.
• Leads cross-functional product project team ensuring dedication of resources, collaboration across the enterprise, timely delivery of project and project deliverables and successful product introductions into the field and across all departments and functions. Performs duties with a sense of urgency to ensure project goals are achieved. 
• Proactively partners with cross-functional areas such as actuarial, underwriting, IT, enrollment, operations, compliance, and marketing, to guide activities for product delivery and launch.
• Partners with IT Project Manager to lead system implementation of product projects.
• Collaborates with project team members to develop project plans, timelines, anticipate needs, mitigate risks, and to ensure accurately, timely and successful delivery. 
• Leads activities required to maintain and complete all project documentation. Obtains appropriate level of approval for all project documentation assigned to ensure appropriate understanding of expectations among all stakeholders.
• Documents and communicates the status, risk and issues associated with each project component to the project team and leaders within the organization and leads the actions required (corrective or not) to ensure project outcomes are achieved.
• Actively drives and facilitates product delivery throughout all stages in the life cycle of projects, including the early stages of project definition, CBA generation and initial approval by Governance Committees. 
• Partner with managers, staff, and vendors as necessary through meaningful working relationships.  Develop an understanding of the company’s business processes, organization structure, and supporting technology.
• Mentors and train staff in topics related to product project management.
• Maintains appropriate product project documentation on Product SharePoint site, or other applicable sites as necessary
• Perform other related duties as assigned
• Provides leadership, mentoring, coaching, and guidance on a continuous basis to project team members in the areas of project lifecycle, operating procedures, processes, and practices. 
• Project manages portfolio activity on specific products, such as regulatory changes third-party partners, and other necessary product updates.

Skills

• Proactive mindset and approach. Ability to quickly take action to drive results.
• Action oriented bias. Anticipates, analyzes, and acts.
• Excellent interpersonal & communication skills, both oral and written. 
• Ability to build confidence, trust, and a positive, collaborative team environment.
• Ability to gain buy-in and engagement.  Develops positive relationship with key stakeholders, including strong rapport, candidness, transparency, and support for initiatives. 
• Ability to build team cohesiveness to achieve results.
• Ability to negotiate and resolve conflicts.
• Strong listening and comprehension skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong planning, organization, and time management skills
• Experience building and participating in teams.
• High degree of fluency in Microsoft Office; strong Excel, Word, and PowerPoint skills.

Education and Experience 

• 5+ years of Insurance industry experience preferred.
• 5+ years of project management experience preferred.
• Current Agile, SCRUM, PMP and/or other project management accreditation is preferred.
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred.