Insurance Product Manager - Expert

Established in 2021, Independence Pet Holdings is a corporate holding company that manages a diverse and broad portfolio of modern pet health brands and services, including insurance, pet education, lost recovery services, and more throughout North America.

We believe pet insurance is more than a financial product and build solutions to simplify the pet parenting journey and help improve the well-being of pets. As a leading authority in the pet category, we operate with a full stack of resources, capital, and services to support pet parents. Our multi-brand and omni-channel approach include our own insurance carrier, insurance brands and partner brands. 

Independence Pet Group (IPG), a subsidiary of IPH, is one of North America’s largest pet insurance and services organizations. Our impressive family of brands (Figo, Felix, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Pets Plus Us, and AKC Pet Insurance) supports insurance for more than 1,000,000 pets in the U.S. and Canada and provides well-being, safety, resources, and business solutions to the pet industry, including microchip identification and an online pet registry.

Job Summary:

IPG is seeking an Insurance Product Manager - Expert. The Product Manager for Pet Insurance plays a central role in shaping, developing, and optimizing IPG’s pet insurance portfolio within an MGA environment. This position combines strategic product ownership, deep market insight, and cross‑functional leadership to deliver competitive, profitable, and compliant products. The role requires strong analytical capability, insurance expertise, and the ability to translate market needs into commercially successful solutions across the full product lifecycle.

Location: Hybrid: 2-3 days/week onsite in Chicago, IL or New York, NY.

Main Responsibilities:

Product Strategy & Development

• Lead the strategic direction of the pet insurance product suite, ensuring alignment with MGA objectives, carrier expectations, and market opportunities.
• Develop and refine underwriting guidelines, appetite statements, rating algorithms, and product structures to support profitable growth.
• Identify unmet customer needs and emerging trends in the pet insurance sector, converting insights into actionable product enhancements and new product concepts.
• Own the end‑to‑end product lifecycle—from ideation and feasibility assessment to development, launch, monitoring, and iterative improvement.

Market Research & Competitive Intelligence

• Lead comprehensive market research, competitive benchmarking, and customer segmentation to identify whitespace opportunities and inform product positioning.
• Monitor competitor pricing, coverage features, distribution strategies, and customer experience to ensure IPG’s offerings remain differentiated and relevant.
• Translate market intelligence into clear recommendations for product evolution, pricing adjustments, and strategic initiatives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with actuarial teams to develop pricing strategies, risk models, and rating structures that balance competitiveness with profitability.
• Work with underwriting to refine risk appetite, ensure operational consistency, and support decision-making on complex or emerging risks.
• Collaborate with sales, marketing, and distribution partners to design effective go‑to‑market strategies, product messaging, and launch plans.
• Support portfolio analysis and performance reviews, working with finance, operations, and data teams to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.

Product Expertise & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the internal and external subject matter expert for assigned pet insurance products, providing guidance to underwriting, claims, distribution, and customer service teams.
• Deliver training, product education, and technical support to internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Represent IPG in discussions with carriers, reinsurers, brokers, and regulatory bodies as needed.

Innovation & Value-Added Solutions

• Drive innovation across insurance and non‑insurance offerings, including wellness packages, loyalty programs, digital tools, and customer engagement features.
• Benchmark IPG’s value-added services against industry leaders to ensure a compelling and differentiated customer proposition.
• Explore opportunities to integrate emerging technologies (e.g., tele-vet services, AI‑driven claims tools, pet wellness ecosystems) into the product roadmap.

Regulatory & Compliance Oversight

• Stay current with regulatory developments, compliance requirements, and industry standards affecting pet insurance and MGA operations.
• Ensure all product materials, policy wordings, and rating structures meet regulatory and carrier requirements.
• Support compliance reviews, audits, and documentation processes.

General Responsibilities

• Support senior leadership with strategic initiatives, portfolio reviews, and business planning.
• Perform additional duties as assigned to support the broader goals of the MGA.

Basic Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, ideally in Risk Management, Business, Economics, Finance, Mathematics, Statistics, or Actuarial Science.

Experience

• 12+ years of experience in insurance pricing, underwriting and/or product performance (8+ with a Master’s or 5+ with a PhD)
• 3+ years of State Product Management experience preferred
• Leadership experience preferred
• Demonstrated experience developing and managing insurance products, pricing strategies, and underwriting frameworks.
• Strong understanding of insurance market dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and compliance processes.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and drive data‑driven decision-making.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and creatively solve complex problems.
• Ability to collect, analyze, and synthesize data to drive informed product decisions.
• Ability to effectively communicate complex ideas and analysis for internal audiences
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and adapt to a changing, fast-paced environment
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with a collaborative approach across departments and seniority levels.
• Proficiency in MS Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• SQL or data‑querying skills preferred but not required.
• Knowledge of pet insurance market trends, customer behaviors, and distribution models is a strong advantage.

#LI-Hybrid

Compensation:
New York base pay range:$184,668 – $230,836 per year.

Chicago base pay range: $169,279 – $211,599 per year.

This is the range we reasonably expect to pay at hire. Placement within the range depends on job-related factors such as experience, skills, and certifications. This position is eligible for an annual bonus. Base pay is one part of a total rewards package that includes the benefits listed below.

All of our jobs come with great benefits including healthcare, parental leave and opportunities for career advancements. Some offerings are dependent upon the location of where you work and can include the following:

• Comprehensive full medical, dental and vision Insurance

• Basic Life Insurance at no cost to the employee

• Company paid short-term and long-term disability

• 12 weeks of 100% paid Parental Leave

• Health Savings Account (HSA)

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

• Retirement savings plan

• Personal Paid Time Off

• Paid holidays and company-wide Wellness Day off

• Paid time off to volunteer at nonprofit organizations

• Pet friendly office environment

• Commuter Benefits

• Group Pet Insurance

• On the job training and skills development

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

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