Director, Insurance Product Management & Innovation (ECH)

About Us

Echelon Insurance provides Personal and Commercial Specialty Insurance solutions to protect Canadian families and businesses across Canada, through our trusted network of Broker partners. Echelon is a member of the CAA Club Group of Companies and is an equal opportunity employer who offers a professional environment that champions collaboration, trust, and growth to drive success. We cultivate a great working dynamic to help us deliver what is best for our associates, Brokers, and Customers.

Who we are

Are you ready to join an award-winning, purpose-driven culture? Welcome to the CAA Club Group of Companies (CCG), where purpose leads to passion!

At CCG, we are committed to delivering an exceptional Associate experience. We offer:
• Work-life harmony with access to an award-winning holistic wellness program,
• Continuous learning through our robust corporate curriculum and education reimbursement program,
• Incredible rewards, travel incentives, and product and service discounts,
• Pay-for-performance and best-in-class recognition programs, and
• Competitive benefits that include a defined contribution plan, personal spending account, and so much more.

Join our growing team where everyone belongs!

Position Details

What you Will Do

• Lead the development, implementation and maintenance of Specialty insurance products that meet the needs of Echelon’s brokers and customers, adding revenue to the organization and comply with provincial and national regulations
• Lead and mentor a team of high performing product managers and professionals and ensuring that the department is positioned to support organizational strategies and goals 
• Collaborate with cross-functional leaders and their teams to define, document, and communicate Echelon’s product strategy and roadmap
• Drive the successful development and launch of products across a matrixed-organization, aligning product development priorities with long term goals and market opportunities
• Establish new vendor and partner relationships to support the introduction of new products and enhancement of existing offerings, negotiating and managing all supplier contracts 
• Design strategies to ensure current and prospective customer needs are understood and considered in product design
• Conduct market research, competitive analysis, and fact-based gap analysis to inform product positioning, development, enhancement and, feature prioritization
• Participate in strategic planning meetings, contributing to the integrated strategic plans for the organization, taking ownership of developing and maintaining product strategies and roadmaps 
• Objectively prioritize product research, development and maintenance needs across multiple business lines, ensuring the most impactful allocation of resources
• Develop and clear frameworks and improve business processes to maximize team output
• Develop go-to-market strategies for new products and enhancements to existing products
• Define key product metrics and analyze product performance to inform future development
• Analyze real-time data and key metrics from products to track performance, identify issues, and gather insights to inform decision-making in a timely manner

Who You Are

• Proven track record of generating new Product ideas and solutions that have delivered value to an organization and its customers’
• A minimum of ten years of progressive experience in a product management role within the insurance, financial services, or technology industry, or the equivalent experience in a strategic insurance leadership role (including but not limited to underwriting, claims, business development, and/or legal)
• 5 or more years leading people and developing high performance teams required 
• Ability to excite and motivate teams internally and drive alignment, trust, influence and buy-in with a wide range of internal and external audiences
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, capable of presenting complex information clearly and persuasively to various stakeholders.
• Ability to foster constructive and collaborative relationships, and influence both individual contributors and leaders at all levels.
• Skill in conducting market research, understanding industry trends, and analyzing competitor products to inform product strategy and positioning.
• Capacity to adapt to changing priorities, embrace new challenges, and pivot strategies as needed in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Project management skills with the proven ability to handle multiple tasks and make decisions in a dynamic environment. Proven ability to manage projects with tight deadlines effectively
• Experience conducting market research, understanding industry trends, and analyzing competitor products and customer needs to inform product strategy and positioning.
• Deep knowledge and understanding of insurance principles and practices, business processing operations, and the insurance regulatory environment

Our Commitment

We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to providing employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). Echelon Insurance will provide accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require an accommodation, please notify us and we will work with you to meet your needs. As an organization we are focused on safety, which includes the safety and well-being of our Associates. Therefore, you must be and remain fully vaccinated as a condition of employment.