Product Manager

Why you’ll love working here:

• high-performance, people-focused culture

• our commitment that equity, diversity, and inclusion are fundamental to our work environment and business success, which helps employees feel valued and empowered to be their authentic selves

• learning and development initiatives, including workshops, Speaker Series events and access to LinkedIn Learning, that support employees’ career growth

• membership in HOOPP’s world class defined benefit pension plan, which can serve as an important part of your retirement security

• competitive, 100% company-paid extended health and dental benefits for permanent employees, including coverage supporting our team's diversity and mental health (e.g., gender affirmation, fertility and drug treatment, psychological support benefits of $2,500 per year, parental leave top-up, and a health spending account).

• optional post-retirement health and dental benefits subsidized at 50%

• yoga classes, meditation workshops, nutritional consultations, and wellness seminars

• the opportunity to make a difference and help take care of those who care for us, by providing a financially secure retirement for Ontario healthcare workers

Job Summary
 

The Product Manager is responsible for the identification, development, evaluation, and maintenance of new product strategies that enhance the service experience of HOOPP's current members and employers. The individual will be responsible for understanding and managing the evolving needs of the pension business, with the ability to identify emerging risks, raise issues, and find resolutions to deliver the right business outcomes. They have an in-depth understanding of the customer experience and value proposition of HOOPP's service model and can leverage digital capabilities and communications to provide product features and service offerings that are appreciated and valued by our members and employers. 
 

What you will do:

• Lead the development and fulfillment of product strategies by creating a vision, go-to-market, and execution road map to support the growth of the digital platform

• Leverage digital technologies to enhance internal administration through process automation and redesign of tools to support the service model

• Identify new product opportunities and provide input to strategies that span the end-to-end client experience for the target audience; direct their implementation and execution while ensuring the appropriate economic value

• Translate product strategies into product initiatives and lead or support multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams in delivering enhancements to product, service, or process design. This includes not only assigning tasks but actively assisting team members in completing those tasks.

• Manage the development and implementation of new products and/or enhancements to existing products

• Identify, build, and own business requirements from all major stakeholders for specific product features and services, including requirements associated with Target Audience communications, internal training, and support

• Manage product and service positioning, ensuring consistency across the product offering and service platform

• Manage the portfolio of existing product features, promoting adoption and maintaining competitiveness with features provided by other peer plans

• Ensure the successful and timely completion of multiple, simultaneous projects.

• Provide project management support including plans, schedules, budgets, and status on specific initiatives, monitor progress against planned objectives

• Monitor the marketplace for opportunities, improvements, regulatory and industry-wide developments; collect and analyze information and data regarding trends, internal and external stakeholders to propose product innovations and enhancements

• Provide input and direction on vendor negotiations and external consultant arrangements; management of vendor relationships as required to support the product

• Build cohesive and compelling presentation material that can be used by senior management to build support and buy-in for operations initiatives; make presentations to various stakeholders and audiences as necessary (client presentations, etc.)

• Create and maintain a leadership presence within the division by influencing and championing successful change including new ways of doing business, challenging existing business processes

• Develop cross-functional business partnerships and buy-in to facilitate initiatives

• Be creative and diligent both in sourcing new ideas and addressing various challenges in their advancement; be innovative, think out of the box, and be a problem solver and solution provider

What you bring:​

• ​University degree or post-graduate and/or combination of equivalent training, education and experience is required

• 5 - 8 years of progressive experience in product development, digital technology, marketing, or other relevant industry experience

• Minimum of 5 years of pension business experience, ideally in another part of the pension environment, including banking, insurance or consulting business, preferably within product development

• Minimum of 3 years of experience developing comprehensive business cases, strategies, KPIs, and product roadmaps

• Proven track record of launching products or defining service experiences for external customers

• Ability to develop, articulate and deliver compelling arguments and presentations using different media

• Possess a risk and controls mindset in the development of product features and service experience to safeguard member information and balance operational risk and regulatory compliance

• Skilled at developing strong, authentic relationships with internal and external partners and stakeholders to collaborate and effectively manage competing priorities

• Minimum of 3 years leading multi-disciplinary teams to deliver on projects, with knowledge of defining and tracking success metrics

• Proven ability to use critical, rational, and logical thinking

• Excellent time-management skills, specifically in project management with an ability to delegate and influence key stakeholders

• Proven communication and negotiation skills

• Adaptable to change and an ability to remain resilient under pressure

• Capable of working in environments where processes can be both structured and ambiguous

• Ability to see the big picture but manage details.

• Strong knowledge of retirement products and the marketplace