AVP, Application Owner – Commercial Lines

If you’re passionate about innovation and love working in an environment where you can constantly improve and adopt new technologies to drive business results, then Nationwide’s Information Technology team could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

Addendum:  

We are seeking an accomplished technology leader to lead Nationwide’s Property & Casualty Small Commercial technology organization. This strategic leadership role is responsible for driving technology innovation, operational excellence, and seamless alignment with business objectives. The ideal candidate will cultivate strong partnerships with senior business leaders to enable the delivery of our business strategy through transformative technology solutions. 

Position will report to the Vice President of Commercial Lines Technology, this leader will serve as a key member of the Commercial Lines Technology leadership team, an extended member of the Small Commercial business cabinet, and a valued contributor to the Property & Casualty Chief Technology Officer’s extended leadership team. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• You will be responsible for the end-to-end ownership of mission-critical Property & Casualty Commercial applications, spanning Digital Distribution, Sales & Service, Underwriting, Pricing, Imaging & Workflow, and Business Operations. This includes ensuring these platforms are strategically aligned, operationally sound, and continuously evolving to meet the needs of our business and customers. 

• You will be accountable for the strategic direction, performance, and evolution of the shared technology platform supporting our Commercial Farm, Small Commercial, and Middle Market businesses. This includes ensuring the platform delivers scalable, secure, and innovative solutions that meet the diverse needs of these business segments. 

• You will be responsible for all facets of operational excellence, including end-to-end financial stewardship of the department and ensuring the technology services you deliver meet the highest standards of availability, security, and efficiency to support business outcomes. 

• You will collaborate closely with business leaders to shape and translate strategic objectives into innovative, high-impact technology solutions that drive competitive advantage and business growth. 

• You will lead a large team of 70+ associates and 30+ matrixed resources, and contractors, including software engineers and frontline managers. 

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong track record of success in the following areas: 

• Proven end-to-end ownership of technology applications across the full lifecycle—Plan, Build, and Run. 

• Accountability for large-scale delivery, with combined Build and Run budgets exceeding $25M. 

• Strong strategic focus, with the ability to discern priorities and direct team efforts toward the highest-value outcomes. 

• Demonstrated leadership experience, including managing leaders of leaders and effectively guiding matrixed teams. 

• A solid background in software engineering, with hands-on experience in the domain. 

• Experience in the Property & Casualty insurance industry, with a preference for expertise in Commercial Lines. 

• Familiarity with Guidewire InsuranceSuite technology is strongly preferred. 

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Job Description Summary

If you’re passionate about leading and delivering technology solutions to support a company providing extraordinary care to its customers, then Nationwide Technology is the place for you. Our industry-leading technology workforce embraces an agile work environment and a collaborative and inclusive culture to deliver outstanding solutions and results.

As an AVP, Application Owner you'll have accountability to increase the value and/or reduce the cost of production, applications through strategic, tactical and operational management. You'll lead a team of technology professionals responsible for timely, high quality code delivery within estimates and ensuring application viability (service level management, capacity & availability management, configuration management, incident & problem management, change management, continuity & service management, financial management, architecture management, release p