VP Product Group Technology Leader

Job Description:

Providing for loved ones, planning rewarding retirements, saving enough for whatever lies ahead – our policyholders count on us to be there when it matters most. It’s a big ask, but it’s one that we have the power to deliver when we work together. We collaborate and innovate – pushing one another to transform not just Pacific Life, but the entire industry for the better. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. Pacific Life is more than a job, it’s a career with purpose. It’s a career where you have the support, balance, and resources to make a positive impact on the future – including your own.

We’re actively seeking a talented VP Product Group Technology Leader to join our enterprise technology team in Newport Beach, CA. This role can be onsite with a hybrid work mode ore remote with travel required.

The VP Product group Technology Leader of the Underwriting Product Group is the technology leader accountable for the end-to-end product lifecycle, owning the technical and architectural decisions across the product group and is the visionary force behind the technical engineering solution. The role works in close partnership (“two-in-the-box”) with the Business Product Leader as well as other Group Product Managers, Product Managers, Technical Leads, and all team members to create a modular, scalable solution that addresses current challenges and envisions the future.  

As a direct report to the Divisional Chief of Information Officer, the candidate for this position will have the unique opportunity to both craft and execute the future state vision of Retail Underwriting as well as the technology delivery operating model. The role provides untapped potential to be part of a large-scale technology strategy that will shape the future of the ecosystem in the industry. Life Insurance experience is required.

The successful candidate will be an accomplished, innovative business facing technology executive with a demonstrated record of achievement in defining and delivering results with a strategic mindset. They are an expert as it relates to the intersection of business and technology within the life and annuity insurance industry and know how to enable business results through the strategic application of technology.

This leader will have strong communication skills and an ability to partner effectively and on even footing with the Product Business Lead. They will successfully align the organization on complex technical decisions and attract the right industry knowledge and technical talent to the organization. They will be an active coach and mentor, able to grow and maximize team potential and performance, and a high-energy and passionate individual who inspires and successfully engages teammates. They will be excited about trying new solutions and will embrace a culture of trust, free thought, and complete transparency among the team. They will be brave and forward leaning, challenging the status quo as needed to enable our technology strategy and position Pacific Life for long term success.

How you’ll help move us forward:

• In partnership with the Product Group Business Leader, reimagines the delivery approach and execution path for Retail Underwriting at Pacific Life.

• Works with Group Product Manager, Product Managers and Technical Leads to align the roadmap with strengths and opportunities within the technical stack.

• Design and delivery of the product group technology landscape, not being afraid of challenging technical constraints and procedures to achieve superior solutions that result in positive business outcomes.

• Guide product teams on technology strategy related to coding practices, continuous integration, automated deployments, platform scalability, service orientation and related areas.

• Guide hardware and software efficiencies while supporting existing and new business needs and improving sustainability.

• Share responsibility with the Group Product Manager and Product Managers/Owners for building reusable and scalable technology components.

• Understand business impacts and balancing Transformation and Business as Usual change to limit operational underwriting impacts during the transformation.

• An engaged executive who actively coaches the team to solve complex problems and to ensure modular, scalable solutions that address future architectural changes and designs.

• Defines clear success metrics to drive accountability with Technical Leads e. g., reduction of tech debt, DORA metrics, user centricity metrics.

The experience you bring:

• 15+ years of experience in Technology engineering, architecture, design and software development with 5+ years in a leadership role.

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