CNA Insurance is hiring a Senior Product Owner to act as the customer proxy for Agile teams working on initiatives of medium to large complexity. In this hybrid role based in Chicago, you will set direction for what gets built and why, partnering closely with Scrum teams to ensure outcomes align with program priorities and deliver real business value.
Role summary
As the product owner, you serve as the final authority for decisions on priority, business value, and functionality. You will support one to two Agile teams by defining and prioritizing the backlog, validating stories continuously with customers and business users, and monitoring metrics to improve quality and confirm value delivery. You will also contribute to the evaluation, piloting, or scaling of AI-enabled capabilities to address business problems and strengthen user experiences.
Responsibilities
- Support one to two Agile Scrum teams on initiatives of medium to large complexity.
- Own, define, and prioritize the team backlog; establish story acceptance criteria; drive delivery through prioritized user stories.
- Obtain customer validation and accept stories, ensuring the solution effectively addresses overall program priorities.
- Act as a thought leader in Scrum ceremonies, partnering with the Scrum Master to help Scrum Teams adhere to Scrum values: courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness. Foster continuous improvement and learning.
- Lead Product Backlog Refinement by reviewing and updating item definitions, developing acceptance criteria and value statements, and providing information needed for technical feasibility and scope estimates.
- Analyze how to split backlog items into smaller increments of value; help define enablers required for new features and capabilities; establish capacity allocation.
- Embed customer and user insights into Scrum planning and execution to maintain continuous validation with customers and business users.
- Proactively analyze metrics and recommend product changes based on feedback loops.
- Inspire and motivate the team through constructive challenge and shared ownership, advocating for long-term decision making while building a trusting, safe environment across the team, customers, and stakeholders.
- May collaborate with Product Managers and other Senior Product Owners and Product Owners to keep stories aligned to value, goals, and overall program objectives.
Requirements
- Minimum five years experience as a Product Owner or similar role, with three years within the Commercial or Personal insurance industry.
- Knowledge of policy administration systems and policy lifecycle processes.
- Proven experience in rating and issuance of policies (preferred).
- Multiline Property & Casualty experience (preferred), including strong knowledge of National Accounts Property and Middle Market Property underwriting.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
- Typically a minimum of five years as a Product Owner (or equivalent) implementing technology enhancements to policy administration or underwriting systems.
- Experience with insurance products.
- Successful track record with Agile methodologies.
- Applicable certifications preferred (e.g., SAFe PO/PM, CSPO, or PSPO).
- Strong expertise in Large Property and Middle Market Property underwriting.
- Demonstrated curiosity and experience evaluating, piloting, or scaling AI-enabled capabilities to solve business problems and improve user experiences.
Technologies
Compensation and location
- Location: Chicago, IL (hybrid)
- Salary range: USD 72,000 to 141,000 per year
- Salary determinations are based on relevant work experience, skills, certifications, and location.
Benefits
CNA offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to support employees and their family members in achieving physical, financial, emotional, and social wellbeing goals.
Reporting relationship
Typically reports to a Director level role or above.
Equal opportunity and accommodations
CNA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the recruitment process. To request an accommodation, contact leaveadministration@cna.com.
In certain jurisdictions (District of Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington), CNA provides a national base pay range for this job level of $72,000 to $141,000 annually.
