At Root, we’re on a mission to improve the lives of our customers by offering better insurance solutions. We challenge ourselves to think differently in order to reimagine insurance to make it smarter, more equitable, and a better experience for all.
We strive to “unbreak” the archaic insurance industry by using data and technology in innovative new ways. We believe we must be steadfast in our commitments to research, experimentation, and disciplined data-driven decision making in order to build products our customers love.
The Opportunity
At Root, we’ve reimagined car insurance to make it smarter, more equitable, and a better experience for all. Using technology in smartphones, we’re able to measure driving behavior to give our customers the prices they deserve.
As the Director of Product Management overseeing Core Insurance product areas, you will lead a team of product managers focused on the fundamental engines that power our business: pricing, underwriting, carrier management, and claims. In this role, you'll be responsible for shaping the strategy, execution, and scaling of these critical product areas while building and developing a high-performing team of product managers.
The ideal candidate will be a systems thinker with demonstrated success in scaling product teams, implementing effective operational frameworks, and balancing tactical execution with strategic vision. You'll need strong coaching abilities and excellent communication skills to balance technical complexity with business objectives.
Salary Range: $194,000 - $242,000 (Bonus Eligible)
Root is a “work where it works best” company. This means we will support you working in whatever location that works best for you across the US.
How You Will Make an Impact
Team Leadership & Development (40%)
- Lead and develop a team of product managers across Pricing, Underwriting, Carrier Management, and Claims product areas
- Provide mentorship, coaching, and career development for team members
- Foster cross-functional collaboration with design, engineering, marketing, and business development
- Implement effective performance management processes that encourage growth and accountability
- Build and scale the product organization to support company expansion goals
- Establish a culture of customer centricity, innovation, and measurable results
Product Operations & Process (30%)
- Drive the adoption of product management best practices and standards
- Establish systems for requirements documentation, backlog management, and roadmap planning
- Coach product managers on conducting effective sprint reviews, quarterly planning, and annual planning processes
- Ensure there is a roadmap source of truth that accurately reflects product strategy and execution plans across product areas
- Partner with program management and senior leaders to optimize and maintain our business operating system
- Plan and facilitate strategic team on/offsites and planning sessions
- Create frameworks for measuring and communicating product impact
Core Insurance Strategy & Execution (30%)
- Help Root build the insurance platform of the future
- Collaborate with executive leadership to align product direction with company objectives
- Balance strategic improvements and tactical improvements
- Partner with data science and analytics to drive product innovation that advances our competitive advantages in pricing and underwriting
- Establish and track northstar metrics that demonstrate clear product impact on business outcomes
- Champion the customer voice throughout the organization
What You Will Need to Succeed
- 7+ years of management experience within a product organization; previous experience at the director level is highly preferred
- Experience with scaling product for rapid growth
- Experience managing the full product lifecycle – from customer discovery, to planning, to development, to go-to-market
- Deep understanding of customer-centric product practices, especially in areas of the product that are more business-centered
- Highly analytical; excel at leveraging customer research and analytics to drive product decisions; hands on experience using SQL recommended
- Superior problem-solving skills with ability to think strategically and creatively
- Detail-oriented; ability to multitask and prioritize projects while ensuring organizational alignment
- Roll-up-the sleeves work ethic and “do-what-it-takes” attitude to efficiently execute and drive for results in a fast-paced work environment
- Exceptional leadership skills; naturally collaborative, excelling at influencing without direct authority
- Experience leading teams through organizational change and growth
- Experience in insurance, financial services, or other regulated industries is preferred
- Background in products that deeply leverage data science and machine learning is preferred
As part of Root's interview process, we kindly ask that all candidates be on camera for virtual interviews. This helps us create a more personal and engaging experience for both you and our interviewers. Being on camera is a standard requirement for our process and part of how we assess fit and communication style, so we do require it to move forward with any applicant's candidacy. If you have any concerns, feel free to let us know once you are contacted. We’re happy to talk it through.