AVP, Strategic Data Transformation – Employee Benefits

The Hartford•Hartford, CT

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

We’re determined to make a difference and are proud to be an insurance company that goes well beyond coverages and policies. Working here means having every opportunity to achieve your goals – and to help others accomplish theirs, too. Join our team as we help shape the future. The Employee Benefits organization is accelerating its transformation toward a modern, data‑driven, enterprise‑aligned operating model. As the AVP, Strategic Data Transformation, you will serve as the strategic connector between our business stakeholders, Enterprise Data Office, and Technology partners—responsible for defining, executing, and delivering data product strategies that enable end‑to‑end value across the EB value chain. Reporting to the VP, Strategic Data and Partner Connections within the EB Transformation Office, this leader will provide vision, governance, and disciplined execution across large‑scale enterprise programs; define and evolve data product roadmaps; drive adoption and change management; champion data quality and domain ownership; and ensure our data capabilities support scalable, modern, and insight‑driven business outcomes. You will lead a team of Agile Product Managers and Agile Product Owners within the Strategic Data Value Stream, ensuring clarity of product strategy, alignment to enterprise priorities, and consistent application of Agile principles across your portfolio.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in data product management, analytics, digital transformation, or related fields; EB experience preferred.
Proven experience leading large‑scale, cross‑functional programs in a matrixed environment.
Deep understanding of data lifecycle, governance, quality, metadata, lineage, and analytical enablement.
Strong communication, influence, and relationship‑building skills with senior and technical audiences.
Experience leading Agile teams (SAFe preferred).
Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Alignment Shape EB’s Line‑of‑Business data strategy and ensure alignment with the Enterprise Data Strategy, platforms, governance, and standards.
Partner with EDS, Technology, Data Science, and EB functional leaders to influence priorities, solution decisions, and IT investments.
Lead and influence at the executive level with strong executive presence, storytelling and strategic framing
Lead data transformation by defining and executing a clear path to make Employee Benefits data AI‑ready, enabling advanced analytics, proactive insights, and scalable AI/ML use cases through strong data products, governance, and adoption.
Ensure stakeholder satisfaction through proactive communication, disciplined execution routines, and measurable progress toward outcomes.
Provide strategic leadership across the full data lifecycle—including solution design, ingestion and integration, curation, quality and governance, analytics and insights enablement, and data product delivery—to ensure EB data is trusted, scalable, and actionable.
Data Product Strategy & Roadmap Define and execute multi‑year, domain‑aligned product strategies and roadmaps that support EB’s transformation agenda.
Identify and prioritize Epics and Features that deliver measurable business impact; ensure roadmaps reflect enterprise opportunities, risks, and dependencies.
Develop product KPIs, value metrics, and reporting mechanisms to measure adoption, quality, and business outcomes.
Translate business strategy, customer insights, and operational needs into actionable product strategies.
Shape and influence IT investment and prioritization by communicating clear value cases that support near‑term delivery and long‑term scalability.
Provide oversight and leadership for Agile delivery across the EB data portfolio Partner with Data Science and EDS to leverage emerging technologies, advanced analytics, and AI/ML.
Program Management & Delivery Lead enterprise‑scale data transformation initiatives involving foundational and core data capabilities.
Manage risks, dependencies, and cross‑portfolio alignment across the EB and enterprise ecosystem.
Ensure strong backlog health, prioritization discipline, and roadmap alignment across all data product teams Balance near‑term delivery commitments with long‑term data modernization and scalability.
Participate directly in EDS governance routines and represent EB business needs in enterprise data decisions.
Balance the priorities of data quality, data reliability, and data product delivery to maximize business value.
Agile Leadership & People Management Lead, develop, and coach a team of Agile Product Managers and Agile Product Owners, and matrixed team members supporting enterprise programs.
Own the portfolio‑level product backlog, prioritize based on value, and serve as final escalation point for trade‑offs.
Create a culture of innovation, continuous learning, and data‑driven decision‑making.
Model disciplined execution, collaboration, and results‑oriented behaviors across all product teams.
Change Management & Adoption Drive adoption of new capabilities through communication, training, readiness, and measurement plans.
Ensure data products are trusted, consumable, and actionable for internal and external business users.
Engage business partners across Underwriting, Actuarial, Product, Sales, Operations, Claims, PB, and Technology to ensure understanding and use of data products.