This role sits at the intersection of product management, discovery, and hands-on execution. We are looking for a highly autonomous product thinker who can take a loosely defined idea, research the market, determine what should be built, and work side-by-side with engineers to bring it to life.
Unlike traditional BSA or Product Owner roles, this position operates with minimal structure and oversight. The R&D Product Manager is expected to create clarity rather than receive it. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys early-stage problem solving, and wants to help shape a growing team.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Product Discovery & Strategy
Take vague product ideas or problem statements and turn them into clear product direction
Conduct market research, competitive analysis, and customer discovery to validate demand and shape product scope
Evaluate where AI, automation, or intelligent workflows may create new product value
Define product vision, core use cases, and success criteria for new R&D initiatives
Identify what not to build and intentionally limit scope during early experimentation
Translate product ideas into clear, actionable requirements that software engineers can build from immediately
Engage regularly with executive leadership to gather, clarify, and align on product requirements, strategic priorities, and roadmap direction
Partner closely with software engineers throughout design and development, maintaining tight feedback loops
Make real‑time tradeoff decisions as new information emerges
Create rough mockups, wireframes, or visual flows to communicate intent and experience (polish not required)
Collaborate with engineers to refine functionality and user experience
Ensure usability and customer value are front‑and‑center in product decisions
Lead proof‑of‑concept, prototype, and pilot efforts, including AI-enabled features
Define hypotheses, learning goals, and validation criteria for experiments
Assess results and recommend next steps including iterate, pivot, stop, or operationalize
Own end-to-end product validation by testing and experimenting with new solutions to confirm they meet initial requirements, perform reliably, and deliver value in real-world scenarios
Team Growth & Leadership (Future‑Focused)
Help define how R&D product work gets done as the team grows
Mentor future R&D product managers and/or BSAs
Establish lightweight standards and best practices without introducing unnecessary process
REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
Proven experience operating in highly ambiguous environments with little structure
Strong product thinking — able to frame problems before jumping to solutions
Demonstrated curiosity and comfort experimenting with new technologies, including AI tools
Hands on experience writing requirements from scratch (not refining pre-defined scope)
Ability to work extremely closely with software engineers on early-stage products
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Comfortable making decisions with incomplete data
Self-directed, resourceful, and biased toward action
Product Manager or Product Owner experience preferred
Experience working on AI-enabled products, internal tools, or platforms preferred
Property & Casualty insurance domain experience preferred
Financial services or credit card domain experience preferred
Experience working on internal platforms, B2B products, or infrastructure adjacent systems preferred
Exzeo is a leading innovator of end-to-end, technology-powered solutions for the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry. We deliver a comprehensive suite of integrated capabilities, including an intelligent data repository, mapping and data visualization, quoting and policy administration, and claims management. These features support mission-critical digital workflows, driving efficiency and innovation.
To foster Exzeo’s commitment to creating a collaborative work environment, remote workers will be required to report to a central office location for one week every quarter for collaboration, team building, and educational exercises.
Exzeo offers 100% employer-paid health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance for employees, a flexible paid time off plan, a 401(k) match, and bonus potential.
