Employee Benefits Product Owner, State Paid Family & Medical Leave (HYBRID OR REMOTE)

Equitable•Syracuse, NY

13d•$100,000 - $120,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At Equitable, we help clients secure their financial well-being so they can pursue long and fulfilling lives- a mission we’ve honed since 1859. Equitable is seeking a seasoned Senior Product Leader to own and advance our State Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) product strategy across all jurisdictions. This role will serve as the company’s foremost expert on state-mandated PFML programs—responsible for end-to-end strategy, compliance interpretation, implementation, and cross-functional enablement. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in the evolving PFML landscape, exceptional stakeholder management skills, and a proven track record of translating complex regulation into market-leading employee benefit solutions. The role will be reporting into our Life, Disability, and Absence Product Leader.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
5+ years of experience in employee benefits, disability, or paid leave field/industry
Demonstrated expertise in state PFML programs and their interaction with employer-sponsored benefits
Proven success leading cross-functional initiatives and managing regulatory complexity
Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Understanding the necessity and value of accuracy; ability to complete tasks with high levels of precision.
Business Acumen: Knowledge of business concepts, tools, and processes that are needed for making sound decisions in the context of the company's business; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.
Cross-functional Collaboration: Knowledge of collaborative techniques and approaches; ability to promote a culture of continuous improvement and working together across functions to solve business problems and meet business goals.
Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.
Managing Multiple Priorities: Knowledge of effective self-management practices; ability to manage multiple concurrent objectives, projects, groups, or activities, making effective judgments as to prioritizing and time allocation.
Products and Services: Knowledge of major products and services and product and service groups; ability to apply knowledge of product and service appropriately to diverse situations.
Quality Management: Knowledge of quality management methods, tools, and techniques and ability to create and support an environment that meets the quality goals of the organization.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree (MBA, JD or equivalent)
10+ years of experience in employee benefits, disability, or paid leave field/industry
Deep understanding of leave administration, claims operations, and product pricing methodologies
Strong analytical, strategic, and communication skills
Ability to navigate ambiguity and influence across matrixed organizations
Passion for building compliant, customer-centric solutions that simplify complexity

Responsibilities

Own PFML Strategy: Lead the enterprise-wide strategy for all state-mandated Paid Family and Medical Leave programs, ensuring alignment with our broader absence and disability portfolio.
Regulatory Intelligence & Implementation: Maintain a comprehensive understanding of current and emerging PFML legislation. Interpret statutory requirements, assess business impact, and drive timely updates to ensure full compliance.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with Distribution, Operations, Claims, Underwriting, Legal, and Compliance to ensure PFML integration across the product lifecycle—from pricing and plan design to administration and client delivery.
Product Development & Market Competitiveness: Develop and enhance PFML product offerings to strengthen market differentiation. Monitor competitor activity and market trends to identify opportunities for innovation.
Annual Product Updates: Own the annual PFML update cycle—translating statutory changes into actionable business requirements and coordinating cross-functional execution.
Thought Leadership & Enablement: Serve as the organization’s PFML subject matter expert, representing the company externally with regulators, brokers, industry forums, and strategic partners. Provide training, guidance, and communication to internal teams and client/market facing audiences.
Partner Collaboration: Collaborate with third-party administrators, payroll vendors, and technology partners to enhance digital integration and streamline client experiences.