Program Development Manager

Authentic is a tech-enabled MGA (managing general agent). We design and run insurance programs for specific kinds of businesses, like restaurants, gyms, and power producers. Brokers bring us the businesses that need coverage, and carriers back our policies. Every program runs on a platform we built ourselves, and we own every line of code behind it. Engineers and insurance experts build it side by side in New York and Dayton, Ohio. Since our founding in 2022, we’ve grown to 80+ people and been named to the 2026 CB Insights Insurtech 50.

The Role

The Program Development Manager leads the Dayton team that builds Authentic's insurance programs. The team turns approved rates, rules and forms into live configuration in Authentic's policy administration system (PAS), and handles the steady flow of changes that live programs need. You'll start by managing a small team of 5-6 Program Developers and will be responsible for building and growing that team as our program portfolio expands. You'll own how their work is planned, prioritized and delivered, and stay close enough to the work to pick up builds yourself.

This role reports to the VP of Programs and sits within Authentic's Programs department. The Programs department designs and builds Authentic's insurance programs end to end: the Program Design team handles market research, actuarial studies, rate development, forms and state filings, and the Program Developers configure and launch those programs in Authentic's policy administration system.

This is a player-coach role for a people leader, not a software engineer. We're looking for someone who has managed people and projects, is comfortable around technology, and genuinely enjoys helping others grow. Insurance experience isn't required; we'll teach you the domain. As the team and our program portfolio expand, there is real room to grow your scope.

What You'll Do

• Team Leadership & Development
  • Manage a growing team, currently 5-6 Program Developers: set priorities, run weekly 1:1s, give regular feedback and lead performance reviews.
  • Coach developers on build quality, problem solving and ownership, and create clear paths for them to take on more complex work over time.
  • Be a visible, on-the-ground presence in the Dayton office: available, approachable and checking in on how the work and the people are doing.
  • Build and scale the team: partner with the VP of Programs on headcount planning, hiring, onboarding and training as the team grows.
  • Build the team's documentation, playbooks and best practices so knowledge doesn't live in one person's head.

• Program Build & Delivery
  • Own the team's workload end to end: intake, scoping, prioritization, assignment and delivery tracking for program builds and configuration changes.
  • Oversee the build and configuration of rates, rules and forms in the PAS, making sure live programs match approved rate development and filings.
  • Manage the queue of inbound Operations requests (endorsements, build configuration, class mappings and form attachments), setting turnaround expectations and keeping requesters informed.
  • Run new program launches as projects: timelines, dependencies, QA testing in staging and go-live readiness.
  • Keep a consistent review and release process for configuration changes the team ships through GitHub to carrier programs, tenants, products and coverages.
  • Spot recurring bugs and requests and turn them into process or tooling fixes.

• Hands-On Work
  • Take on builds, configuration tasks and bug fixes yourself, especially early on and during busy periods.
  • Learn the PAS and configuration workflow well enough to unblock developers, check their work and estimate effort accurately.

• Cross-Functional Partnership
  • • Work closely with the actuarial and program design teams, including Product Analysts, so rate, rule and form work moves cleanly from filing to build.
    • Partner with Operations, underwriting and program stakeholders to set priorities and communicate timelines.
    • Notice where handoffs between departments break down and propose practical fixes, from clearer SOPs to better intake processes.

Who You Are

• We're looking for a people leader who is comfortable with technology, not a software engineer. You don't need insurance experience. If you're smart, thoughtful and interested in how insurance programs get built, we'll teach you the rest.
  • 5+ years of professional experience, including 1-2 years managing people (direct reports preferred; formal team lead experience considered).
  • Proven project management skills: you've run several workstreams at once, managed dependencies and deadlines, and kept stakeholders informed.
  • Background in IT, technical operations, systems implementation or another tech-adjacent environment.
  • A genuine desire to develop people, with real examples of coaching someone to grow in their role.
  • Comfortable with technical and configuration systems, and willing to learn basic coding and Git workflows (no software engineering background required).
  • Some strategic thinking: you can see how your team's work connects to the rest of the business and improve how it gets done.
  • Clear, proactive written and verbal communication with both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Strong judgment, organization and attention to detail.
  • Able to work onsite in Dayton, OH.

Nice to Have

• • Experience in insurance, insurtech or financial services, especially with a policy administration system (an in-house PAS, Guidewire, Duck Creek or similar).
  • Exposure to rating, rules or forms configuration, or to SERFF filings.
  • Hands-on time with GitHub, configuration-as-code or basic scripting and query languages (for example, SQL or Python).
  • Experience leading an implementation, configuration or business systems team.
  • Experience growing a team through hiring, onboarding and building out its processes.
  • Formal project management training (PMP, Agile or Scrum).
  • Advanced Excel skills.

Our (FTE) benefits

• Competitive salary, equity, and role trajectory
• Comprehensive health benefits for you and your family
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Unlimited PTO
• Paid parental leave

About Authentic

Authentic builds the infrastructure that program insurance runs on. We partner with leading brokerages to design and manage custom insurance programs, backed by A and A- rated carriers operating nationwide. Brokers bring the data and distribution. We bring everything else: the technology, the capacity, and the underwriting expertise to stand up specialized programs at speed and build them to last.  We’re a Series A company backed by top investors, including FirstMark Capital, Zigg Capital, Slow Ventures, Clocktower, Commerce Ventures, and Altai. We’ve grown over 15x in the past year with a massive market opportunity ahead.

Authentic is committed to building an inclusive working environment regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, education, age, or other personal characteristics. We believe that people do their best work when they can be themselves, and different perspectives and experiences make us stronger as a team. We’re proud of the supportive and inclusive workplace we're building together and are always working to make it even better.