Key Markets Strategy & Operations Lead, Group Benefits

As Key Markets Strategy & Operations Lead, you will provide thought leadership, capabilities, tools, resources, and distribution support to maximize the growth potential of Key Markets, Guardian’s fastest growing Group Benefits channel. You will partner with various functional partners and stakeholders to deliver operational excellence for Guardian partners and clients, always leading with a customer mindset. You will drive operational and system enhancements, identify channel partner needs, and ensure strategic alignment to meet channel needs.

Must Have

• Accountable for driving operational and system enhancements for Key Markets
• Partner with the field to identify channel partner needs, drive alignment and manage portfolio of capability investments
• Engage with functional stakeholders to ensure resource capacity and strategic alignment
• Support effective distribution execution by providing the right tools/processes and building the right knowledge
• Serve as SME for operational processes and best practices serving Key Markets partners
• Act as the business owner for bringing new opportunities to market
• Articulate channel needs and influence support across organizational initiatives
• Partner with client management to expand upon solutions leveraged in market
• Facilitate the need for expanded technical and integration capabilities
• Engage on high profile partner initiatives as needed
• Minimum of 8 years in distribution facing operations roles
• Deep expertise in specialty and alternative distribution models and associated operational needs
• Proven success in designing and implementing innovative strategies to enhance the customer experience
• Strong process and system orientation and ability to identify impacts of change
• Strong general management mindset and experience with broad functional strategy development and execution
• Strong background in business case development and execution
• High energy with strong executive presence and public speaking skills
• Relentless focus on innovative strategic thought leadership and track record of success in effecting change
• Compelling presentation skills

Good to Have

• Insurance industry experience preferred
• Commercial insurance, financial services and/or management consulting experience preferred

Perks & Benefits

• Support and flexibility to achieve professional and personal goals
• Skill-building opportunities
• Leadership development opportunities
• Philanthropic opportunities
• Contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources

As Key Markets Strategy & Operations Lead, you will be accountable for providing thought leadership, capabilities, tools, resources, and distribution support to maximize the growth potential of Key Markets, Guardian’s fastest growing Group Benefits channel which focuses on PEOs and technology aggregators that operate in the non-traditional group insurance space.

You will partner with various functional partners and stakeholders to deliver operational excellence for Guardian partners and clients while always leading with a customer mindset. Ultimately, you provide the ongoing capabilities necessary to drive market-leading differentiation through specialized solutions that anticipate the evolving needs of our distribution partners and clients and meet Guardian’s objective of driving sustainable industry leading profitable revenue growth. You will report directly to the Head of Distribution Strategy and Market Management within Group Benefits and are accountable for enabling the operational success of our Key Markets distribution organization.

You Will:

• Be accountable for driving operational and system enhancements that create a differentiated customer experience for Key Markets
• Partner with the field to identify channel partner needs, drive alignment and and manage portfolio of capability investments
• Engage with functional stakeholders to ensure resource capacity and strategic alignment to meet channel needs
• Support effective distribution execution by providing the right tools/processes and building the right knowledge
• Serve as SME for operational processes and best practices serving the needs of Key Markets partners
• Act as the business owner for bringing new opportunities to market
• Articulate channel needs and influence support across organizational initiatives to ensure channel needs are met for new capabilities and solutions
• Partner with client management to expand upon solutions leveraged in market to drive employer and member engagement in benefits
• Facilitate the need for expanded technical and integration capabilities
• Engage on high profile partner initiatives as needed

You Have:

• Minimum of 8 years in distribution facing operations roles for a multi-faceted corporation (insurance industry preferred).
• Deep expertise in specialty and alternative distribution models and associated operational needs.
• Proven success in designing and implementing innovative strategies to enhance the customer experience in a digital consumer-centric ecosystem.
• A strong process and system orientation and an ability to identify impacts of change while optimizing business value.
• Strong general management mindset and experience with broad functional strategy development and execution.
• Commercial insurance, financial services and/or management consulting experience preferred.
• Strong background in business case development and execution.
• High energy with strong executive presence and public speaking skills including presentation to C-Suite, as well as field stakeholders.
• Relentless focus on innovative strategic thought leadership and a track record of success in effecting change, having delivered quantifiable impact on company revenue.
• Compelling presentation skills e.g. comfortable speaking at large group conferences and webinars.

Location, Work Arrangement, and Travel:

• Preferred locations for this position include New York, NY; Holmdel, NJ; Boston, MA; and Bethlehem, PA.
• The work arrangement will be hybrid (three days per week in a local Guardian Office; two days working from home).
• Approximately 10-15% associated with this position.

Salary Range:

$118,980.00 - $195,465.00

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals. Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian’s Purpose – to inspire well-being – we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact applicant_accommodation@glic.com.

Current Guardian Colleagues: Please apply through the internal Jobs Hub in Workday.