We are seeking an innovative Operations Specialist to join our Optimization and Transformation team. This role is instrumental in driving operational excellence across our organization by partnering with Operations, Underwriting, Sales, and Claims teams to discover, analyze, and transform business processes.

As a Operations Specialist, you will conduct comprehensive discovery sessions to understand end-to-end operations and design future-state operating models that position the organization for success. Your work directly supports strategic initiatives including platform migrations, digital transformation, automation implementations, and operating model redesign. This may include consolidating multiple groups into unified operations with standardized workflows that enable seamless technology adoption and scalable growth.

Beyond project-based transformation work, you will serve as an ongoing business process partner to field teams, providing continuous support for process innovation, optimization, and problem-solving. You will be a trusted advisor who helps operational teams navigate challenges, adopt best practices, and drive continuous improvement in their daily work.

You will serve as a critical liaison between business operations and key cross-functional partners including Operational Delivery and Implementation teams, Finance, and Technology, facilitating business reviews, gap assessments, and capability evaluations that inform strategic investment and transformation decisions.

Success in this role requires deep knowledge of Insurance operations enterprise processes, exceptional stakeholder engagement skills, and a proven ability to identify bottlenecks, design innovative operating models, champion strategic recommendations, and sustain operational excellence through ongoing partnership.

Discovery & Requirements Gathering

• Conduct structured discovery sessions with Operations, Underwriting, Sales, Claims, and other stakeholders to understand current-state processes, organizational structures, system dependencies, pain points, and business requirements

• Lead operational analysis and diagnostic efforts to identify inefficiencies, capability gaps, manual workarounds, and opportunities for digitization

• Document as-is processes and operating models with precision to support transformation planning and technology solution design

• Facilitate value stream mapping events to visualize end-to-end workflows, capture process gaps, and identify automation opportunities

• Assess organizational design, roles and responsibilities, operational capacity, and technology utilization to inform operating model recommendations

Ongoing Business Process Partnership & Continuous Improvement

• Serve as a dedicated business process partner to assigned field teams (Operations, Underwriting, Sales, Claims), providing ongoing advisory support for operational excellence

• Build trusted relationships with operational leaders and teams as a go-to resource for process innovation, problem-solving, and best practice adoption

• Support field teams with day-to-day process questions, escalations, and improvement opportunities as they arise

• Facilitate continuous improvement initiatives, Kaizen events, and rapid problem-solving sessions with operational teams

• Monitor process performance metrics and proactively identify opportunities for optimization and innovation

• Champion a culture of continuous improvement by coaching teams on process thinking and problem-solving methodologies

• Stay connected to operational realities and emerging challenges to inform larger transformation initiatives

• Provide ongoing process guidance during and after major implementations to ensure sustained adoption and optimization

• Collaborate with field teams to pilot innovative approaches and scale successful practices across the organization

Gap Analysis & Capability Assessment

• Conduct comprehensive gap analyses comparing current operational capabilities against available organizational tools, platforms, and technology solutions

• Evaluate business requirements versus existing technology functionality to identify capability shortfalls and opportunities for better tool utilization

• Assess process maturity and technology readiness across business units to prioritize transformation investments

• Analyze process costs, labor utilization, and capacity constraints to identify efficiency opportunities

• Analyze skill gaps, training needs, and change readiness to support successful implementations

• Partner with cross-functional teams to identify redundancies, inefficiencies, and opportunities for standardization

Business Reviews & Executive Reporting

• Draft executive summaries, business review presentations, and strategic assessments for leadership consumption

• Prepare comprehensive reports synthesizing discovery findings, gap analyses, continuous improvement results, and strategic recommendations

• Facilitate cross-functional business review sessions with Operations, OpEx Delivery and Implementation, Finance, Technology, and executive leadership

• Present capability assessments, investment recommendations, and transformation roadmaps to stakeholders at all organizational levels

• Develop dashboard and reporting frameworks to track transformation progress, continuous improvement metrics, and business outcomes

• Translate complex operational and technical information into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences

• Report on ongoing business process partnership impact including quick wins, process improvements, and innovation adoption

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Operational Excellence Delivery and Implementation teams to ensure seamless handoff of requirements, operating models, and process designs for execution

• Collaborate with Finance to develop business cases, cost-benefit analyses, budgeting requirements, and ROI projections for transformation initiatives

• Work with Technology and IT teams to align operating model designs with platform capabilities and technical constraints

• Coordinate with Change Management and Training teams to support adoption of new operating models and processes

• Facilitate alignment across diverse stakeholder groups with competing priorities and perspectives

• Bridge field operations and corporate functions to ensure operational insights inform strategic decisions

Operating Model Design & Strategic Recommendations

• Design innovative future-state operating models that optimize organizational structure, process flow, technology capabilities, and resource allocation

• Conduct capacity planning and resource modeling to ensure operating models are appropriately staffed and scaled

• Perform detailed process cost analysis to identify cost drivers, quantify savings opportunities, and support investment decisions

• Develop strategic recommendations for operational transformation including consolidation strategies, shared services models, center of excellence designs, and span of control optimization

• Create business cases and analysis frameworks to quantify the impact of proposed operating models including process costs, efficiency gains, technology readiness, and ROI

• Model multiple scenarios and conduct trade-off analysis to support executive decision-making

• Define target operating models that align business strategy, operational capabilities, and technology platforms

• Recommend optimal utilization of existing organizational tools and platforms to maximize current investments

• Incorporate insights from ongoing field partnerships into strategic operating model recommendations

Process Optimization & Standardization

• Design future-state process models that align with target operating models, platforms, and digital capabilities

• Lead consolidation efforts to unify fragmented operations into standardized, scalable processes that support platform migration and operational efficiency

• Create alignment between business strategy, operational execution, and technology roadmaps through standard operating procedures

• Identify and prioritize automation opportunities including RPA, workflow automation, and digital tools

• Develop governance frameworks and performance metrics for new operating models

• Scale successful process innovations and best practices identified through field partnerships across the enterprise

Technology Enablement & Migration Support

• Draft detailed business requirements and functional specifications to support platform migrations, process automation, and technology enhancements

• Collaborate with IT, vendors, and technology partners to translate business needs and operating model designs into technical solutions

• Assess current technology landscape and identify gaps, redundancies, and integration requirements for future-state platforms

• Support UAT (User Acceptance Testing) planning and process validation for technology implementations

• Identify opportunities to leverage digital tools to eliminate manual processes and improve operational throughput

• Recommend technology solutions that enable and support new operating models

• Provide ongoing support to field teams as they adopt new technologies and platforms

Stakeholder Engagement & Change Management

• Present data-driven insights, operating model recommendations, and business cases to leadership and cross-functional teams to build support for transformation initiatives

• Facilitate executive workshops and decision-making sessions to gain alignment on operating model design and transformation priorities

• Build consensus and drive change management efforts to ensure successful adoption of new operating models, platforms, processes, and technologies

• Partner with business leaders to align transformation and migration roadmaps with strategic objectives

• Serve as a liaison between business operations and cross-functional partners throughout the transformation lifecycle

• Influence and guide leadership through complex organizational and operational changes

• Champion change at the field level by supporting teams through transitions and building capability for sustained adoption

Documentation & Knowledge Management

• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation including current-state and future-state operating models, workflow maps, organizational charts, RACI matrices, procedure guides, job aids, system documentation, and process inventories

• Create visual operating model designs, process models, and system interaction diagrams using industry-standard tools to support migration planning and training

• Document business rules, decision logic, data requirements, and performance metrics to support system configuration and automation design

• Develop implementation roadmaps, transition plans, and communication materials for operating model changes

• Maintain a knowledge repository of best practices, lessons learned, continuous improvement initiatives, and transformation artifacts

• Document and share successful innovations and process improvements from field partnerships

Project & Program Management

• Own end-to-end project lifecycle for assigned optimization and transformation initiatives, including planning, execution, monitoring, and delivery

• Maintain detailed project plans, migration roadmaps, and status reporting for transformation projects

• Manage multiple concurrent workstreams including strategic projects and ongoing field partnerships while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines

• Track dependencies, risks, and issues related to operating model changes, platform migrations, and technology implementations

• Coordinate cross-functional teams through complex transformation initiatives

• Ensure smooth handoff to OpEx Delivery and Implementation teams for execution

• Balance strategic transformation work with responsive support for field team needs

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience

• Industry Experience: Minimum 5 years in Insurance Operations with focus on process improvement, redesign, and optimization within a Wholesale Agency, MGA, or Carrier environment

• Operating Model Experience: Demonstrated experience designing or implementing operating model transformations, organizational redesigns, or business optimization initiatives

• Process Excellence: Proven ability to analyze, optimize, and document complex, cross-functional business processes with focus on technology enablement

• Financial Analysis: Demonstrated experience with process cost analysis, capacity planning, and resource modeling

• Business Partnership: Track record of serving as a trusted advisor and process partner to operational teams, supporting both strategic initiatives and day-to-day continuous improvement

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Strong track record of collaborating with diverse stakeholders including operations, finance, technology, and implementation teams

• Project Management: Strong project management capabilities with proven ability to manage multiple workstreams, stakeholders, and deliverables simultaneously

• Technology Experience: Experience supporting technology implementations, platform migrations, or digital transformation initiatives

Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Excel (data analysis, financial modeling), Visio (process mapping, org charts), Microsoft Project (project planning), PowerPoint (execu