POSITION SUMMARYReporting to the Director, Individual Markets Insurance Operations, the Service Leader of Agency and New Business Experience function - setting operational priorities, managing vendor partnerships, driving team effectiveness, and aligning sales strategy with operational execution to deliver pipeline performance. This leader will evolve the team's focus from transaction processing toward exception intelligence, process improvement, and firm experience, continuously improving operational efficiency through smarter processes and technology while elevating the value the team delivers to firms and financial professionals. This position is based in Hartford, CT or Des Moines, IA.
RESPONSIBILITIES- Lead daily new business and agency operations, delivering exception resolution quality, service level attainment, issuance velocity, productivity, and customer outcomes aligned with business objectives and process improvement priorities.
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team by setting clear performance expectations, building analytical and exception-handling capability, managing capacity, and fostering accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
- Establish daily, weekly, and monthly operating rhythms - reviewing exception volumes, automation fallout trends, service levels, quality, workload distribution, aging, and operational risks - and drive timely corrective actions.
- Monitor exception volumes and processing trends, partnering with Domain, Product Owner, and Technology teams to refine workflows so the team can focus its expertise on the cases that most benefit from hands-on attention.
- Partner with Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) and vendor partners to ensure operational execution, service quality, and productivity align with business expectations and firm experience standards.
- Lead resolution of operational issues, firm complaints, complex cases, and escalations, ensuring timely follow-through and positive outcomes for firms and financial professionals.
- Implement operational improvements that strengthen quality, reduce recurring exceptions, improve efficiency, and enhance team capability as the team modernizes its processes and tools.
- Partner with Sales Operations Support to ensure daily operational priorities reflect firm expectations, reduce escalation volume, and reinforce an ownership mindset across the team.
QUALIFICATIONS- Bachelor's degree, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- 10+ years of experience in insurance, financial services, or new business/agency operations, including 5+ years in a people leadership role.
- Demonstrated experience managing vendor or TPA relationships and driving SLA performance.
- Working knowledge of automation and workflow tools (e.g., Pega), with insurance and regulatory knowledge relevant to new business issuance and agency operations.
- Preferred: experience leading operational transformation from manual/transactional processing toward exception-based, technology-enabled service models.
- Preferred: familiarity with sales operations, distribution, or agency management structures.
- Preferred: industry designations such as FLMI, LOMA, or ACS.
CRITICAL COMPETENCIES FOR SUCCESS- People leadership and coaching - builds high-performing, accountable teams and coaches with a growth mindset.
- Data-driven performance management - uses metrics, exception trends, and operating rhythms to run the business and drive corrective action.
- Vendor and TPA management - sets SLA expectations, monitors performance, and holds partners accountable to firm experience standards.
- Sales-Operations alignment - partners with Distribution and Sales Operations to translate firm expectations into operational priorities.
- Cross-pod planning and dependency management - orchestrates work across Domain, Product, and Technology to advance process and automation improvements.
- Insurance and regulatory acumen - brings working knowledge of new business issuance, agency operations, and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Operational transformation mindset - shifts teams from production-based work toward analytical, relationship-based, and exception-focused work.
- Trust-based partnership and communication - removes barriers, addresses issues proactively, and builds credibility across functions.
This is the expected annual base salary range for this position. Actual salaries may vary based on factors, such as skill, experience, and qualification for the role. Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus, based on factors such as individual and team performance. Base Salary Range $160,000 to $180,000
