Director, Product Development Operational Readiness

Director, Product Development Operational Readiness

Company Summary

Come join one of America’s fastest growing insurance companies with a stable history of 175 years. At National Life Group (“NLG”), we offer a flexible work environment with opportunity for growth. As a mission-driven business, our promises are as important as the products we sell. We encourage our associates to live our values: Do Good. Be Good. Make Good.

Our mission extends beyond the insurance and annuities policies that we sell. Our cause is also to make the world a better place through grants from our charitable foundation, paid time for our employees to volunteer, environmentally sustainable and healthy work sites, and events that promote the work of nonprofits in our own backyard.

We invite you to explore what we have to offer and to join our cause.

Role Summary

The Director, Product Development Operational Readiness is a member of the Business Architecture team reporting to the VP – Business Architecture & Transformation.  The team is responsible for assessing operational impacts of new product/feature development partnering with business SMEs, and a large cross section of stakeholders, to ensure product specifications are translated into actionable plans for effective execution.  

The work begins with an end-to-end assessment of value stream impacts, business capabilities and process diagrams that support the product throughout its lifecycle and is responsible for solutioning identified gaps by carefully weighing trade-offs and gaining buy-in from stakeholders.  Solutions may involve process re-engineering and/or technology.

The development, testing and implementation of technical solutions will be supported by other members of the Business Architecture team. The goal is to perform sufficient due diligence upfront to ensure successful product launches and seamless integration into operational processes.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Leads cross-functional discovery phase to translate product specifications into capabilities and processes across the value stream
• Safeguard the integrity of the operating model by aligning product design with operational capabilities and processes
• Drive resolution for identified gaps by collaborating across functional areas to propose solutions and analyze trade-offs while leveraging data to facilitate decision making
• Collaborate with stakeholders to gain buy-in on recommended course of action and present recommendations to senior leadership
• Design, implement & maintain processes and tools supporting new product development (e.g. standard set of artifacts to document the assessment, central repository for reference, layers of review & sign off required, escalation paths, prioritization tactics etc.)
• Build and lead a team of process engineers, setting performance targets, monitoring progress against the target, and providing support and guidance aligned to individual abilities

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations Management, Information Technology or related fields.
• 7+ years of life or annuity experience driving operational effectiveness in complex, cross-functional organizations.
• Significant experience in leading and implementing large organizational projects.
• Enterprise view of the business with an understanding of strategy, operating models, business processes, business capabilities and enabling technology.
• Ability to assimilate disconnected documentation and visualizations and articulate their relevance to problem solving.
• Recognize and mitigate dependencies and risks.
• Lead through influence across all levels of the organization in ambiguous, complex and evolving situations
• Build trusted relationships with stakeholders, supplier partners and internal partners

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP certification
• CBPP certification

Core Work Days

This position is presently onsite/hybrid with the expectation of being in the office three days per week with current campus days being Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (subject to change with advance notification and manager discretion).

Benefits

• Your benefits start day one and are flexible and customizable to your and your family’s specific needs. Check out the BENEFITS of a Career at National Life!

The base compensation range represents the low and high end of the range for this position. Actual compensation will vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors including but not limited to qualifications, skills, competencies, location, and experience. The range listed is just one component of our total compensation package for employees.

Other rewards may include an annual bonus, quarterly bonuses, commissions, and other long-term incentive compensation, depending on the position.  National Life offers a competitive total rewards package which includes: a 401(k) retirement plan match; medical, dental, and vision insurance; a company funded wellness account for director and below employees; 10 paid holidays; a generous paid time off plan (22 days of combined time-off for non-exempt employees and exempt employees have discretion in managing their time, including scheduling time off in the normal course of business, but in no event will exempt employees receive less sick time than required by state or local law); 6 weeks of paid parental leave; and 6 weeks of paid family leave after a year of full-time employment.

National Life is accepting applications for this role on an ongoing basis and the role remains open until filled.   

National Life Group® is a trade name of National Life Insurance Company, Montpelier, VT – founded in 1848, Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, Addison, TX – chartered in 1955, and their affiliates. Each company of National Life Group is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. Life Insurance Company of the Southwest is not an authorized insurer in New York and does not conduct insurance business in New York. Equity Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, is a Broker/Dealer and Registered Investment Adviser affiliate of National Life Insurance Company. All other entities are independent of the companies of National Life Group.

National Life Group

1 National Life Dr

Montpelier, VT 05604

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