Job Information
Thrivent Financial VP, New Business and Underwriting in United States
The Vice President of New Business and Underwriting is a strategic leader pivotal to driving operational excellence across the organization. This leader will have overall accountability for consistent, high-quality issuance for clients and financial professionals ensuring strong adherence to key performance indicators. These customer-facing transactions will encompass the entire New Business portfolio, including Life policies, Annuity contracts, Health policies, and Long-Term Care contracts, all managed within clearly defined key performance indicators to ensure high-quality, consistent execution.
As a leader, the incumbent will effectively navigate a complex, matrixed organization and foster high-trust relationships across the enterprise. Skilled in leading change, this leader will role model systems thinking, see the big picture, challenge the status quo, anticipate unintended consequences, and drive impactful business results.
Key internal partnerships include, but are not limited to In-Force, Operations Development & Relations, Contact Center, TIMI, TAN, and GCO. This leader is highly engaged with the functional senior leaders to ensure best-in-class service delivery and advance strategic priorities.
The role will be a key member of the Operations Leadership Team, reporting directly to the SVP, Head of Operations.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Provide strategic oversight of the New Business and Underwriting functions, defining, measuring, and ensuring adherence to all key performance indicators for contract issuance. This ensures that departments consistently meet their timelines and effectively address client needs.
Establish and refine high-performing, relationship-based teams to deliver seamless, consistent service experiences across all product lines, ensuring alignment with client and business objectives.
Develop and implement frameworks for the systematic advancement of strategic priorities, driving effective, efficient enterprise collaboration, knowledge transfer, progress tracking, and a continuous reexamination and reimagination of current processes. Strategic priorities will be viewed through a system-wide lens, incorporating all service and client-facing environments to build synergies that benefit clients, advisors, employees, and the Thrivent Brand. This leader will apply sound judgment to take calculated risks and capitalize on opportunities to strategically enhance the role of New Business and Underwriting.
Lead the execution of the operations strategy to drive Thrivent’s ability to achieve its strategic priorities, focusing on the transformation and modernization of the company. This includes collaborating and contributing to the reimagination of the client and advisor experiences.
Align New Business and Underwriting initiatives with enterprise priorities and partner with Product Operating Model Teams to ensure the successful achievement of these strategic goals.
Serve as a strategic thought leader alongside DD&T to implement cutting-edge technology solutions, including but not limited to: Unified Buying Experience, Automated Underwriting, CCaaS integration, Robotics, and more, to identify cost efficiencies without compromising the client experience.
Design and drive a continuous improvement model to assess opportunities, streamline the new business process, and reduce costs while enhancing the client experience by leveraging data, technology, vendor solutions, and client feedback.
Establish and implement a strategic multi-year roadmap with clear operational measures to achieve annual goals, specifically defining focus areas that will improve the client and field experience.
Develop and lead the strategy in collaboration with the Chief Underwriter to automate and streamline the life business, including evaluating and implementing self-service solutions to create the ideal client and field experience.
Establish and maintain a robust quality program, continuously monitoring performance to ensure exceptional customer loyalty and satisfaction.
Strategically partner with departments within GCO Ops (GCO, In-Force Operations, Contact Center, Claims, Operations Development & Relations, Operations Fulfillment, TIMI & TAN) and across the broader organization, including DD&T and Distribution, to achieve overall business objectives.
Engage with industry groups and related initiatives, including regulatory developments, to ensure Thrivent stays agile and competitive in the marketplace.
Establish and enforce strong operational controls to proactively eliminate, reduce, or mitigate risks across the organization.
An experienced and inspirational leader who will bring out the best from their team and others.
Recruit, develop, and sustain a high-performing team while promoting and fostering a culture of shared accountability, engagement, client-centricity, operational excellence (including client and advisor experiences), innovation, continuous improvement and partnership and collaboration across the team.
Drive best in class service and staffing models to support new business products, product changes and/or sales promotions.
The VP, New Business Operations will model Thrivent’s leadership competencies.
This Vice President will be responsible for overseeing critical facets of the operational organization. This role will play a pivotal role in shaping the operational direction, fostering growth, and driving success in a dynamic and competitive market. This role will influence employees at all levels of the organization, as their leadership impacts company culture and direction. This position will influence a wide range of stakeholders, both internal and external, including senior leaders across Operations, Distribution, GCO, Marketing, and the Board of Directors.
QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS:
Required:
Bachelor’s degree in business, management, or related business field.
Demonstrated experience (15+ years) leading New Business, with preferred experience leading policy issuance, re-issuance and suitability experience and $10 million in signing authority or related area in the financial services industry at a senior level.
Experience navigating complex and matrixed organizations to achieve desired results.
Strong communication skills to inform and engage all layers of management and stakeholders.
Demonstrated vision and strategic leadership skills along with strong influencing abilities.
Experience with effectively leading through change; Passionate about leading on a large scale through others and leveraging systems to engage people and drive results.
In-depth knowledge of New Business and underwriting processes.
A strategic thought partner, this leader must demonstrate critical thinking and excellent judgment.
Tenacious, committed, constructive, and results-oriented, with high-energy and sense of urgency.
Preferred:
CLU, ChFC, FALU
LOMA/LIMRA designations
Series 6/26 designations
MBA
Pay Transparency
Thrivent’s long-term growth depends on attracting, rewarding, and retaining people who are committed to helping others thrive with purpose. We accomplish this by offering a wide variety of market competitive compensation programs to attract, reward, and retain top talent. The applicable salary or hourly wage range for this full-time role is $220,084.00 - $330,126.00 per year, which factors in various geographic regions. The base pay actually offered will be determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to, location, relevant experience, skills, and knowledge, business needs, market demand, and other factors Thrivent deems important.
Thrivent is unique in our commitment to helping people to be wise with money and live balanced and generous lives. That extends to our benefits.
The following benefits may be offered: various bonuses (including, for example, annual or long-term incentives); medical, dental, and vision insurance; health savings account; flexible spending account; 401k; pension; life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; disability insurance; supplemental protection insurance; 27 days of Paid Time Off each year; Sick and Safe Time; 10 paid company holidays; Volunteer Time Off; paid parental leave; EAP; well-being benefits, and other employee benefits. Eligibility for receipt of these benefits is subject to the applicable plan/policy documents. Thrivent’s plans/policies are subject to change at any time at Thrivent’s discretion.
Thrivent provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) without regard to race, religion, color, sex , gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable local, state , or federal law. This policy applies to all employees and job applicants.
Thrivent is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation , please let us know by sending an email to human.resources@thrivent.com or call 800-847-4836 and request Human Resources.
At Thrivent, we believe money is a tool, not a goal. Driven by a higher purpose at our core, we are committed to providing financial advice, investments, insurance, banking and generosity programs to help people make the most of all they’ve been given. At our heart, we are a membership-owned fraternal organization, as well as a holistic financial services organization, dedicated to serving the unique needs of our customers. We focus on their goals and priorities, guiding them toward financial choices that will help them live the life they want today—and tomorrow.
For over 100 years, Thrivent has been helping people build their financial futures and live more generous lives. Today, it’s a Fortune 500 company that offers a full range of expert financial solutions, serving more than 2 million customers, as well as the communities in which they live and work.
Thrivent fosters a diverse workforce to serve our diverse clientele, reflecting a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. If you’re intrigued about our work and the possibility of becoming part of it, we invite you to visit Thrivent.com to learn more. You won’t just build a career; you’ll be part of an organization focused on growing, innovating, and serving.