Sales Executive – Strategic Partnerships & Retirement Solutions - Frankfurt, Germany

Bringing Vanguard's mission to life

At Vanguard, we take a stand for all investors, treating them fairly and giving them the best chance for investment success. In Germany, our ambition is to help shape the future of retirement investing by building strategic partnerships across insurance, retirement, advisory and wealth ecosystems. We focus on delivering low-cost investment solutions, market-leading expertise and innovative retirement propositions that improve outcomes for long-term investors. This includes supporting the rapidly evolving German retirement market, including occupational pensions (bAV), private retirement solutions and the emerging digital wealth landscape.

The Role

We are seeking a Sales Executive to drive Vanguard's growth across strategic retirement, -wealth and insurance partnerships in Germany.

The role combines strategic business development, partnership management and subject matter expertise across retirement investing, occupational pensions (bAV), insurance and broader wealth distribution. The successful candidate will work with insurers, platforms, networks, distributors, institutional clients and industry stakeholders to position Vanguard as a leading strategic partner in the German retirement market.

Responsibilities to include

• Strategic Partnership Development: Identify, develop and deepen relationships with insurers, retirement providers, (wealth-) platforms, institutional investors and other strategic partners
• Retirement & Insurance Growth: Drive Vanguard's expansion within occupational pensions (bAV), private retirement solutions, retirement savings initiatives and insurance partnerships
• Business Development: Identify new commercial opportunities, develop business cases and support the launch of innovative partnership models
• Strategic Account Management: Manage and expand key strategic relationships to drive long-term growth and client outcomes
• Industry Leadership: Represent Vanguard in industry forums, conferences and client events while helping shape the future of retirement investing in Germany
• Market Intelligence: Monitor regulatory, competitive and market developments, translating insights into actionable opportunities for Vanguard and its partners
• Internal Collaboration: Work closely with Product, Model portfolio/Investment Strategy, Marketing, Public Policy, and Investment teams to execute growth initiatives

What it takes

• Proven significant experience working in asset management, retirement solutions, insurance, pensions or strategic partnership development
• Strong understanding of the German retirement market, including bAV, wealth-/insurance-based solutions and retirement investing
• Experience working with insurance companies, financial intermediaries, platforms or strategic distribution partners
• Strong commercial mindset with proven business development capabilities
• Excellent relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex strategic opportunities and multiple stakeholder groups
• Fluency in German and English

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong execution capabilities
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to identify and create new growth opportunities
• Strong collaboration skills across international and cross-functional teams
• Recognised subject matter expertise in retirement, insurance or pension-related topics
• Commercial acumen and ability to influence senior decision-makers
• Alignment with Vanguard values: client-first, long-term perspective, low-cost investing and excellence in partnership

Special Factors 

• Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position
• Travel within Germany and occasionally across Europe may be required
• This is a hybrid position and would require you to work in the office 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)

• Please note that we review applications on a rolling basis and may close this role early if there is a high level of interest. To avoid missing out, we recommend applying as soon as possible

Why this role matters

This role is critical to accelerating Vanguard's growth in Germany by building and deepening strategic partnerships across the retirement, wealth, insurance and advisory landscape. The successful candidate will help shape how millions of German investors access retirement solutions while expanding Vanguard's presence in one of Europe's most important long-term savings markets.

Why Vanguard? 

Vanguard is a different kind of investment company. It was founded in the United States in 1975 on a simple but revolutionary idea: that an investment company should manage its funds solely in the interests of its clients. 

This is a philosophy that has helped millions of people around the world to achieve their goals with low-cost, uncomplicated investments. 

It's what we stand for: value to investors. 

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.