Lead - Closed Block Business

Overview:

This role serves as the primary relationship leader and business steward for Securian's closed block business (fully reinsured and third-party administered blocks, including Basin, Ascend, IL DI, and IL LTC). Success in this role is grounded in building strong partnerships, coordinating across a broad stakeholder network, and ensuring the long-term health and effectiveness of the closed block ecosystem. 

As the central point of connection between external partners and internal stakeholders, this role fosters trusted relationships, drives accountability, resolves complex issues, and creates clarity across organizational boundaries. The individual will serve as a strategic coordinator, bringing together expertise from actuarial, finance, legal, compliance, operations, technology, and distribution teams to ensure business objectives are achieved efficiently and effectively. 

These businesses operate within complex administrative, reinsurance, and regulatory structures that require thoughtful oversight and strong partnership management. This role ensures stakeholders remain aligned, governance is effective, and the overall operating model remains stable, resilient, and efficient over time. 

Key Accountabilities:

Serve as the primary relationship owner for third-party administrators, reinsurers, consultants, and other key external partners to drive effective service delivery 

• Lead and develop the closed block finance and accounting team, establishing priorities, building organizational capability, and ensuring successful delivery of financial reporting, projection, expense management, and audit-related outcomes. 
• Strengthen governance, controls, and decision-making frameworks, reducing operational risk and complexity, and improving cross-functional coordination, accountability, and stakeholder alignment. 

Drive a resilient, steady-state operating model  

• Orchestrate the execution of cross-functional initiatives by connecting people, processes, and workstreams across actuarial, finance, technology, legal, compliance, distribution, and operations to ensure efficient and effective delivery. 
• Serve as a trusted advisor who influences, collaborates, and builds alignment across key stakeholders, helping leaders navigate competing priorities, make informed decisions, and achieve desired business outcomes. 

​Provide enterprise leadership and influence to drive successful Closed Block management 

• Monitor external partner performance and service delivery, leveraging service level agreements and established relationships to drive accountability, address issues proactively, and ensure expected outcomes are achieved. 
• Establish trusted partnerships, promote transparency and accountability, and ensure external relationships support the long-term objectives of the closed block business. 

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Build and manage strategic relationships with third-party administrators, reinsurers, consultants, and other key service providers. 

• Serve as the primary point of coordination for the closed block business across internal and external stakeholders. 

• Facilitate resolution of cross-functional issues, helping stakeholders navigate competing priorities and achieve desired outcomes. 

• Establish governance forums, communication structures, performance measures, and escalation pathways. 

• Monitor partner performance and ensure accountability against service expectations and contractual obligations. 

• Lead strategic initiatives and special projects that require coordination across multiple functions and organizations. 

• Identify opportunities to enhance operational effectiveness, improve partner engagement, and reduce complexity. 

• Lead financial reporting, forecasting, audit support, and financial analysis activities  

• Maintain oversight of financial results and emerging trends to support informed business decisions. 

Qualifications:

If this role aligns with your experience and interests, but you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. We are seeking individuals who bring ownership, leadership, and a drive to improve complex systems. 

Required Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated ability to own outcomes in complex, cross-functional environments. 

• Proven ability to lead through influence, coordinating across teams without direct authority. 

• Experience building trusted partnerships with external vendors or third-party service providers. 

• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity independently and working through others. 

• Effective communication skills, including the ability to engage with senior stakeholders. 

• Finance and/or accounting background, with preferred experience in financial reporting, controls, and analysis. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience with reinsurance, third-party administration, or closed block business. 

• Familiarity with life insurance and annuity products. 

• Experience supporting regulatory requests, audits, or governance frameworks. 

• Exposure to M&A integration or large-scale operational transitions.