Associate Director, New Business

Please note that we do not offer visa sponsorship for this position.

The Associate Director, Life New Business Operations drives operational performance, leadership effectiveness, and consistent execution across Life New Business teams to deliver an exceptional customer experience. This role leads and develops associates and serves as a trusted mentor and coach to other leaders, regardless of reporting relationships. Working collaboratively with operational leaders, the Associate Director shares accountability for outcomes across the new business lifecycle, from initial application submission through policy placement. The role fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, employee development, and continuous improvement while driving measurable results across service, quality, productivity, capacity, and operational risk.

The Associate Director builds strong relationships with distribution partners and cross-functional stakeholders to understand the selling customer experience and identify operational improvement opportunities. Using customer feedback, performance data, and sound judgment, this role evaluates root causes, prioritizes improvements, and makes informed decisions that balance customer needs, operational efficiency, quality, compliance, and business risk. The Associate Director independently resolves most operational matters within established authority, escalating significant strategic or policy decisions as appropriate.

The Associate Director represents Life New Business Operations in cross-functional initiatives, providing operational expertise, customer insights, and data-informed recommendations. This role leads designated initiatives or collaborates with stakeholders to translate departmental priorities into actionable plans, coordinate execution across teams, support change adoption, and measure results.

This position currently offers an onsite work schedule, with the expectation that you will be in the office four (4) days per week during onsite core days. Our current onsite core days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The work schedule type and core days are subject to change with advance notification and manager discretion.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

People Leadership and Performance Management

• Lead, coach, and develop high-performing Life New Business associates and, where applicable, other people leaders, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, engagement, and customer service excellence.
• Serve as a trusted mentor to emerging and established leaders, regardless of reporting relationships, providing coaching, constructive feedback, and guidance to strengthen leadership capabilities, judgment, and effectiveness.
• Establish clear performance expectations and operational priorities aligned with departmental objectives, holding associates accountable for individual and team results.
• Analyze productivity, quality, and performance trends to identify gaps, determine root causes, and implement targeted coaching, performance improvement, and recovery plans.
• Provide ongoing feedback, recognition, development opportunities, and appropriate delegation to strengthen associate capabilities, leadership effectiveness, adaptability, and sustained performance.
• Oversee staffing, workload capacity, training, and day-to-day execution within assigned areas, collaborating with operational leaders to maintain consistent service, productivity, quality, and risk outcomes.

Customer Experience and Data-Driven Process Improvement

• Build strong partnerships with distribution partners, actively soliciting feedback to understand the selling customer experience, identify friction points, and anticipate service needs.
• Analyze customer feedback and operational data to identify trends, evaluate business impact, determine root causes, and prioritize improvements across teams.
• Apply critical thinking and independent judgment to resolve complex operational issues within established authority, balancing customer experience, efficiency, quality, compliance, and business risk.
• Lead measurable process improvements in partnership with operational leaders and cross-functional stakeholders, establishing action plans, ownership, success measures, and sustainable solutions.
• Coordinate resolution of complex customer and distribution partner escalations, ensuring timely communication, root cause evaluation, and actions to prevent recurring issues.

Cross-Functional Leadership and Shared Operational Accountability

• Collaborate with Life New Business operational leaders to support shared accountability and consistent execution across the new business lifecycle, from initial application submission through policy placement.
• Coordinate with fellow operational leaders to address process gaps, handoff challenges, competing priorities, and operational risks affecting performance across teams.
• Represent Life New Business Operations in cross-functional projects and departmental initiatives, providing operational expertise, customer insights, and data-informed recommendations.
• Lead designated initiatives or collaborate with project teams to evaluate operational impacts, coordinate implementation and team readiness, address risks, support adoption, and measure outcomes.
• Translate departmental priorities into actionable operational plans, aligning execution across assigned responsibilities and collaborating with stakeholders to achieve measurable results.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of Life New Business products, services, systems, and processes to support operational decisions and continuous improvement.
• All other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant professional experience in an operational or service environment.
• Prior formal people management experience, including employee coaching, performance management, and professional development.
• Demonstrated experience coaching, mentoring, and developing other leaders, including the ability to strengthen leadership effectiveness without direct reporting authority.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate operational performance, analyze data, identify root causes, and implement improvements that drive measurable results.
• Strong critical-thinking, decision-making, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and collaborate across teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive experience in life insurance or Life New Business Operations.
• Experience partnering with insurance distribution organizations and understanding the selling customer experience.
• Experience leading complex operational improvements or cross-functional initiatives.
• Advanced knowledge of life insurance new business systems, and processes

AI Proficiency Expectations

At National Life Group, we view AI as an enabler of human potential.  We use AI to help us work smarter, serve more clients, and keep our promises, while remaining a relationship-driven business where our people are our greatest strength.

All associates are expected to:

• Leverage approved AI tools, where appropriate, to improve the efficiency, quality, and impact of their work.
• Stay curious and open to new AI-enabled ways of working.
• Exercise sound judgment by reviewing and validating AI-generated content.
• Maintain accountability for the accuracy, quality, fairness, and integrity of work products by adhering to National Life's AI guiding principles.
• Use AI responsibly and in accordance with company policies related to confidentiality, data privacy, security, compliance, retention, and intellectual property.

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!