Sr. Relationship Manager
National Life Insurance Company · Addison, Texas, United States · Montpelier, Vermont, United States
Come join one of America’s fastest-growing insurance companies. Since 1848, National Life Group has aimed to keep our promises, providing families with stability in good times and in bad. Throughout that history, we have provided peace of mind to those families as they plan their futures.
Our mission extends beyond the insurance and annuities policies that we offer. We strive to make the world a better place through our grants from our charitable foundation, paid volunteer time for our employees, environmentally sustainable and healthy workplaces, and events that promote the work of nonprofits in our own backyard.
We foster a collaborative environment with opportunities for growth and encourage our associates to live our values: Do good. Be good. Make good.
Please note that we do not offer visa sponsorship for this position.
Role Summary
The Sr. Relationship Manager owns the onboarding, operational relationship, and business readiness for assigned Distribution partners, ensuring NLG delivers a coordinated, effective experience that enables the field to grow, adopt new capabilities, and serve customers well. Operating across Distribution and Service & Operations, the role leads an area of relationship accountability and applies broad expertise across distribution, operations, technology, training, and quality-of-business disciplines.
The Sr. Relationship Manager develops deep knowledge of assigned partners' business models, operating practices, technology, service expectations, and growth priorities. Using this understanding, the role establishes relationship plans and operating approaches, acts autonomously on most decisions, and mobilizes the appropriate functional partners to resolve complex cross-functional issues. The role converts partner insight into recommendations that improve processes, capabilities, training, technology, and the overall partner experience, and communicates results effectively to leaders across disciplines.
The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of life insurance and/or annuity distribution and operations, exercises independent judgment in ambiguous situations, and influences outcomes without direct authority. Success is measured by partner adoption, improved experience, reduced friction, and business impact, not simply completion of activity.
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
- Own the operational health, readiness, and experience of assigned Distribution relationships, serving as a primary connection between partners and CIG.
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of each partner's structure, business practices, growth priorities, technology, service expectations, training needs, and quality-of-business considerations.
- Establish and manage relationship plans, governance routines, service expectations, communication approaches, and operating practices, building formal networks with partners and internal functional teams.
- Contribute to the development of department objectives and policies for how CIG supports Distribution partners, and set short-term goals (one year or less) for the area of accountability aligned with those objectives.
- Anticipate emerging operational requirements and engage the appropriate functional teams before they become significant partner or business issues.
- Lead the Operations experience for partner onboarding and significant business, product, process, or technology changes from planning through stabilization.
- Establish readiness plans that integrate milestones, responsibilities, dependencies, education, communications, risks, and success measures.
- Translate operational and technology changes into clear business implications and practical guidance for Distribution partners.
- Monitor adoption, early performance, and partner feedback; identify barriers and drive adjustments when intended outcomes are not achieved.
- Lead resolution of complex partner matters that span functions by framing the business issue, clarifying accountability, aligning stakeholders, and maintaining momentum through closure.
- Act autonomously on most decisions, using independent judgment to determine when established approaches are sufficient and when new solutions, escalation, or leadership decisions are required.
- Influence timelines and expectations and negotiate priorities within the department when partner needs conflict with other demands.
- Maintain visibility to material commitments, risks, dependencies, and decisions, and communicate results effectively to stakeholders and leaders across disciplines.
- Balance Distribution advocacy with customer, regulatory, risk, operational, financial, and enterprise considerations.
- Integrate operational metrics, partner feedback, adoption results, service trends, and quality-of-business information into a consolidated view of relationship performance.
- Distinguish isolated events from recurring patterns and translate material themes into recommendations for process, technology, training, communication, or service improvements.
- Lead or support root-cause analysis and cross-functional improvement efforts that reduce recurring friction and improve scalability.
- Demonstrate the value of relationship management through stronger partner confidence, improved adoption, reduced handoffs, timely resolution, and measurable operating improvements.
- All other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree and 11 or more years of related work experience, OR an advanced degree and 8 or more years of related experience, OR 15 or more years of total equivalent work experience.
- Related experience in life insurance, annuities, financial services, relationship management, distribution support, Operations, business readiness, or a related field.
- Strong knowledge of life insurance and/or annuity distribution and the operational processes supporting new business, underwriting, policy issuance, service, and field support.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex partner relationships, onboarding, operational initiatives, or cross-functional problem solving.
- Ability to independently evaluate ambiguous business issues, identify appropriate approaches, and influence outcomes without direct authority.
- Experience using operational metrics, partner insight, and business context to identify trends and recommend improvements.
- Strong written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills with the ability to communicate effectively with senior internal and external stakeholders.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and significant areas of accountability in a matrixed environment.
- Ability to travel as needed.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and relevant collaboration, CRM, workflow, and reporting tools.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting Field Leaders, agencies, advisors, key accounts, or other Distribution-facing relationships.
- Knowledge of different distribution models such as MLM, IMO, Direct, Brokerage, or comparable structures.
- Experience with business readiness, implementation planning, testing, adoption, and post-implementation assessment.
- Experience leading continuous-improvement or cross-functional change initiatives.
- LOMA, LIMRA, project-management, process-improvement, change-management, or other relevant professional certification.
AI Proficiency Expectations (All roles):
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