Analyst, Application Development - Product & Inforce Systems

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 Analyst, Application Development - Product & Inforce Systems provides business and technical expertise across National Life Group's Life & Annuity Product & Inforce application environment. This role applies specialized knowledge of insurance products, business processes, system logic, and application dependencies to analyze complex needs, assess impacts, and support effective technology solutions across product, inforce, illustration, policy administration, and related platforms.

The Analyst independently manages assigned analysis and delivery activities, evaluates complex circumstances, recommends practical solution approaches, and partners across business, IT, architecture, quality engineering, infrastructure, security, and vendor teams. The role serves as a knowledgeable resource for assigned applications and processes, strengthens documentation and operational knowledge, and provides guidance to stakeholders on system impacts, delivery risks, and implementation considerations.

The ideal candidate brings established Life & Annuity or insurance technology experience, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, sound judgment, and the ability to work effectively with limited information. The successful candidate is comfortable navigating complex systems, adapting existing approaches to new challenges, and building productive relationships with technical and business partners.

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

• Develop and maintain comprehensive working knowledge of assigned Life & Annuity product, inforce, illustration, policy administration, and related application environments.
• Independently analyze business and technology needs and translate them into clear requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, process flows, test scenarios, and implementation plans.
• Perform impact analysis for product changes, inforce enhancements, platform upgrades, regulatory requirements, integrations, production issues, and modernization initiatives.
• Evaluate complex system and process issues, identify root causes and dependencies, and recommend effective solution approaches using available business and technical information.
• Apply sound judgment to determine appropriate actions and exceptions within established policies, procedures, architectural standards, and delivery practices.
• Own assigned analysis and delivery activities from initial discovery through testing, implementation, release readiness, and post-production support.
• Advise business and technology stakeholders on application capabilities, system impacts, dependencies, risks, testing considerations, and implementation options.
• Coordinate activities across internal teams and vendor partners, proactively managing dependencies, open questions, risks, testing needs, and delivery commitments.
• Partner with Product & Inforce leaders, product owners, architects, developers, quality engineering, infrastructure, security, vendors, and business stakeholders to resolve complex delivery and production issues.
• Create and maintain process documentation, system documentation, runbooks, decision records, and knowledge-transfer materials that strengthen organizational understanding of Product & Inforce systems.
• Provide guidance and knowledge sharing to colleagues on assigned applications, business processes, system dependencies, and established delivery practices.
• Identify and recommend improvements to application processes, documentation, delivery methods, controls, and team efficiency, including responsible use of approved AI tools where appropriate.
• Communicate recommendations, issues, risks, and decisions clearly to technical and non-technical audiences, including senior internal and external partners.
• All other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Business, Finance, or a related field and 5 or more years of related experience; advanced degree and 2 or more years of related experience; or 9 or more years of total equivalent relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated experience in Life & Annuity insurance, financial services technology, actuarial systems, illustration systems, product systems, policy administration, business systems analysis, product implementation, or related technology delivery.
• Working knowledge of Life & Annuity products and one or more related domains such as inforce processing, illustrations, policy administration, actuarial systems, product configuration, commissions, or distribution systems.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex business processes, system logic, data flows, calculations, rules, integrations, dependencies, and downstream impacts.
• Experience independently developing requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, process documentation, test scenarios, implementation plans, or production-support analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate complex issues, work effectively with incomplete information, identify alternatives, and recommend practical solutions.
• Experience coordinating work across business stakeholders, application teams, vendors, architecture, infrastructure, security, and quality engineering.
• Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, written and verbal communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to independently manage assigned deliverables while escalating significant risks, exceptions, and decisions appropriately.
• Must have lawful authorization to work in the United States without current or future visa sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Agile technology delivery and software development lifecycle practices.
• Working knowledge of SQL, APIs, batch processing, COBOL, JCL, DB2, mainframe environments, integrations, or insurance policy administration technologies.
• Experience with any of the following systems:
  • Vantage, wmA, FAST, ALIP, CyberLife, LifePro, LifeSys, LifeCAD, Product Wizard, illustration systems, actuarial systems, or comparable Life & Annuity platforms.
• Experience supporting product launches, inforce initiatives, regulatory changes, platform upgrades, modernization efforts, or complex production issues within a Life & Annuity environment.
• Experience advising business and technical stakeholders on application impacts, dependencies, solution alternatives, or implementation considerations.
• LOMA, FLMI, actuarial coursework, insurance product training, or related industry certification.

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 applicants 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.
• Additional Expectations for AI-Forward Roles

Core Competencies

Service Focus - Demonstrates a client centric focus for satisfying one's external and/or internal customers; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.

Decision Making - Makes sense of complex information, critically evaluates, and creates solutions.

Results Oriented - Sets performance and personal goals; Driven to meet or exceed goals and objectives.

Plans and Aligns - Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals; Aligns people and skills to tasks and assignments; Evaluates results of work.

Demonstrates Learning Agility - Enhances skills and knowledge through continuous learning; Focuses on personal results by establishing stretch goals; Seeks feedback and changes accordingly.

Establishes Relationships - Builds partnerships with others to instill trust, collaborate, and meet shared objectives.

Communicates Effectively - Actively listens, conveys messages to meet different audience needs, and remains open to new ideas and opinions.

Fosters Diversity - Values diversity and difference in thought, experience, and perspective; Promotes an environment that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion; Supports equal and fair treatment for all.

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!

Base Pay Range . The base pay range for this position is the range National Life reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety of factors, including: prior experience and job-related knowledge; education, training and certificates; current business needs; and market factors. The final salary or hourly wages offered may be outside of this range based on other reasons and individual circumstances.

Additional Compensation and Benefits . The total compensation package for this position may also include a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave), dependent on the position offered. The successful candidate may also be eligible to participate in National Life’s discretionary annual incentive programs, subject to the rules governing such programs. If hired, the employee will be in an "at-will position" and National Life reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

National Life is accepting applications for this role on an ongoing basis and the role remains open until filled.

Salary Pay Range

$90,000—$132,000 USD

National Life Group® is a trade name of National Life Insurance Company, Montpelier, VT – founded in 1848, Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, Addison, TX – chartered in 1955, and their affiliates. Each company of National Life Group is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. Life Insurance Company of the Southwest is not an authorized insurer in New York and does not conduct insurance business in New York. Equity Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, is a Broker/Dealer and Registered Investment Adviser affiliate of National Life Insurance Company. All other entities are independent of the companies of National Life Group.

Fortune 1000 status is based on the consolidated financial results of all National Life Group companies.

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National Life Group

1 National Life Dr

Montpelier, VT 05604