Relationship Manager

Relationship Manager

The Relationship Manager will strengthen strategic distribution partnerships across the life insurance and annuity industry, helping partners operate more effectively and achieve sustainable business growth. Acting as the operational bridge between distribution partners and internal service, operations, and technology teams, this role will lead onboarding, business readiness, and ongoing relationship development. The successful candidate will anticipate partner needs, coordinate cross-functional initiatives, and turn operational challenges into practical, scalable improvements. By combining insurance industry expertise, analytical thinking, and strong relationship management, the Relationship Manager will improve partner confidence, technology adoption, service quality, and overall business performance. This is an opportunity for a proactive professional to influence strategic priorities, lead complex initiatives, and deliver measurable results in a collaborative, evolving environment. The position is ideally based near Addison, Texas, or Montpelier, Vermont, with a hybrid arrangement; remote work may be considered for candidates outside reasonable commuting distance.

Accountabilities

• Own the operational health, business readiness, and overall experience of an assigned portfolio of distribution partners, strengthening relationships and supporting retention and growth.
• Develop a detailed understanding of each partner's organizational structure, business model, operating practices, technology, training needs, service expectations, growth priorities, and quality-of-business objectives.
• Establish relationship plans, short- and medium-term goals, governance routines, and communication strategies aligned with distribution and operational priorities.
• Coordinate marketing, sales, service, and support resources to deliver a consistent, connected experience across internal teams.
• Anticipate emerging partner needs and engage relevant stakeholders early to prevent operational challenges and minimize business disruption.
• Lead operational onboarding and readiness for significant business, product, process, and technology changes, from initial planning through implementation and stabilization.
• Build comprehensive readiness plans covering milestones, ownership, dependencies, training, communications, risks, and success measures.
• Represent partner needs throughout implementation planning, testing, training, communications, and post-launch assessments, translating operational and technology changes into clear business implications and actionable guidance.
• Monitor adoption, early performance, partner feedback, and operational outcomes; identify barriers and implement adjustments when expected results are not achieved.
• Lead the resolution of complex, cross-functional partner issues by clarifying responsibilities, aligning stakeholders, managing escalations, and driving solutions through completion.
• Exercise independent judgment to determine when existing processes are sufficient and when new approaches, escalation, or leadership decisions are required.
• Balance partner advocacy with customer needs, regulatory obligations, risk management, operational constraints, financial considerations, and enterprise priorities.
• Consolidate operational metrics, service trends, adoption data, partner feedback, and quality-of-business indicators to assess relationship performance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Lead or support root-cause analysis and continuous-improvement initiatives that address recurring friction and enhance service delivery.
• Prepare presentations, executive briefings, and recommendations that communicate relationship health, commitments, risks, and opportunities to senior stakeholders.
• Use approved AI tools responsibly to improve productivity and work quality, validating outputs and safeguarding confidentiality, data privacy, security, compliance, and intellectual property.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree with at least 8 years of related experience; an advanced degree with at least 5 years of related experience; or 12 or more years of equivalent professional experience.
• Relevant experience in life insurance, annuities, financial services, relationship management, distribution support, operations, business readiness, or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of the life insurance and annuity industry, distribution practices, market trends, competitive dynamics, and the operational requirements associated with different agency structures.
• Understanding of life insurance and/or annuity distribution processes, including new business, underwriting, policy issuance, policy servicing, and field support.
• Familiarity with distribution models such as multi-level marketing (MLM), independent marketing organizations (IMOs), direct distribution, and brokerage.
• Demonstrated success managing complex partner relationships, leading onboarding activities, coordinating operational initiatives, or resolving cross-functional business challenges.
• Strong creative problem-solving skills and the ability to develop practical, scalable solutions for ambiguous or emerging business needs.
• A proactive, results-oriented approach, with the ability to identify opportunities independently and move initiatives from concept through execution and measurable outcomes.
• Sound judgment and decision-making skills, including the ability to navigate ambiguity and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
• Experience interpreting operational metrics, partner insights, and business context to identify trends, understand performance drivers, and recommend improvements.
• Experience developing business cases, strategic recommendations, or initiatives that influence operational or technology priorities.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple responsibilities in a matrixed environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and relevant collaboration, customer relationship management (CRM), workflow, and reporting tools.
• Willingness and ability to travel as business needs require.
• Preferred experience supporting field leaders, agencies, advisors, key accounts, or other distribution-facing relationships.
• Preferred experience in strategic account management, partner onboarding, relationship governance, executive partner engagement, and cross-functional service coordination.
• Preferred experience with business readiness, implementation planning, testing, adoption, post-implementation assessment, or continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with advisor-facing platforms, CRM systems, digital application platforms, workflow tools, document-management systems, or sales-enablement technology is an advantage.
• Relevant professional certifications in insurance, project management, process improvement, or change management are beneficial.
• Demonstrated learning agility, customer focus, relationship-building ability, effective communication, results orientation, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to use AI-enabled tools thoughtfully, review and validate AI-generated content, and maintain accountability for the accuracy, fairness, quality, and integrity of work.

Benefits:

• Annual base salary: $93,750–$137,500 USD. The final offer may vary based on relevant experience, job-related knowledge, education, training, certifications, business needs, market conditions, and individual circumstances.
• Health and financial benefits: Access to medical and other benefit programs, depending on the position offered.
• Retirement benefits: 401(k) eligibility, subject to the applicable plan terms.
• Paid time off: Various paid leave benefits, including vacation, sick time, and parental leave, depending on eligibility and applicable policies.
• Potential additional compensation: Eligibility to participate in discretionary annual incentive programs, subject to the applicable program rules.
• Flexible benefits: Benefits begin on the first day of employment and offer options designed to support employees' and their families' needs.
• Work flexibility: A hybrid arrangement is preferred for candidates near Addison, Texas, or Montpelier, Vermont. Remote work may be considered for candidates who live outside a reasonable commuting distance.
• Professional growth: Opportunities to collaborate across teams, lead strategic operational initiatives, and develop expertise in insurance distribution and partner experience.