Senior Product Manager

Overview

Provides support for product development, enhancement and maintenance for annuity product lines distributed by Enterprise business units (BUs) and life products distributed by W&S Financial Group Distributors. Manages a variety of projects, serving as the single point of contact. Leads/coordinates all aspects of projects, including planning and scheduling, scope, communication, issue, risk, resource, change and quality management. Utilizes expertise to direct associates and to ensure project goals and requirements are met. The position also involves a significant amount of coordination for the on-boarding of group pension transactions, involving work with Law for contracting, Treasury for the receipt of funds, Accounting for payment of commissions and Insurance Operations and Information Technology for the acceptance of data and the completion of the onboarding process. Individual is expected to be a "student of the industry" and maintain/acquire detailed knowledge from multiple disciplines. Industry designations preferred. Responsible for multiple components of business development and support, including initiating business cases and training activities. Expected to build and maintain productive working relationships both internally and externally, and may represent W&S in industry groups and forums. Works with minimal supervision and is responsible to independently make a broad range of critical decisions, escalating to senior management when appropriate.

Responsibilities

What you will do:

• Product Development Initiates research, development and enhancements for annuity products distributed through Enterprise. Prepares business cases and product specifications for the enterprise committees as appropriate (e.g., ERMC). Represents BUs on Product Assessment and Execution teams in connection with Enterprise annuity and W&SFGD life product development and enhancement projects. Responsible for competitive intelligence analysis and management summaries, coordinating with the Enterprise Senior Competitive Intelligence & Retention Specialist, as needed. Jointly coordinates new product launches and product enhancements with shared services areas including Marketing to ensure effective and timely implementation. Leads efforts to develop and/or enhance processes and procedures to improve operating efficiencies and customer experience. Leads efforts to develop and enhance product illustrations, including identification and documentation of product specs and associated business rules, UAT testing of design and functionality, and production support (maintenance and error identification/resolution). Assists Marketing with idea generation and planning for product-specific sales ideas and marketing materials. Manages new partner implementation of solutions. Provides operational and technical expertise to partners. Interacts with internal and external sales staff, communicating product information, providing technical sales support and capturing product feedback.
• Product Maintenance Expected to communicate regularly and develop effective working relationships with shared services to support product enhancements and maintenance. Acts as primary liaison between Marketing and Sales in the development of product materials that support and promote annuity products distributed by Enterprise BUs. Accountable for the review and update of product rates throughout all communication medium (including oversight for the rate and product content updates for third-party illustration and product vendors). Provides information necessary in the development of contracts, endorsements, riders and prospectuses, as applicable. Coordinates and/or facilitates meetings at the direction of the VP or AVP of Product Management. Coordinates sales reporting efforts and communicates results to internal and external customers. Responsible for the update and distribution of underlying fund prospectuses, reports, supplements and company financials for variable annuity products. Oversees subaccount monitoring and proxy activities. Responsible for revisions to product-related correspondence (e.g., statements and confirmations) resulting from product development, pricing changes, legislative updates, systems and operational changes (including errors). Responsible for rate change communications, renewal rate updates and variable annuity performance. Manages the forms maintenance process, seeking feedback from subject matter experts (AOD, Actuarial, Law, Compliance), incorporating sales feedback, driving execution through Document Management, coordinating paperwork kit, website and third-party updates, and communicating to affected areas (e.g., Bus. Technology - platforms and illustrations, ECM). Accountable for providing and maintaining proprietary product information displayed by all third-party services.
• Pension Risk Transfer (PRT) Manages the Request for Quote (RFQ) process including bid solicitation, metrics tracking, rate updates, and status communications to the management and operation teams. Manages the Consultant bidding process including RFQ communications to the evaluation team, coordination of W&S/Consultant interactions, sharing bidding process outcomes, management of purchase agreement execution, development and distribution of GAC contracts/certificates, and payment setup for winning bids. Supports due diligence materials and questionnaires from external consultants. Supports the development of marketing opportunities for PRT, including marketing plans for the consultants. Develops and implements process improvements to ensure all client and consultant services and maintenance functions are scalable as the institutional business grows.
• Training Responsible for product training for Enterprise sales teams (Sales Desks, RVPs, Relationship Management, CRC) including creation of schedules and curriculum (material identification, content delivery, quizzes, reinforcement), coordinating vendor updates, and maintaining department documentation. Supports product/competitive positioning, working closely with sales management and the Enterprise Senior Competitive Intelligence & Retention Specialist. Coordinates training for third-party vendor tools and related procedures. Maintains user records. Consults with other Company training areas to avoid duplication of effort and to share best practices including technology (e.g., Business Quality Assurance , AOD, Sales Desks).
• Other Stays current on industry trends through industry publications, research and participation in sales meetings and activities. Expected to obtain and maintain all appropriate securities and insurance licenses.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with all policies and standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or commensurate selection criteria experience - Required
• 5-10 years of proven experience working with products within the financial services industry, preferably with multiple sales channels. - Required
• Demonstrated experience identifying and quantifying problems and providing effective resolutions. - Required
• Proven experience managing outside vendors (or equivalent). - Required
• Demonstrated experience maintaining a calm and professional demeanor when handling demanding situations, such as prioritizing multiple tasks with critical target dates, dealing with demanding customers and participating in discussions with limited preparation time. - Required
• Demonstrated ability to effectively interact and communicate with all levels of management. - Required
• Proven strong ability to analyze complex technical and operational issues. - Required
• Proven technical knowledge of insurance product design, industry trends and administration as well as applicable securities, tax and state insurance laws. - Required
• Cites examples of organizational skills and methods used to manage and prioritize workload demands. - Required
• Demonstrated strong attention to detail. - Required
• Proven ability to construct, quantify and defend a business case. - Required
• Demonstrated ability to receive, organize and manage large amounts of diverse information and documentation. - Required
• Cites examples of independent decision-making and initiative. - Required
• Proven excellent verbal and written communication skills with ability to convey information in a clear, focused and concise manner. - Required
• Working knowledge of database and web-based applications. - Required
• State life and health insurance licenses. Upon Hire - Required
• Series 6 and 63 Upon Hire - Required

Work Setting/Position Demands:

• Works in an office setting and remains in a stationary position for long periods of time while working at a desk, on a computer or with other standard office equipment, or while in meetings.
• Requires the ability to verbally communicate and exchange accurate information to customers and associates on a regular basis.
• Requires visual acuity to read and interpret a variety of correspondence, procedures, reports and forms via paper and electronic documents, visual inspection involving small defects; small parts, and/or operation of machinery (including inspection); using measurement devices continuously. Visual acuity is required to determine accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of work assigned.
• Requires the ability to prepare written correspondence, reports and forms using prescribed formats and conforming to rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style on a regular basis.
• Requires the ability to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
• Performs substantial movement of wrists, hands, and fingers for continuous computer work.
• Extended hours required during peak workloads or special projects/events.

Travel Requirements:

• None