Business Consultant (Salesforce)

Business Consultant - Salesforce

Are you passionate about being part of a team at a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales that delivers extraordinary care to help individuals and businesses prepare for and protect their future? If so, then Nationwide Financial could be the place for you! At Nationwide, "on your side" goes beyond just words. Our customers and partners are at the center of everything we do and we're looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

The Retirement Solutions (RS) Sales Technology team is driving a bold vision: an intelligent, connected sales ecosystem where Retirement Solutions Distribution associates are empowered by real-time insights, automation, and AI-driven guidance. At the center of this transformation is Salesforce, integrated with advanced AI capabilities that anticipate needs, streamline engagement, and accelerate outcomes.

As a Business Consultant - Salesforce, you will serve as a bridge between business strategy and technical execution. This role requires both strong Salesforce expertise and a consultative mindset: you will design, configure, and optimize solutions while helping internal stakeholders clarify needs, evaluate options, and achieve measurable business outcomes. You will also support deadline-driven and recurring operational work that requires accuracy, process discipline, and dependable follow-through.

You will collaborate closely with stakeholders to translate business requirements into scalable Salesforce solutions that leverage reporting, dashboards, automation, Agentforce, and other AI capabilities. Success in this role depends on balancing technical depth with clear communication, sound project management, and proactive ownership of commitments.

Critical Capability Focus: Salesforce Reporting, Dashboards & AI

Reporting and dashboard expertise: The successful candidate must be strong and proficient in designing, building, maintaining, and enhancing Salesforce reports and dashboards that turn data into clear, actionable insights for internal stakeholders and leaders.

Salesforce AI and Agentforce expertise: The successful candidate should have a strong Salesforce AI background. The Salesforce Certified Agentforce Specialist credential is preferred; candidates who do not already hold it must be willing to obtain it within an agreed-upon timeframe. Equivalent hands-on expertise with Agentforce, intelligent automation, and AI-enabled Salesforce capabilities will also be considered.

Key Responsibilities:

• Configure and maintain Salesforce to support evolving Retirement Solutions business needs, including workflows, automation, and scalable configuration solutions.
• Build, maintain, and enhance Salesforce reports and dashboards that provide actionable insights, support decision-making, and present information in a clear, user-friendly way.
• Apply Salesforce AI and Agentforce capabilities to identify opportunities for intelligent automation, improve user experiences, and support responsible adoption of AI-driven solutions.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to gather requirements, ask effective discovery questions, explain technical concepts in business-friendly language, and recommend practical solutions.
• Manage deadline-driven work and projects by planning tasks, tracking dependencies, communicating status and risks, and staying ahead of commitments rather than waiting for deadlines to become urgent.
• Execute recurring operational activities such as data loads and other scheduled processes with accuracy, consistency, and adherence to documented procedures and controls.
• Document, follow, and improve operational processes so work is repeatable, transparent, and continuously more efficient.
• Act as a trusted advisor by providing recommendations on Salesforce best practices, reporting strategy, emerging capabilities, and opportunities to improve business outcomes.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• Salesforce Administrator experience is required with demonstrated comfort managing Salesforce configuration, workflows, automation, and ongoing platform support.
• Strong and proficient Salesforce reporting and dashboard skills including the ability to design, build, maintain, and improve reports and dashboards for varied stakeholder needs.
• Salesforce Agentforce Specialist certification is strongly preferred along with a strong background in Salesforce AI, Agentforce, intelligent automation, or comparable Salesforce AI capabilities.
• Consultative business perspective with the ability to develop a clear narrative from data and requirements, guide stakeholder conversations, and connect technical recommendations to business value.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex requirements into practical, scalable solutions.
• Effective time and project management skills including the ability to prioritize competing work, organize multiple initiatives, anticipate dependencies, and consistently meet deadlines.
• Proactive ownership and communication with a willingness to surface risks early, provide timely updates, ask clarifying questions, and keep stakeholders informed throughout delivery.
• Operational discipline and attention to detail including the ability to follow established processes for recurring work such as data loads while identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across technical and business teams and explain complex concepts clearly.
• Passion for innovation and leveraging technology while maintaining the judgment, reliability, and process discipline needed to support day-to-day operations.
• Retirement industry knowledge is preferred as it will help you understand the nuances of the business and client needs.

This role does not qualify for employer sponsored work authorization. Nationwide does not participate in the STEM OPT extension program.

It is our intention to fill this role in Columbus, OH. The hired associate must reside within 35 miles of One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus OH, 43215.

This position will be hired on a SuccessFlex basis. You will be required to come into the office, according to the department's current hybrid schedule.

Job Description Summary

We are a versatile group of individuals, working together to meet the needs of our customers. We value knowledge, strong business savvy and contributing to a stellar team dynamic. If you thrive in a busy, engaging work environment, we want to know more about you! As a Consultant, you'll act independently or as a member of a team responsible for establishing a common understanding of the business environment in which a project must be defined, designed, created, deployed, used and supported. You will participate in major process modeling, analysis and design efforts providing business performance management, organizational design and business risk management capabilities to formulate pragmatic, forward facing and impactful business transformation plans.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Partners with senior leaders to transform their businesses through the strategic application of people, processes and technology. Participates in the planning process by identifying complexities, dependencies and duplications.
• Demonstrates expertise in leading business process analysis/design, organizational analysis, needs assessments and cost/benefit analysis to align solutions with business strategies and direction. Consults with functional groups within Nationwide Technology and internal business clients to develop short- and long-term business transformation plans.
• Serves as process management contributor and consultant between business customers and systems area for development and implementation of business processes and procedures. Responsible for communicating to customers, management and external sources.
• Identifies critical elements of a business process that need to be managed. Defines criteria of performance success. Reports performance in a cohesive manner.
• As a team member, participates in analysis and design of organizational structures, roles, responsibilities, governance, staffing and sourcing to support business goals, strategies and process architecture. Provides significant contribution in executing business unit level change.
• Conducts and leads training of customers on business, technological, societal and environmental trends to support strategies for improving business performance.
• Facilitates evaluation and research of new and existing products, procedures and/or workflow needs associated with business systems for the company. Evaluates new technological developments and evolving business requirements, and recommends appropriate systems alternatives and/or enhancements.
• Develops compelling business cases, including gaining senior management input, to accomplish business objectives. Identifies, assesses and mitigates business risks associated with current operating model and/or desired target state operating models.
• May provide direction, training and guidance for less experienced staff. May assign responsibility for tasks, sets clear objectives and monitors progress and results. May monitors project schedules and costs. May develops project plans, work breakdown structures and desired outcomes for overall solution delivery.

Performs other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to Director. This is an individual contributor role and does not have direct reports; may have opportunity to lead projects or teams.

Typical Skills and Experiences:

Education: Undergraduate studies in computer science, management information, business, mathematics or related field desired. Graduate studies are preferred.

Experience: Eight plus years of dynamic experience in planning, designing and implementing company-wide business transformation initiatives. Extensive experience in functional, process, information and data modeling, data management and warehousing and applications integration. In-depth experience with process redesign methods and tools. Three years of experience in project management is preferred.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills : Demonstrated knowledge of standards, methodologies and frameworks, business process management and technology. Sound knowledge of a variety of tools, concepts and techniques. Understanding of new technologies and developments in the technology industry. Detailed knowledge of the system development