AVP, IT Finance & Partner Management

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.

• Oversee IT financials – responsible for forecasting, spend reporting, and budgeting in a complex environment with spend over $100M. This will entail working closely with colleagues in Finance and all IT departments. Activities might include restructuring of IT’s chart of accounts and allocations to internal customer groups.
• Manage and negotiate IT contracts – responsible for negotiations and contracting for all technology-related contracts including collaborating with Legal, other departments, and executive leadership.
• Manage and improve supplier governance – improve the value delivered by suppliers and mature overall supplier management discipline.
• CPA is required for this role.
• This position is not a remote role; it requires working in the Dallas office.

Candidates for this role must be self-starters who can operate with a high degree of autonomy, collaborate effectively, and consistently show sound business judgment. Candidates should have demonstrated success in managing IT suppliers at large scale (hundreds of personnel), including offshore consultants. Ideal candidates will have demonstrated success in improving IT supplier management processes and tools. All candidates should be comfortable understanding and helping to negotiate complex, multi-$M, multi-year technology contracts.

Candidates must have financial reporting and accounting experience, have demonstrated success in managing technology financial reporting, and hold a CPA certification. Candidates must also have experience directly leading and managing a team. This role will be the current leader’s successor within the next two years.

• Partner with the CIO and other IT leaders to own $150M+ IT expense and capital budget, forecast financial performance, and ensure that spending aligns with business objectives.
• Lead IT’s annual budget preparation process, including budget reviews with senior finance and business executives, drafting communication materials, and supporting the CIO for executive budget reviews.
• Oversee all IT direct spend reporting and analysis, including automation of monthly reports and coordinating with FMG on monthly, quarterly and annual accruals.
• Lead implementation of IT Financial Management system to improve transparency and granularity of IT cost attribution; develop reporting and lead continued analysis of cost drivers and saving opportunities for IT; track achievement of savings for forecasting and budgeting purposes; lead IT showback reporting for business departments and tracking of action plans for cost reductions.
• Oversee IT discretionary spending, such as travel and training.
• Validate forecasts for financial reporting.
• Where appropriate, work with Finance to restructure IT’s chart of accounts and allocation of expenses to consuming customer groups.

• Establish and enforce IT’s contract policy and standards, including implementing and managing the process for all technology contract reviews to address key third-party risks.
• Lead, provide oversight, or assist in terms negotiations, pricing negotiations, and service level agreements for multi-million-dollar and multi-year technology agreements including MSAs, SOWs, outsourcing agreements and software. Assure alignment with NLG policies and standards, approximately…