Director, Annuity Initiatives

Director, Annuity Initiatives

Purpose of role:
This role is responsible for leading the end‑to‑end planning, execution and change management for all annuity commercial initiatives. It oversees cross‑functional programs including product launches, product enhancements and annuity initiatives that do not require IT resources. The role serves as the central point of coordination between Product, Marketing, Distribution, Finance, IT, Operations, Legal, Compliance, and Risk to ensure initiatives are delivered on time, with appropriate change management, within scope, and aligned with enterprise objectives.

The position requires strong annuity business knowledge, excellent leadership and collaboration skills, and structured program management discipline.

• Lead large‑scale, cross‑functional annuity initiatives from concept to implementation through the development, monitoring and execution of implementation plans; work closely with IT PMO, where applicable.
• Establish program charters, governance structures, timelines, and success metrics.
• Manage interdependencies across multiple work streams and business units.
• Own stakeholder experience (agent, member and employee) through the creation and implementation of a change management plan.
• Foster a culture where end‑user concerns are considered from the onset to the end of projects.
• Proactively identify and mitigate risks to ensure timely and successful delivery.
• Co‑facilitate steering committee meetings with IT PMO while providing clear executive‑level reporting.
• Align stakeholders on scope, priorities, and resource allocation.
• Escalate issues appropriately and drive resolution across departments.
• Drive continuous improvement across product development and implementation processes.
• Monitor post‑implementation results and ensure transition to business‑as‑usual operations.
• Promote and ensure strong documentation and controls.
• Lead and mentor team supporting the annuity business as it grows.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Project Management, or Mass Communication.
• Strong understanding of annuity (or life) product lifecycle including pricing, filing, implementation, and distribution.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification required.
• MBA in Executive Management preferred.
• 10+ years of project management experience.
• 3+ years of annuity (or life) program management experience.
• Exceptionial organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience managing complex timelines and resource plans across all business areas.

Salary:
The actual base salary for this position will depend on several factors, including job‑related skills, experience, and education. In addition to base pay, eligible employees may participate in a discretionary variable incentive plan; results are subject to both individual and company performance.

Equal Opportunity Employment and Inclusion – at Foresters Financial, we are committed to sustaining an equal opportunity environment for all job applicants. We embrace Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) as a core strategic objective for building strong, innovative teams in which all our employees can show up wholly and authentically as themselves.