Distribution Strategy Market Management Lead - Group

Guardian's Group Benefits Market Management Team is looking for a Distribution Strategy Market Management Lead to help support and advance this well-established and growing team! In this role, you will work closely with our field sales, client management, underwriting, pricing, and other production areas to enable Guardian’s Group Benefits business to achieve its strategic goals by formulating and executing on strategies to win in market.

As the Distribution Strategy Market Management Lead, you will be accountable for coordinating and developing localized market deep dives and assessments to understand regional performance drivers and collaborating with Distribution, Underwriting, Product, Pricing, and Marketing to develop and execute strategies that achieve business objectives and growth goals within those markets. Additionally, you will be responsible for identifying and executing new and unique growth opportunities to bolster sales, enhancing the go-forward framework to ensure Guardian capitalizes on insights, trends, and opportunities in the sales planning process, and using data and analytics to understand historical performance to unlock localized growth opportunities within our Distribution organization.

You will report to the Head of Market Management which is part of the broader Distribution organization.

• A self-starter who has a passion for cross-functional collaboration and executing on business strategies.

• Passionate about using quantitative analysis to uncover trends and insights that inform data‑driven strategy and decision‑making, and skilled at communicating these findings to influence key stakeholders and leadership.

• An insightful strategic thinker, capable of developing outside the box and unique solutions to complex business problems.

• Able to apply and adapt corporate strategies to the needs of business segments and partnerships.

• An individual with strong business acumen and excellence in collaboration, presentation, project leadership, change management, communications, coaching, and strategic planning.

• Unafraid to challenge the status quo to ensure Guardian is achieving its business objectives.

• 7+ years of Group Insurance experience (required) with experience in Distribution or Distribution Strategy, Underwriting, Pricing, and/or Product Management.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience;
  Master's degree preferred but not required.

• Expert knowledge of Group Insurance Distribution, Underwriting, and/or Product operating models, with advanced knowledge of overall Group Insurance market dynamics.

• A strong background in leveraging large, disparate datasets to derive quantitative analysis aimed at uncovering localized trends and insights, and partnering with field leaders to develop and execute on strategies to achieve business goals.

• Ability to lead large cross‑functional initiatives, from kick‑off through execution, and ensure alignment among all impacted parties.

• Demonstrable leadership capabilities, with the capacity to use data to influence key stakeholders and senior leadership on recommendations.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills with ability to convey complex topics or strategies to stakeholders and leadership.

• A “roll up your sleeves” mindset and ability to get work done independently when required.

• Strong interpersonal skills and an approachable style.

• Sound judgment and decision‑making ability.

• Ability to accelerate impact and champion change.

• Effective collaboration with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.

• Lead high impact initiatives that align with and move us toward our core business objectives.

• Facilitate market deep dives to understand local market dynamics, gain alignment around historical performance, identify opportunity areas, and develop and track credible action plans.

• Perform extensive quantitative analysis by leveraging internal and external data to identify key insights and trends, and collaborate with field leaders to develop and execute related strategies to win in market.

• Build and apply knowledge of market trends to identify, engage and develop partner solutions to optimize delivery of capability…