Associate Director, Life & Annuity Product Systems

National Life Insurance Company•Montpelier, VT

2h•$105,000 - $154,000•Hybrid

About The Position

This position is part of the Life & Annuity Solutions team, which is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing our life and annuity products. The team is at the forefront of delivering innovative solutions that enhance customer experience and drive business growth. This role leads a team of actuarial systems analysts and serves as an enterprise leader in the design, implementation, and support of life insurance and annuity products. The role bridges deep technical expertise with strategic leadership by overseeing the design and execution of actuarial components within policy administration systems, illustration tools, and ancillary platforms. A successful candidate will guide operational problem-solving, production support, and product implementation by applying advanced business knowledge, a strong regulatory mindset, and technical excellence to ensure seamless system integration and inforce policy management, while thriving in a fast-paced environment. As a people leader, this role is accountable for setting direction, establishing short-term goals (1 years or less) aligned to departmental objectives, managing performance, developing talent, and fostering a high-performing, resilient team. This position will report to Actuary, L&A Delivery Solutions. This is more than just a managing business analyst role—it’s an opportunity to influence organization objectives, lead innovation, and represent the team across the enterprise. If you're looking for a role where you can innovate, grow, and make a difference, we’d love to hear from you!

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, finance, computer science or related field Required
Minimum of 11 years of related work experience, OR minimum of 8 years of related work experience with advanced degree
Demonstrated leadership skills, including team development, performance management, and cross-functional engagement required.
Demonstrated strong understanding of life and annuity product mechanics required
Proven ability to read and interpret policy forms, product specifications, and insurance regulations.
Ability to assess regulatory impacts on system design and business operations.
Experience working with Policy Administration and/or Illustration Systems for Life Insurance & Annuities products
Understanding of MS Office suite of applications including very robust Excel capabilities.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Proven ability to influence across organizational levels and functions.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
Exceptional verbal and written communication.

Nice To Haves

Mastery level understanding of product mechanics and calculations, including development of UL, IUL, whole life cash value and death benefit calculations, definition of life insurance and modified endowment calculations, interest theory, and other related actuarial product benefit calculations.
Proficiency in SQL and Alteryx strongly preferred
Leverage approved AI tools, where appropriate, to improve the efficiency, quality, and impact of their work.
Stay curious and open to new AI-enabled ways of working.
Exercise sound judgment by reviewing and validating AI-generated content.
Maintain accountability for the accuracy, quality, fairness, and integrity of work products by adhering to National Life’s AI guiding principles.
Use AI responsibly and in accordance with company policies related to confidentiality, data privacy, security, compliance, retention and intellectual property.

Responsibilities

Serve as a subject matter expert and people leader in product set up, policy mechanics and calculations across multiple systems utilized in the sale and administration of life insurance and annuity contracts.
Apply advanced business and technical knowledge to solve complex implementation challenges and guide cross-functional problem-solving.
Define and clarify product implementation and production challenges.
Recommend solutions, within and beyond the business unit.
Lead creation and modification of test tools and test plans to validate product rates and values on impacted systems.
Oversee team project and product documentation and assign tasks across multiple projects.
Optimize daily operations within the team by leveraging advanced technical expertise.
Estimate resourcing requirements for both projects and ongoing operations, balancing individual team member development goals with project timelines, ensuring both delivery and growth.
Own the design and delivery of robust training and knowledge transfer processes.
Coordinate the creation of training modules, maintain a centralized training library, and actively develop the technical and business acumen of staff.
Research, develop, and implement new testing capabilities and tools to improve work quality and accelerate project delivery, fostering stretch performance and innovation
Lead teams in the delivery of projects
Build broader partnerships with other business units and teams throughout the organization.
Clearly communicate complex calculations and product mechanics to a wide range of stakeholders, including senior leadership.
Own critical decisions that impact team operations, project prioritization, and long-term goals.
Set and manage team schedules.
Coordinate with peer leaders to balance delivery timelines with strategic development opportunities for staff.
Lead performance management for direct reports.
Set clear expectations, provide timely feedback, and hold team members accountable for results.
Coach and mentor team members to strengthen technical depth, grow leadership capabilities, and deliver consistent stretch performance.
Identify and cultivate high potential talent.
Build a sustainable leadership pipeline through succession planning and experiential learning opportunities.
Represent the team in enterprise forums.
Advocate team priorities and clarify goals in alignment with broader business strategy.
Ensure visibility and inclusion of the team’s perspectives in organizational planning.
Monitor team dynamics, and proactively diffuse and resolve team conflicts.
Continually seek ways to improve team culture, cohesion, and performance.