AVP, Sales & Distribution - Personal and Small Commercial Lines

Nationwide•Limestone, ME

5d•$157,000 - $293,000•Hybrid

About The Position

This role is for an AVP, Sales & Distribution within Nationwide's Property and Casualty team, focusing on Personal and Small Commercial Lines. The position involves shaping profitable growth, strengthening agency relationships, and executing sales and distribution strategies to achieve market results. The AVP will establish strategy and lead execution for profitable sales, distribution, and agency growth across an assigned region, market, channel, or other span of responsibility. This includes planning and coordinating programs to drive sustainable growth, quality new business, retention, agency strength, and revenue and expense performance in line with company objectives. The role requires leading people, programs, and partnerships by setting strategic direction, developing sales and distribution capabilities, strengthening agency relationships, and aligning internal teams with market opportunities and business priorities. The product scope may include Personal Lines, Small Commercial, or both, and the size and composition of the assigned area will vary based on business needs.

Requirements

Undergraduate studies in insurance, business, finance, marketing, or a related field preferred.
A relevant technical designation or equivalent insurance education is preferred; examples may include CPCU, CLU, or another applicable designation.
Typically, ten or more years of progressively responsible experience in field sales management, insurance distribution, agency management, sales leadership, marketing, underwriting, or related technical insurance work.
Experience leading across multiple disciplines, business units, products, channels, or markets is preferred.
Deep knowledge of the property and casualty insurance industry, sales and distribution systems, agency operations, product strategy, underwriting concepts, rating practices, and market dynamics.
Ability to establish strategic direction, sell and communicate a vision, lead change, drive execution, and connect enterprise priorities to field results.
Strong understanding of sales-program development, agency recruiting and appointment, distribution strategy, training concepts, sales processes, and performance management.
Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and engage talent; build effective teams; optimize diverse perspectives; and create a climate where people are motivated to excel.
Strong business acumen, financial orientation, analytical thinking, competitive intelligence, problem solving, and decision-making skills.
Advanced executive-level communication, presentation, influence, negotiation, consultation, and relationship-management skills.
Ability to communicate effectively with senior executives, boards or governance bodies, agency leaders, associates, and other stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple complex priorities concurrently while maintaining sound judgment, accountability, professionalism, and follow-through.
Strong customer focus, strategic agility, organizational agility, innovation, collaboration, courage, and results orientation.
Proficiency with business intelligence, customer relationship management, reporting, sales-performance, and other technology-enabled tools.
Ability to travel as required to support the assigned span, agencies, distribution partners, industry relationships, and team members.
Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.
Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and HR Business Partner.
Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide Values.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading across multiple disciplines, business units, products, channels, or markets is preferred.

Responsibilities

Establish and communicate strategic direction, priorities, and operating plans for the assigned Personal and Small Commercial sales and distribution scope, aligned with enterprise and business-unit objectives.
Develop integrated sales programs, distribution strategies, market plans, and execution roadmaps that support profitable growth across the assigned product and partner portfolio; recommend production goals, quotas, performance measures, and resource priorities for applicable lines, products, channels, and distribution partners.
Translate priorities into measurable goals for growth, quality new business, retention or persistency, agency strength, revenue, expense, service, and overall business performance; monitor results, market conditions, competitive intelligence, product and pricing dynamics, agency performance, and financial and operating measures to identify opportunities, risks, and corrective actions.
Balance top-line growth with portfolio quality, profitability, retention, customer outcomes, risk management, and targeted returns, and use business insights to adjust priorities and execution.
Build and maintain executive-level relationships with prospective and existing agency leaders, distribution partners, industry organizations, and key internal stakeholders; lead strategies for recruiting, appointment, alignment, development, engagement, and performance management of agencies and distribution partners.
Oversee the acquisition of quality new business and maintenance of policies in force or other applicable retention objectives, and direct the delivery of timely data, information, tools, and insights to agencies and distribution partners throughout the relationship and business-development process.
Lead selection, hiring, training, coaching, evaluation, development, recognition, and compensation processes for the assigned sales and distribution organization in partnership with Human Resources and applicable leaders.
Build a high-performing, diverse, engaged, and customer-focused organization with strong sales capability, product knowledge, business acumen, and professional standards; establish clear accountability, operating expectations, and performance-management practices.
Plan, implement, and communicate policies, procedures, financial budgets, governance expectations, and operating practices that support business objectives and effective execution.
Partner with Product, Underwriting, Claims, Marketing, Technology, Finance, Operations, and other functions to execute strategic priorities, resolve business issues, improve efficiency, and enhance the partner and customer experience.
Provide recommendations to senior leadership on strategic opportunities, market conditions, product and pricing improvements, distribution capabilities, resource needs, and operational efficiencies; lead or sponsor cross-functional initiatives that improve sales effectiveness, distribution reach, agency value propositions, customer retention, and profitable growth.
Represent the organization with relevant industry and professional groups, when appropriate, to build relationships, contribute to policy and practice discussions, enhance company reputation, and create business opportunities.
Communicate strategic intent, performance expectations, policies, financial goals, business results, and change priorities with credibility and clarity to senior leaders, associates, agencies, and external partners.
Ensure activities comply with company policies, procedures, legal and regulatory requirements, underwriting and sales standards, and applicable governance expectations, while promoting sound judgment, accountability, professionalism, and follow-through.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

medical/dental/vision
life insurance
short and long term disability coverage
paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date
nine paid holidays
8 hours of Lifetime paid time off
8 hours of Unity Day paid time off
401(k) with company match
company-paid pension plan
business casual attire