AVP Sales Enablement

Manulife • Time, IL

1d • $120,000 - $208,000 • Remote

About The Position

The AVP, Internal Sales & Support, plays a critical role in facilitating the growth and success of our Annuity sales team. They will be responsible for overseeing and enhancing the internal support services that empower our sales team to excel. Their strategic guidance, leadership, and expertise will contribute to the achievement of our sales targets and the satisfaction of our valued partners. They will play a key role in building, implementing, measuring, and optimizing a world-class support model to meet a multi-year growth strategy. The qualified candidate will have substantial experience in: Annuity Sales or Sales Support activities marked by strong business relationships, skilled leadership, and business results and in leading multidisciplined and multiple teams. Strategic development of support models focusing both internally and externally, with strong operational leadership that delivers firsthand a deep understanding of the sales processes and what drives carrier selection in an intermediary distribution model. Agile and forward thinking to target continuous improvement opportunities and drive execution focused on enhancing and customizing our service delivery to boost the overall sales performance. Individual Accountabilities: 1. Leadership Recruit, retain, and develop top talent for the Annuity Internal Sales desk supporting External Wholesalers, National Accounts, and B2B partnerships. Provide leadership to Directors and Team Leads, ensuring strong direction, coaching, performance management, and engagement. Recruit, retain, and develop a team of Operations Management Consultants who act as liaisons between distribution accounts and operations. Provide technical and regulatory consultative sales leadership. 2. Strategy & Planning Develop and implement strategic plans for the Annuity Sales Support function, ensuring alignment with multi‑year growth and distribution strategies. Deploy tactical day‑to‑day execution that supports the strategic direction of the sales support department. Actively participate in sales preparation processes and go‑to‑market strategies. Leverage industry and product expertise to advise Product & Marketing and provide insights to senior leadership on trends, competitor dynamics, and customer sentiment. 3. Operational Excellence Continuously assess, refine, and improve internal sales support processes to increase efficiency and create a seamless internal/external experience. Oversee quality assurance to ensure all partner and internal interactions meet company standards for quality and compliance. Conduct performance analysis using key metrics and identify opportunities for operational improvement. Prepare and present regular reports to senior management outlining performance, risks, and priority initiatives. Lead the development and delivery of sales training and curriculum, including licensing preparation, call scripting, product knowledge reinforcement, and soft‑skills development. Ensure consistent message delivery across sales support roles and new product lines. 4. Talent & Capability Building Lead the development and delivery of sales training and curriculum, including licensing preparation, call scripting, product knowledge reinforcement, and soft‑skills development. Ensure consistent message delivery across sales support roles and new product lines. 5. Collaboration & Cross-Functional Alignment Foster effective collaboration with Product, Marketing, Analytics, and other internal partners to align on strategic priorities and drive a cohesive sales support model. Provide observations and feedback on marketing materials, presentations, and demos based on real‑time partner insights. 6. Customer & Partner Engagement Develop and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external customers. Address partner concerns, ensuring high‑quality sales value and service delivery. Support customer engagement strategies through insights gathered from team interactions with partners. Key Shared Accountabilities: Partner with Sales and Account Management to provide direction and co-create key measures and achievements to build a cohesive initiative-taking sales support model that considers various internal roles, and external partners' growth strategies and is aligned to overall key strategic directives. Co-design customized support models for new markets and direct B2B relationships. Develop proper sales compensation plans to recognize individual contributions while maintaining a collaborative and balanced team of team model across selling units and roles. Deliver targeted growth strategies aligned to company directives and deliver sales plans.

Requirements

• BS/BA Degree
• 5 + years of leadership experience in a sales organization, with 5+ years’ experience in inbound and outbound call operations and implementation of sales plans across varying groups and support models.
• Superior communication, organizational, presentation, and negotiation skills
• Exceptional team selling sales skills and experience building scalable training curriculums that support talent mobilization.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with specific time deadlines
• Extensive product and industry knowledge
• Maintain relevant licensing - Life/Health, Series 6, Series 26

Responsibilities

• Leadership Recruit, retain, and develop top talent for the Annuity Internal Sales desk supporting External Wholesalers, National Accounts, and B2B partnerships.
• Provide leadership to Directors and Team Leads, ensuring strong direction, coaching, performance management, and engagement.
• Recruit, retain, and develop a team of Operations Management Consultants who act as liaisons between distribution accounts and operations.
• Provide technical and regulatory consultative sales leadership.
• Develop and implement strategic plans for the Annuity Sales Support function, ensuring alignment with multi‑year growth and distribution strategies.
• Deploy tactical day‑to‑day execution that supports the strategic direction of the sales support department.
• Actively participate in sales preparation processes and go‑to‑market strategies.
• Leverage industry and product expertise to advise Product & Marketing and provide insights to senior leadership on trends, competitor dynamics, and customer sentiment.
• Continuously assess, refine, and improve internal sales support processes to increase efficiency and create a seamless internal/external experience.
• Oversee quality assurance to ensure all partner and internal interactions meet company standards for quality and compliance.
• Conduct performance analysis using key metrics and identify opportunities for operational improvement.
• Prepare and present regular reports to senior management outlining performance, risks, and priority initiatives.
• Lead the development and delivery of sales training and curriculum, including licensing preparation, call scripting, product knowledge reinforcement, and soft‑skills development.
• Ensure consistent message delivery across sales support roles and new product lines.
• Foster effective collaboration with Product, Marketing, Analytics, and other internal partners to align on strategic priorities and drive a cohesive sales support model.
• Provide observations and feedback on marketing materials, presentations, and demos based on real‑time partner insights.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external customers.
• Address partner concerns, ensuring high‑quality sales value and service delivery.
• Support customer engagement strategies through insights gathered from team interactions with partners.
• Partner with Sales and Account Management to provide direction and co-create key measures and achievements to build a cohesive initiative-taking sales support model that considers various internal roles, and external partners' growth strategies and is aligned to overall key strategic directives.
• Co-design customized support models for new markets and direct B2B relationships.
• Develop proper sales compensation plans to recognize individual contributions while maintaining a collaborative and balanced team of team model across selling units and roles.
• Deliver targeted growth strategies aligned to company directives and deliver sales plans.

Benefits

• Manulife/John Hancock offers eligible employees a wide array of customizable benefits, including health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage, adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits, and employee/family assistance plans.
• We also offer eligible employees various retirement savings plans (including pension/401(k) savings plans and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources.
• Our generous paid time off program in the U.S. includes up to 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days, 150 hours of vacation, and 40 hours of sick time (or more where required by law) each year, and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive