Director, New Business Operations

AAA Life Insurance Company•Livonia, MI

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

AAA Life is a respected and trusted American brand that has been focusing on Life Insurance and Annuity Products since 1969. At AAA Life we have over 1.8 million policies where we take pride in earning the trust of our policyholders who understand our promise to be there for them – and their families – when we’re needed most. By joining the AAA Life team, you are joining a company that genuinely cares about helping each other, with a devotion to protect the lives of those around us. We embrace a diverse, equitable, inclusive culture where all associates can feel a sense of belonging and use their unique talents and perspective to influence, innovate, motivate, and thrive. We need an ambitious, curious leader to become the Director, New Business & Underwriting Operations on the Enterprise Operations Team to help drive the biggest change in the company's history. Are you ready to redefine how an entire industry engages with customers? At AAA Life we leverage technology to put human connection at the heart of what we do. If you are someone who thrives on purpose and wants to make a tangible difference in people’s lives when it matters most, then join AAA Life who has the unique ability to access tens of millions of existing AAA customers powered by the strength of one of America’s most trusted brands. We have embarked on a mission to double in size - Becoming one of the largest providers in the US. These facts showcase why we're the right choice: On purpose: a leading professional services firm found that the commitment, empathy and dedication of employees at AAA Life was the highest across a benchmark of top US companies On growth: we have the privilege to offer our products to tens of millions of Americans that are proud members of AAA On making a difference: we serve Americans by delivering life insurance products that make a true difference for families during their hardest times, not wealth management instruments (more details on this during the interview) On culture: USA Today named us 2025 top workplace nationwide. We believe the job of an insurance company is to do good. Our mission is to help our members during what is often the hardest times in their lives. We pick up the phone to people who have lost loved ones and offer our genuine support. That is why we will always put human connection at the heart of what we do - always being there to talk to our members person to person. We believe the job of an insurance company is to pay out. That is what insurance is for. Most of our members have real life policies - policies that bring peace of mind during life, and genuine support in the event of death. We are not here to chase the super-rich with annuities and wealth management products. AAA has been one of the most trusted names in America because it believes in providing the services that middle class Americans need.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Insurance, Finance, or related field.
10+ years of progressive experience in life insurance New Business and Underwriting Operations leadership.
Minimum 7 years of leadership experience managing leaders and operational teams.
Demonstrated expertise in underwriting operations, new business administration, and life insurance processing.
Proven experience partnering with executive sales, distribution, and field leadership.
Experience leading operational improvement, analytics, and transformation initiatives.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree (MBA or related discipline).
FLMI, FALU, ACS, AIRC, or other LOMA designations.
Experience implementing workflow automation, AI-enabled underwriting, RPA, or intelligent document processing.
Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL, or similar analytics platforms.
Lean Six Sigma certification or equivalent process improvement experience.
Experience leading enterprise technology implementations and vendor management.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the strategic vision for New Business and Underwriting Operations aligned with enterprise growth objectives.
Lead end-to-end operations including application intake, case management, underwriting operations, requirements management, policy issue, and operational support.
Build trusted partnerships with executive field leadership, sales leadership, AAA Clubs, and cross-functional business partners to achieve shared business outcomes.
Lead challenging conversations with professionalism, transparency, empathy, and respect while influencing decisions and maintaining productive relationships.
Provide experienced leadership to a well-established team by fostering engagement, accountability, collaboration, and continuous development.
Drive operational excellence through KPI management, service level oversight, capacity planning, workflow optimization, and quality assurance.
Leverage operational analytics, dashboards, and business intelligence to improve placement ratios, cycle times, customer satisfaction, and productivity.
Lead automation and digital transformation initiatives including workflow automation, AI-enabled underwriting capabilities, intelligent case routing, and process modernization.
Partner with Underwriting, Product, Technology, Compliance, Legal, Actuarial, Customer Experience, and Distribution on strategic initiatives.
Oversee relationships with reinsurers, laboratories, paramedical vendors, EHR providers, and technology partners.
Manage budgets, staffing strategies, succession planning, and vendor performance.
Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, company policies, and underwriting governance.