Manager, Operations - Small Commercial Business, Bonds & Private Client

Gregory & Appel Inc•Indianapolis, IN

About The Position

Gregory & Appel is an independent, Indianapolis-based insurance agency seeking a Manager, Operations to lead and develop an internal service team. This role ensures consistent, efficient, and high-quality execution across the organization by providing day-to-day leadership and operational oversight. The Manager, Operations will balance people development, workload management, process excellence, performance accountability, and business objectives. This position partners closely with Producers, Account Executives, Account Managers, Senior Account Managers, and G&A leadership to ensure teams have the necessary structure, resources, processes, and support for an exceptional employee and client experience. Serving as a key connection between frontline teams and G&A's Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Executive Leadership Team (ELT), this role translates organizational priorities into clear expectations and actionable plans. The ideal candidate is a strong people leader adept at building accountable, collaborative, high-performing teams through clear expectations, meaningful coaching, ongoing development, effective workload management, and consistent performance management. This role will specifically focus on leading service teams supporting Small Commercial Business, Surety Bonds, and Private Client accounts, characterized by high transaction volume, fast turnaround expectations, and a client base expecting responsiveness and a polished experience. The ideal leader thrives in a fast-moving, detail-driven environment and excels at building repeatable processes for scalable quality.

Requirements

5+ years of relevant insurance, operations, service, or agency experience, with demonstrated knowledge of the functions and workflows supported by the assigned team.
2+ years of progressive people leadership experience preferred, preferably managing professional service, insurance, account management, operations, or client service teams. This could also include experience training, mentoring, coaching SAM's and/or AM's.
Demonstrated success leading or influencing teams in a fast-paced environment with accountability for service quality, productivity, operational performance, and employee development.
Strong understanding of team workflows, service delivery, process management, and operational best practices.
Proven ability to manage workloads, prioritize competing demands, allocate resources, and improve operational efficiency.
Experience establishing and utilizing metrics, scorecards, and performance data to drive accountability and results.
Experience with agency management systems and/or other technology platforms, with an ability to leverage technology to improve efficiency and reporting.
Strong coaching, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively influence employees, peers, and senior leadership.
Demonstrated ability to manage performance, provide candid feedback, and address difficult employee situations appropriately.
Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to balance strategic priorities with day-to-day operational needs.
Demonstrated commitment to professional development, continuous improvement, and building high-performing teams.
Experience in small commercial, surety bond, and/or personal lines (including high-net-worth or Private Client) service is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop direct reports, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
Establish clear roles, responsibilities, expectations, and performance standards for team members.
Maintain a meaningful and consistent cadence of 1:1 meetings with each direct report, generally weekly or biweekly, focused on priorities, performance, development, obstacles, and support.
Provide ongoing coaching, feedback, mentoring, and recognition to strengthen individual and team performance.
Conduct formal performance reviews/reflections and develop and maintain Individual Development Plans (IDPs) as appropriate.
Address performance concerns promptly and effectively, including setting expectations, providing coaching and corrective feedback, and administering formal performance management when necessary.
Support career pathing and professional development, helping employees understand opportunities for growth and the skills required for advancement.
Identify training needs and ensure team members receive appropriate technical, operational, and professional development.
Evaluate staffing and resource needs based on workload, capacity, business growth, and service requirements.
Recruit, hire, onboard, and develop high-performing team members aligned with organizational needs and culture.
Foster a positive team environment that reflects G&A's Core Values and expectations for professionalism, behavior and collaboration.
Oversee the day-to-day operations of the assigned team or department, ensuring work is completed accurately, efficiently, and within established service standards and timelines.
Monitor and balance workloads and capacity across the team to ensure appropriate resource allocation and consistent service delivery.
Establish and maintain disciplined processes and workflows that promote efficiency, consistency, quality, and scalability.
Identify bottlenecks, backlogs, rework, and inefficiencies and take appropriate action to improve operational performance.
Ensure team members follow established processes, procedures, documentation standards, and agency management system requirements.
Conduct and/or oversee audits and quality assurance activities to promote accuracy, compliance, operational discipline, and service excellence.
Establish appropriate metrics and scorecards to measure team performance, productivity, quality, workload, service levels, and other key operational indicators.
Review metrics regularly, identify trends and opportunities, and hold team members accountable for achieving established expectations.
Provide backup support to Senior Account Managers (SAMs), Account Managers (AMs), or other team members when needed to maintain service continuity.
Ensure appropriate coverage and continuity of operations during periods of high workload, employee absence, or other business needs.
Manage high-volume service workflows such as policy changes, endorsements, certificates, billing questions, and renewals, ensuring quick and accurate turnaround.
Oversee the timely and accurate processing of bond requests, including bid, performance, payment, and license and permit bonds, and ensure effective coordination with Producers, carriers, and clients.
Ensure a consistently high-touch, responsive service experience for Private Client accounts, including coordination across home, auto, umbrella, and specialty personal lines coverages.
Promote strong renewal discipline and cross-line coverage reviews to support client retention and account growth.
Execute and operationalize the vision, priorities, and initiatives established by G&A's Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and Senior Leadership Team (SLT).
Translate organizational goals into clear team priorities, expectations, and action plans.
Serve as a conduit between frontline teams and G&A leadership, communicating effectively in all directions—up, down, and peer-to-peer.
Escalate issues, risks, resource constraints, and opportunities appropriately and in a timely manner.
Serve as a collaborative business partner to Producers, Account Executives, Account Managers, Corporate Service functions, and all of G&A's leadership.
Partner with other leaders to improve cross-functional processes, communication, workflow, and the overall employee and client experience.
Act as an escalation point for complex operational, service, or team-related issues and work collaboratively toward effective resolution.
Provide backup and support to other leaders or teams when appropriate and aligned with business needs.
Establish clear performance expectations and hold team members accountable for results, behaviors, service standards, and adherence to established processes.
Utilize operational metrics, scorecards, quality audits, and other data to assess performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
Regularly communicate performance expectations and results with the team.
Recognize strong performance and address performance gaps promptly and consistently.
Ensure performance management practices are fair, consistent, well-documented, and aligned with company expectations.
Identify trends in team or individual performance and develop appropriate action plans to address opportunities or concerns.
Champion technology, automation, and new initiatives that improve efficiency, accuracy, scalability, and the employee and client experience.
Evaluate existing processes and identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, automate, or improve workflows.
Partner with leadership and appropriate internal resources to implement new technology, processes, and operational initiatives.
Encourage a culture of continuous improvement and openness to new ideas and better ways of working.
Ensure teams effectively adopt and utilize systems, tools, and processes designed to improve operational performance.
Manage the team's or department's budget and expenses in alignment with organizational financial objectives.
Support annual planning, budgeting, staffing, and resource allocation processes.
Manage the administrative processes associated with leading a team, including timekeeping, PTO/FTO, compensation and merit increase recommendations, performance reviews, IDPs, staffing, and other employee-related processes.
Make thoughtful recommendations regarding staffing, compensation, organizational structure, and resource needs based on business requirements and performance data.
Contribute to overall profitability through effective resource utilization, productivity, retention, operational efficiency, and process discipline.
Serve as a role model for the organization and demonstrate G&A's Core Values in daily interactions and decision-making.
Maintain a high level of professionalism, integrity, accountability, and discretion.
Maintain an appropriate level of confidentiality regarding employee, client, financial, and business information.
Promote a culture where employees understand expectations, take ownership of their work, support one another, and are empowered to perform at a high level.
Contribute to a positive, respectful, and collaborative workplace culture.