Managing Director, Head of Advice & Distribution for Individual Solutions

Principal Financial Group•Charlotte, NC

11h•$242,000 - $328,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We’re looking for an Managing Director, Head of Advice & Distribution to join our Individual Solutions leadership team! In this role you'll be responsible for defining and building an at scale, category-defining advice and distribution platform that delivers high-quality, technology-enabled financial education, guidance, and advice to millions of workplace participants – bridging the gap between retirement, wealth, and holistic financial decision-making. This leader will architect the advice operating system, rules frameworks, tools, planning philosophy, and build and execute a modern distribution engine that integrates human advisors, digital experiences, and strategic internal and external partners into a unified client journey. This leader directly owns the advice roadmap and supporting sales, financial planners, and education services teams. This role serves as the voice of stakeholders (customers, advisors, sales, and internal partners) and translates market needs into strategy, capabilities, and experiences that improve participant outcomes and business performance. You'll have the opportunity to: Advice Strategy & Operating System Build and maintain the multi‑year, differentiated strategy and approach for the enterprise advice operating system, including the rules engine, decision trees, frameworks, and core logic that power advice experiences across channels. Lead the evolution of digital, hybrid, and human-delivered advice experiences to ensure they are modern, scalable, compliant, and differentiated in the market. Oversee product strategy for advice capabilities, ensuring alignment with customer needs, regulatory requirements, and business outcomes. Ensure the operating system supports multiple use cases: point‑in‑time advice, ongoing planning, financial wellness, and education experiences. Partner with Technology to align resources, priorities, and budgets that support ongoing development and modernization. Advice Tech Stack & Roadmap Leadership Own the holistic product roadmap for Advice Delivery tools, digital platforms, advisor desktop/workflow, data integration, and planning capabilities. Translate customer insight, market trends, competitor intelligence, and regulatory considerations into product priorities and business requirements. Collaborate closely with senior leaders and subject matter experts to shape product design and experience evolution, inclusive of build/buy/partner decisions. Present strategy and roadmap to internal stakeholders, senior leadership, customers, and intermediaries. Sales, Financial Advisor & Advice Enablement Lead and scale the Sales, Financial Advisor/Advice teams to ensure advice capabilities drive measurable engagement and sales outcomes, including digital, advisor, hybrid, and referral enabled advice delivery. Lead development of sales‑aligned advice moments (e.g., point‑in‑time sales triggers, planning opportunities, and advice‑supported product positioning). Support training and activation strategies to ensure sales teams effectively use and communicate advice capabilities. Serve as an advocate for distribution teams—ensuring their needs inform product and operating system priorities. Internal & Market Voice‑of‑Customer Leadership Collect and synthesize insights from customers, advisors, intermediaries, and internal partners to influence strategic direction. Maintain a strong understanding of industry trends, competitive offerings, and emerging advice models. Represent the organization externally at industry events, client meetings, and partner engagements where advice capabilities are central. Operating at the intersection of financial services and technology, Principal builds financial tools that help our customers live better lives. We take pride in being a purpose-led firm, motivated by our mission to make financial security accessible to all. Our mission, integrity, and customer focus have made us a trusted leader for more than 140 years!

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; advanced designations or degree preferred.
15+ years of relevant experience in financial services, wealth/retirement planning, advice delivery, digital product leadership, or related fields.
Proven success leading cross‑functional strategy, product development, or large‑scale operating models.
Strategic thinker with the ability to translate complexity into clear strategies and priorities.
Strong understanding of financial planning, advice frameworks, and digital/hybrid guidance models.
Excellent verbal, written, and executive‑level presentation skills.
Ability to influence across organizational boundaries and build strong relationships with sales, technology, and product teams.
Demonstrated leadership in ambiguous, fast‑changing environments with the ability to make tradeoff decisions.
High degree of analytical and problem‑solving capability, including turning insights into business requirements.
Systems thinker, builder mindset, strong commercial and fiduciary mindsets
Operator at enterprise/board level
Comfortable navigating large, matrixed organizations and partnerships
FINRA Series 6/7/66 preferred (or willingness to obtain).
Travel required, including overnight stays.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain the multi‑year, differentiated strategy and approach for the enterprise advice operating system, including the rules engine, decision trees, frameworks, and core logic that power advice experiences across channels.
Lead the evolution of digital, hybrid, and human-delivered advice experiences to ensure they are modern, scalable, compliant, and differentiated in the market.
Oversee product strategy for advice capabilities, ensuring alignment with customer needs, regulatory requirements, and business outcomes.
Ensure the operating system supports multiple use cases: point‑in‑time advice, ongoing planning, financial wellness, and education experiences.
Partner with Technology to align resources, priorities, and budgets that support ongoing development and modernization.
Own the holistic product roadmap for Advice Delivery tools, digital platforms, advisor desktop/workflow, data integration, and planning capabilities.
Translate customer insight, market trends, competitor intelligence, and regulatory considerations into product priorities and business requirements.
Collaborate closely with senior leaders and subject matter experts to shape product design and experience evolution, inclusive of build/buy/partner decisions.
Present strategy and roadmap to internal stakeholders, senior leadership, customers, and intermediaries.
Lead and scale the Sales, Financial Advisor/Advice teams to ensure advice capabilities drive measurable engagement and sales outcomes, including digital, advisor, hybrid, and referral enabled advice delivery.
Lead development of sales‑aligned advice moments (e.g., point‑in‑time sales triggers, planning opportunities, and advice‑supported product positioning).
Support training and activation strategies to ensure sales teams effectively use and communicate advice capabilities.
Serve as an advocate for distribution teams—ensuring their needs inform product and operating system priorities.
Collect and synthesize insights from customers, advisors, intermediaries, and internal partners to influence strategic direction.
Maintain a strong understanding of industry trends, competitive offerings, and emerging advice models.
Represent the organization externally at industry events, client meetings, and partner engagements where advice capabilities are central.

Benefits

Flexible Time Off (FTO) is provided to salaried (exempt) employees and provides the opportunity to take time away from the office with pay for vacation, personal or short-term illness. Employees don’t accrue a bank of time off under FTO and there is no set number of days provided.
Pension Eligible

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