Operations Manager - Financial Services (RS Quality Assurance) HYBRID

Nationwide•Columbus, OH

11d•$87,000 - $162,000•Hybrid

About The Position

This Operations Manager role sits on the Retirement Solutions Money Out & Resolution Services organization and backfills the Quality Assurance leader role. The broader organization includes Money Out East, Money Out West, Money Out Central, Beneficiary Claims/QDRO, Customer Resolution Services, and Quality Assurance, positioning this role at the center of a highly connected service and risk environment. The team supports both internal and external customer groups and is responsible for more than traditional quality checking, including daily trades, life insurance policy-related work, and other cross-functional activities. The hiring leader is looking for someone who can evaluate where the team adds value to the customer experience, identify trends and insights, insert the team more strategically across partner groups, and redesign workflows so effort is focused on the highest-value work. A key priority for this role is transformation. The new leader should be prepared to challenge legacy practices, reimagine team structure and responsibilities, shift work to the right places, improve efficiency, and drive automation. This manager will need to elevate the team’s strategic thinking while still leading day-to-day execution and people performance. Because this area is one of the high-volume and higher-risk spaces in the business, the ideal hire will balance strategic change leadership with sound operational judgment. As a Manager, you’ll lead the day-to-day operations and administration ensuring that an outstanding service experience is provided to our internal and external sales partners, firms, third-party administrators, producers and customers. We'll count on you to adhere and enforce all financial controls, as well as legal and regulatory guidelines and regulations set forth by IRS, state insurance and securities departments, FINRA, ERISA, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nationwide Financial (NF) Compliance and the NF Anti-Money Laundering Steering Committee.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience leading operations teams in a high-volume, service-oriented environment, with accountability for workflow, service execution, and people leadership.
Proven ability to lead through change, challenge legacy processes, and implement more efficient operating models.
Strong problem-solving and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to ideate new solutions and think beyond a single team to the broader organization.
Experience identifying trends, root causes, and improvement opportunities and turning those insights into operational changes.
Strong people leadership capability, including coaching, accountability, performance management, and the ability to have difficult conversations while building trust.
Ability to work cross-functionally and influence partners across multiple teams to improve customer and business outcomes.
Seven years of financial services experiences in a customer service, quality control or operations environment.
Supervisory experience preferred.
Extensive knowledge of insurance industry concepts including, but not limited to, financial services products, regulations and guidelines.
Effective team leadership skills and management skills.
Strong communication skills.
Ability to present to external individuals and organizations.
Relationship-building skills.
Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.
Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide Values.

Nice To Haves

Financial services operations experience; broad industry knowledge is considered beneficial even if the person has not worked in this exact function before.
Experience in quality assurance, quality control, risk, money movement, claims, retirement operations, or other regulated transaction-based environments.
Strong Excel skills and comfort using data to manage work, spot trends, and support decision-making.
Familiarity with Power BI and interest in using AI/automation to improve efficiency and elevate value-added work.
Prior experience leading in a space with high visibility, customer impact, and risk exposure.
Undergraduate studies in business administration, management, finance, pre-law or related field and/or technical insurance coursework preferred.
FINRA Series 6 and 26 licenses may be required.

Responsibilities

Provides oversight to team roles and responsibilities.
Manages performance of customer's satisfaction, interaction quality and relationships.
Focuses on maintaining relationships, internally and externally.
Participates in, sponsors and/or owns major projects, leads the activities and provides guidance.
Assists in identifying and establishing operational improvements that improve delivery of services to customers aligned with industry and regulatory requirements.
Drives a culture of coaching and feedback for personal and professional guidance.
Develops talent in the organization for succession planning and handles all performance management tasks and related functions for team.
Ensures associates are current and knowledgeable about the industry, competition and regulatory environment.
Drives education about current processes and procedures with internal/external customers.
Leads the service relationships and helps build and strengthen relationships through presentations and direct contact.
Supervises workflow to ensure that all functions are completed and meet time and meet quality standards.
Responds to and resolves escalated service issues and calls from our sales partners, producers, firms and customers.
Monitors team/client relationships to ensure call teams and client service groups are achieving service expectations.
Coordinates the implementation of all enacted state and federal regulations for products and procedures, ensuring Operations is prepared and advised of audits/regulatory/legislative changes in a timely fashion.
Partners with appropriate teams or individuals for coordination of responses to audits, including system partners for data requests.
Leads associates that take audit recommendations and calibration sessions through the continuous improvement model.
Identifies key opportunities for improving procedures and processes, ensuring consistency and adherence to regulatory requirements.
Uses findings to identify process and/or technology needs within the Operation Center.
Handles expenses to the established budget and finds opportunities and implements solutions to streamline processes and reduce operating expenses.
Participates in annual budget process to ensure adequate staffing and funding to provide outstanding levels of service.
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