Senior Strategist, CX

Principal Financial Group • Des Moines, IA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

At Principal, we believe great customer experiences don't happen by accident—they're intentionally designed. We're looking for a Senior CX Strategist to help shape the future of our customer experience across Benefits & Protection by connecting customer insights and business strategy into experiences that make a meaningful impact. This opportunity partners closely with operations and servicing teams to deliver best in class experiences. In this role, you'll lead strategic initiatives that enhance the end-to-end customer journey across digital, human-assisted, and operational channels. You'll partner with leaders across product, operations, technology, analytics, marketing, and frontline teams to identify opportunities, solve complex challenges, and deliver experiences that improve customer outcomes while driving business results. This is an opportunity to influence enterprise-wide customer experience strategy, champion customer-centric thinking, and help transform insights into action.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 6+ years of experience in customer experience, customer insights, strategy, consulting, service design, user experience, process improvement, or a related field.
• Experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and influencing stakeholders at multiple organizational levels.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate insights into strategic recommendations.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to balance customer needs, employee experiences, and business objectives.
• Proven ability to build trust, establish credibility, and drive results in a highly collaborative environment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with customer experience platforms and journey management tools such as Qualtrics, TheyDo, or similar solutions.
• Familiarity with human-centered design, service design, journey mapping, and experience measurement methodologies.
• Experience working in financial services, insurance, healthcare, or other highly regulated industries.
• Knowledge of CX metrics, Voice of Customer programs, customer research, and behavioral analytics.

Responsibilities

• Shape Customer Experience Strategy: Lead initiatives that improve end-to-end customer experiences across digital, human-assisted, and operational channels.
• Translate customer experience vision into actionable strategies, roadmaps, and measurable business outcomes.
• Facilitate journey mapping and experience design activities to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Translate customer insights, experience strategies, and complex concepts into compelling narratives and recommendations that drive understanding, alignment, and action across stakeholders.
• Lead Cross-Functional Initiatives: Drive complex projects from concept through execution, aligning stakeholders across product, operations, technology, marketing, analytics, and frontline teams.
• Influence decisions, build consensus, and manage priorities without direct authority.
• Identify risks, dependencies, and opportunities to ensure successful delivery.
• Support the successful adoption of experience improvements by building stakeholder engagement, managing change impacts, and fostering alignment throughout implementation.
• Turn Insights into Action: Analyze customer, employee, operational, and market data to uncover trends, root causes, and opportunities.
• Develop actionable recommendations that improve customer outcomes and business performance.
• Define and monitor experience metrics and success measures to evaluate impact.
• Advance Customer-Centric Practices: Champion customer-focused thinking, journey management, and human-centered design across the organization.
• Develop tools, frameworks, and best practices that strengthen CX capabilities.
• Demonstrate the business value of customer experience improvements through measurable results.
• Serve as a recognized thought leader and trusted advisor, influencing stakeholders and elevating organizational capabilities in customer experience, journey management, and human-centered design.

Benefits

• Flexible Time Off (FTO)
• Pension Eligible
• Comprehensive, competitive benefit offerings crafted to protect their physical, financial, and social well-being.

What This Job Offers

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