Sr. Director Planning Excellence

Northwestern Mutual • Milwaukee, WI

19h • Hybrid

About The Position

This role is responsible for assessing, benchmarking and creating insights around potential third-party planning software solutions in conjunction with our proprietary financial planning software. Create and maintain a competitive software fact-base that informs our planning and digital product strategy. Leads a team of Planning Excellence consultants who provide consultation on Northwestern Mutual’s financial planning philosophy into our digital platforms and ensuring all content regarding financial planning being produced by the Home Office aligns.

Requirements

• Proven leadership skills working with diverse teams.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 7 - 10+ years of previous experience with digital planning platforms and capabilities.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in financial services or advice or planning industry
• Knowledge and experience with Northwestern Mutual advisors, or other experience relevant to understanding Northwestern Mutual objectives required
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to build rapport internally, with field partners, and external vendors.
• Ability to gain buy‑in and influence at all levels of leadership.
• Strong short‑term and long‑term planning skills with the ability to manage resources to meet evolving business needs.
• High degree of self‑motivation with demonstrated leadership, accountability, and initiative.
• Demonstrated organizational agility with the ability to work across boundaries and collaborate effectively.
• Exceptional business acumen with a focus on delivering measurable business impact.
• Familiarity with financial planning software is required

Nice To Haves

• Certifications or designations related to financial planning are preferred such as CFP®, CFA, ChFC, CLU.

Responsibilities

• Leads a team of Planning Excellence consultants responsible for overseeing cross-functional teams that analyze data related to financial planning and PX and developing insights and hypotheses regarding the role of financial planning by advisor and clients in driving Northwestern Mutual planning strategy.
• Serve as the planning lead for the assessment of third-party solutions that fit within the NM planning ecosystem.
• Leads competitive intelligence effort around digital platforms and capabilities within the financial planning space.
• Overseeing work of others on cross-functional teams in developing requirements for PX planning software and content used by advisors regarding financial planning with responsibility for ensuring PX aligns with the FPP and planning best practices.
• Leading and supervising work of others related to supporting for PX Engineering in providing use cases, assisting in developing and conducting user acceptance testing.
• Preparing case studies on best practices for financial planning for use by Advisors or other stakeholders in preparing material for advisors, clients, home office stakeholders.

Benefits

• Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do.
• Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer who welcomes and encourages diversity in the workforce.
• We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.
• At Northwestern Mutual, we believe relationships are built on trust. That our lives and our work matter.
• Northwestern Mutual is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
• We have chosen to build a diverse and inclusive workplace where talented people from all backgrounds want to be, want to stay, and want to build their future.
• We celebrate and support our differences for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community.
• All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

What This Job Offers

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