Strategic Innovation Senior Program Manager

Guardian Life • New York, NY

34d

About The Position

The Strategic Innovation Senior Program Manager is a critical role responsible for orchestrating and executing the company's most pivotal, large-scale transformation initiatives. This individual will operate at the nexus of strategy and execution, responsible for not only the meticulous, hands-on delivery of complex programs but also for crafting and communicating the strategic narrative that secures and maintains buy-in from C-suite executives and senior leaders. Reporting to the [Head of Strategic Innovation], this individual will lead through influence, guiding cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment to deliver foundational changes that reshape our business processes, technology platforms, and competitive positioning. The ideal candidate is a seasoned leader with a proven history of managing ambiguous, high-impact programs from conception to completion within a large complex enterprise regulatory, preferably in an insurance context.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Technology, or a related field.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in program management, with a demonstrated track record of successfully leading enterprise-wide business or digital transformation initiatives.
• Proven experience leading large-scale programs in a complex and regulated industry (e.g., Financial Services, Banking, Healthcare).
• Exceptional executive-level communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to distill complexity into clarity and influence senior decision-makers.
• Mastery of leading through influence in a highly matrixed organization, with a demonstrated ability to build consensus and drive results without direct authority.

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience with Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, & Annuities.
• MBA or other advanced degree.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end execution of large-scale, multi-year transformation programs, ensuring they are delivered on-scope, on-time, and on-budget.
• Facilitate collaboration between disparate business, technology, and operational teams to ensure seamless integration and alignment.
• Establish and manage robust program governance, including risk and dependency management, issue resolution, resource planning, and detailed project milestone tracking.
• Directly manage program-level budgets, forecasting, and resource allocation to ensure efficient use of capital and headcount.
• Develop and articulate a compelling strategic narrative for transformation initiatives, translating complex program details into clear, concise, and persuasive stories for an executive audience.
• Create high-impact presentation materials (decks) and communication artifacts to rally C-suite and senior leadership around the program's vision, mission, and progress.
• Serve as a key influencer and trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, proactively managing expectations and ensuring continuous alignment between program execution and enterprise strategy.

Benefits

• At Guardian, you'll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals. Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.
• As part of Guardian's Purpose - to inspire well-being - we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits. Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees