SVP, Group Operations

Ameritas•Lincoln, NE

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The SVP, Group Operations is a key strategic leader responsible for building a world-class, customer-centric operations organization that powers profitable growth for the Ameritas Group Division. This role drives industry-leading customer experiences, operational efficiency, and digital innovation across all dental and vision operations. You will lead the modernization of operations by leveraging advanced technologies, data-driven decision-making, and scalable operating models; ensuring Ameritas delivers frictionless, reliable, and differentiated experiences for employers, members, brokers, and providers. This role includes P&L accountability, enterprise-scale transformation leadership, and positioning operations as a strategic competitive advantage.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required
15+ years of progressive leadership experience in employee benefits, insurance operations, or related industries with strong preference for dental and vision insurance expertise
Proven track record of transforming operations through technology and process innovation
Deep expertise in customer experience strategy and service operations
Strong understanding of modern technology stacks, data ecosystems, and digital capabilities
Demonstrated success driving automation, cost efficiency, and scalability
Executive presence with the ability to influence across business and technology leaders
Experience leading sustained, multi-year transformative journeys and building organizational change capacity for continuous evolution
Customer-Obsessed Mindset: Relentless focus on delivering differentiated experiences
Digital & Technology Fluency: Ability to translate technology into measurable business outcomes and assess tech investments through a business impact lens
Operational Discipline: Drives structure, clarity, and accountability in complex environments
Strategic Agility: Connects long-term vision with near-term execution
Data-Driven Decision Making: Uses insights to optimize performance and experience
Vendor Management & Financial Expertise: Proven track record in contract negotiation, strategic vendor relationship management, and applying financial acumen to optimize operational performance
Market Anticipation & Change Leadership: Ability to read market trends, anticipate evolving customer expectations, and proactively position operations to meet future demands

Responsibilities

Champion a best-in-class, omnichannel customer experience strategy across employers, members, brokers, and providers
Design service journeys to deliver simple, fast, and frictionless interactions
Lead transformation of contact centers into digitally enabled experience hubs (self-service, AI-assisted, proactive outreach)
Embed customer-centric and customer-first design thinking into all operational processes
Lead end-to-end operations including policy administration, claims, billing, licensing, commissions, contact center and provider relations
Drive lean, scalable, and highly automated processes to reduce cost-to-serve and cycle times
Implement continuous improvement disciplines across the division
Establish clear operating models, governance, and decision rights to increase speed and accountability
Optimize global/vendor delivery models to ensure quality and efficiency.
Serve as a business-first technology leader, aligning operational priorities with digital capabilities
Own and execute a modern operations technology roadmap, including Core administration platforms, Claims automation and adjudication engines, CRM and customer engagement platforms, Digital portals, and self-service capabilities
Drive ongoing adoption of emerging technologies, including Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for claims, underwriting, and service, Robotic process automation (RPA) to eliminate manual work, Advanced analytics and predictive insights, Workflow, and orchestration tools to improve throughput
Partner closely with IT to ensure scalable architecture, data integration, and API-driven ecosystems
Act as executive sponsor for strategic technology vendors and partnerships
Build a data-driven operations culture with real-time performance visibility
Leverage analytics to improve customer experience, productivity, and risk management
Implement KPIs and dashboards that align operational performance with business outcomes
Utilize predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs, service demand, and operational risks
Partner with the EVP, Group Division to define and execute strategic growth priorities
Ensure operations can scale efficiently to support growth in all market segments
Translate strategy into clear execution roadmaps with measurable outcomes while maintaining flexibility to pivot as market conditions and opportunities evolve
Build and lead a high-performing, digitally skilled operations organization
Develop next-generation talent with capabilities in analytics, automation, and digital operations
Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement
Drive leadership development, succession planning, and workforce transformation