Vice President of Operations

WoodmenLIfe•Omaha, NE

7d•Onsite

About The Position

WoodmenLife is seeking a Vice President of Operations to provide strategic leadership and oversight for operational functions supporting the life insurance and annuity business. This senior role is responsible for driving operational excellence in new business support, policyholder services, customer contact center, claims services, and third-party administrator management. The position focuses on delivering exceptional service and performance through leadership, process optimization, quality assurance, customer experience management, cost control, and continuous improvement. The Vice President will collaborate with cross-functional teams and executive leadership to align operational capabilities with organizational objectives. WoodmenLife is a purpose-driven, not-for-profit life insurance company with a long history of serving its members and communities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
15+ years of leadership experience in insurance operations, preferably in life insurance.
Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to align operational priorities to organizational goals.
Proven success leading large teams and cross-functional operational units.
Ability to build and sustain high-performance teams with a focus on accountability, coaching, and development.
Strong planning and execution skills with a demonstrated ability to deliver results.
Experience leading operational change initiatives, including process redesign, automation adoption, and artificial intelligence enablement.
Demonstrated ability to drive operational effectiveness and efficiency through disciplined execution, streamlined processes, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Experience managing third-party administrators, vendors, and outsourced service partners.
Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, forecasting, and operational financial management.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and drive data-informed decisions.
Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Experience assessing and managing operational risks.
Experience developing business cases and conducting cost-benefit analyses.
Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity and make sound decisions in changing environments.
Strong communication and presentation skills.
Ability to develop effective presentations and proposals.
Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills with the ability to influence senior leaders, cross-functional partners, and external vendors.
Ability to use customer insights, feedback, and data to drive measurable improvements.
Commitment to customer-centric operations and continuous improvement of customer experience.
Experience with regulatory requirements, state regulations, market conduct exams, and audit readiness.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the operational strategy in alignment with the organization's strategic goals and objectives.
Build and lead a high-performing team by attracting top talent, providing coaching and mentorship, setting clear expectations, and fostering a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous development.
Establish operational goals, key performance indicators (KPIs), and service-level agreements (SLAs), and monitor performance against established targets.
Drive continuous improvement through people development, process optimization, automation, and artificial intelligence initiatives to enhance operational effectiveness and deliver strong business outcomes.
Identify operational risks and implement effective mitigation strategies to ensure business continuity and operational resilience.
Oversee new business processing and support functions, ensuring timely and accurate processing of applications, policy issuance, and customer communications.
Oversee suitability review and replacement processing activities to ensure adherence to guidelines.
Partner with underwriting leadership to optimize workflows, improve productivity, and achieve service expectations.
Collaborate with sales teams to support new business acquisition through efficient processing, proactive communication, and issue resolution.
Oversee policyholder contract services, payment processing, and funds distribution.
Ensure customer complaints and recovery issues are resolved effectively and in a timely manner.
Monitor quality assurance results and operational performance metrics for policyholder services.
Drive initiatives to enhance customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.
Oversee contact center operations, ensuring service excellence and achievement of service-level objectives.
Ensure timely and effective resolution of customer inquiries, issues, and escalations in the contact center.
Monitor customer satisfaction, quality, and performance metrics in the contact center and implement improvements as needed.
Leverage technology, automation, and analytics to enhance operational effectiveness and customer experience in the contact center.
Oversee claims operations to ensure efficient, accurate, and compliant claims administration.
Ensure claims are adjudicated consistently and in accordance with company policies, regulatory requirements, and service standards.
Lead and develop the claims team through effective coaching, training, and performance management.
Ensure timely communication with claimants, beneficiaries, and internal stakeholders for claims.
Analyze claims trends and operational data to identify risks and drive continuous improvement.
Partner with underwriting, legal, compliance, and customer service teams to resolve complex or escalated claims.
Provide strategic oversight of TPA performance to ensure service quality, operational efficiency, and cost effectiveness.
Establish performance expectations, key performance indicators (KPIs), and service-level agreements (SLAs) for TPAs; monitor results and drive accountability.
Oversee TPA relationships to promote collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement.
Evaluate TPA capabilities, technology, and processes to ensure alignment with organizational objectives and performance expectations.
Develop and manage operational budgets and forecasts.
Monitor expenses and identify opportunities to optimize costs.
Evaluate the financial impact of operational initiatives and investments.
Optimize vendor spend and contract performance.
Ensure operational decisions support financial objectives and strategic goals.