VP, Retirement Solutions Marketing

Nationwide•Columbus, OH

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join a fast-moving, highly collaborative marketing leadership team driving growth, retention and brand strength across Nationwide’s Retirement Solutions (RS) business. This role is ideal for an enterprise-minded marketing leader who can connect the RS business plan to clear marketing strategies in the $1–$50M plan market, public sector leadership, and investment/guarantee solutions, while delivering measurable sales, retention and participant impact. The role reports to the SVP, Nationwide Financial Marketing and is a key member of the NF Marketing leadership team, working in close partnership with Retirement Solutions leadership (Product, Distribution, Finance, Operations, Technology and the Nationwide Retirement Institute®). Do you thrive in leading an integrated marketing organization that is accountable for Retirement Solutions brand performance, advisor and institutional growth, and data-driven innovation and digital experiences that improve participant outcomes? As the VP, Retirement Solutions Marketing, you’ll lead the end-to-end marketing strategy for Nationwide’s Retirement Solutions (RS) business across public, corporate and emerging markets. You will be accountable for advancing the three core RS marketing imperatives: RS Brand & Story – promoting a simple, differentiated Retirement Solutions story through content, media, events, sponsorships and client interactions; Advisor & Investment Solutions – growing advisor-sold new business and driving adoption of investment and protected income solutions; Core Markets, Government and Institutional Markets – growing profitably in public plans and institutional segments, aligned to the institutional value proposition. We’ll depend on you to drive sustainable growth in RS’s core target segment while improving participant outcomes and plan sponsor satisfaction. You and your team will be expected to develop and execute integrated marketing strategies that deliver new sales, retention of plans and assets, and participant engagement at scale.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred
FINRA Series 6, Series 26 required within 6 months of hire.
Typically, 10 or more years of progressive marketing leadership experience, including significant experience in retirement, asset management, insurance or broader financial services.
Proven track record leading integrated B2B / institutional and B2B2C marketing strategies tied to clear sales and retention outcomes.
Demonstrated success leading large, cross-functional teams and influencing senior executives.
Deep understanding of the defined contribution / retirement plans ecosystem, including advisor, consultant and aggregator channels, public sector and institutional plan sponsor needs, and participant behaviors and retirement readiness dynamics.
Expertise in integrated marketing across digital, content, events, sales enablement and PR, with demonstrated impact on acquisition, retention and participant engagement.
Strong command of data, analytics and marketing technology, including campaign measurement, funnel management, ROI modeling and AI-enabled personalization.
Proven ability to be a strategic, enterprise-minded leader who can connect long-term RS vision with disciplined execution.
Exceptional storytelling and communication skills, able to simplify complex retirement and regulatory topics for multiple audiences.
Inclusive people leader who develops talent, builds strong teams and fosters psychological safety.
Demonstrated growth mindset, with a bias for learning, experimentation and continuous improvement.
Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.
Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and Human Resource Business Partner.

Responsibilities

Lead the multi-year RS marketing strategy that directly supports RS growth, profitability and participant outcome goals across public, private and emerging markets.
Translate the RS business plan into clear marketing objectives and roadmaps for advisor-sold markets and consultant channels, government and institutional plans (e.g., large 457 and 401(a) plans), and participant solutions and financial wellness initiatives.
Serve as the primary marketing partner to the Retirement Solutions leadership team, influencing decisions on product roadmap, pricing, distribution and experience design to ensure alignment with RS strategic imperatives.
Own and activate a compelling Retirement Solutions brand and story that differentiates Nationwide in the DC/retirement plan marketplace, integrates seamlessly with the broader Institutional and Nationwide Financial value propositions, and highlights Nationwide’s leadership in public sector and institutional plans
Ensure consistent, audience-right messaging across all RS channels (RFPs, finals, web, digital, events, PR, thought leadership, sales materials).
Partner closely with the Nationwide Retirement Institute® and NF Brand to embed research, behavioral insights and institutional messaging into in-market storytelling.
Develop and oversee integrated go-to-market strategies that grow advisor-sold new business and deepen relationships with key firms and consultants; support RS’s leadership position in government and institutional markets, including top-tier public plans; and support strategic partnerships (e.g., major distribution partners) in line with RS objectives
Direct multi-channel campaigns (email, web, digital media, events, sales enablement) that increase awareness and preference for Nationwide Retirement Solutions and promote engagement with key capabilities (e.g., ProAccount, digital tools, financial wellness programs)
Ensure contractual and custom marketing commitments for large and strategic plans are met with excellence in collaboration with Relationship Management and Distribution.
Partner with Product, Investments and the Nationwide Retirement Institute to market Protected Retirement and other income and investment solutions (e.g., in-plan guarantees, Income America, investment options) as part of a holistic retirement strategy.
Lead participant engagement and communication strategies that drive enrollment and consolidation of assets; contribution increases and long-term savings behaviors; adoption of protected income and investment solutions; and increased use of digital tools and advice experiences.
Coordinate with RS Retention Marketing and plan sponsor marketing teams to ensure participant strategies are aligned across government, institutional and emerging markets.
Build a data- and insight-driven marketing discipline, using analytics to measure impact on plan growth, asset retention and participant behaviors; optimize campaigns, content and experiences through test-and-learn; and inform prioritization of resources across RS segments and channels.
Partner with Digital, Technology and Operations to advance digital and AI-enabled marketing capabilities (e.g., personalization, journey orchestration, marketing automation) that scale relevant, timely engagement for advisors, plan sponsors and participants.
Own RS marketing performance dashboards and communicate progress, insights and action plans regularly to NF and RS leadership.
Ensure strong alignment with Distribution and Relationship Management (public and private) to support RFPs, finalist presentations, transitions and ongoing governance; Product, Investments and Protected Retirement on value propositions, launches and positioning; and NRI and NF Marketing Integration on thought leadership, institutional value proposition and firm-level experiences.
Elevate sales enablement, ensuring wholesalers, consultants and relationship managers have the tools, stories and insights needed to win and retain plans in RS’s target segments.
Lead, coach and develop a diverse team of directors, managers and specialists across strategy, brand, content, campaigns and experience.
Foster a culture that embraces curiosity, collaboration, accountability and innovation, including responsible use of AI and emerging technologies to improve productivity and creativity.
Model Nationwide’s commitment to culture, both within the team and in external messaging, imagery and engagement.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

medical/dental/vision
life insurance
short and long term disability coverage
paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date
nine paid holidays
8 hours of Lifetime paid time off
8 hours of Unity Day paid time off
401(k) with company match
company-paid pension plan
business casual attire