Agency Services Manager

Symetra; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Symetra is seeking an Agency Services Manager to develop leaders, strengthen service and help shape the future of a growing business unit. Reporting to the AVP, Agency Services, you will lead Unit Managers responsible for Contracts & Licensing and quality assurance for that work, and directly manage two Contracts & Licensing trainers.

This role combines day-to-day operational leadership with strategic initiatives and transformation.

Qualifications

• Progressive experience in service or operations leadership.
• Experience directly managing and developing other people managers.
• Experience improving service and performance in a complex operational environment.
• Strong business and financial acumen with data-driven decision making.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop leaders; coach front-line managers and two trainers.
• Manage contracting and licensing operations through managers; ensure timely, accurate service.
• Oversee quality assurance; use results to strengthen controls and reduce rework.
• Guide training and readiness; shape onboarding and ongoing learning.
• Translate strategy into execution with clear plans, milestones and accountability.
• Manage budgets and staffing; balance service, quality, cost, and change delivery.

Skills

People leadership

Operational leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Budget management

Quality assurance

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Agency Services ManagerContracts & Licensing, Quality Assurance and TrainingJob profile: 001739 Manager Service & OperationsAbout the roleSymetra is seeking an Agency Services Manager to develop leaders, strengthen service and help shape the future of a growing part of our business.Reporting to the AVP, Agency Services, you will lead Unit Managers responsible for Contracts & Licensing and quality assurance for that work, and directly manage two Contracts & Licensing trainers. Your teams manage the onboarding, contracting, licensing, appointments and ongoing service that enable financial professionals and distribution partners to sell Symetra products and support growth across our Life, Retirement, and Benefits businesses.This role combines day-to-day operational leadership with meaningful involvement in strategic initiatives and transformation. We’re looking for a proven people leader with experience leading managers and a strong background in insurance operations, ideally in Agency Services, Contracts & Licensing, or distribution support. You bring sound judgment, fresh perspective, and the initiative to move work forward while helping others succeed. This is an opportunity to broaden your leadership impact and help shape the future of a growing business.What you will doLead and develop leaders. Coach and empower a team of front-line managers and directly lead two trainers. Set clear expectations, provide candid feedback, address performance and create meaningful development plans. Build leadership bench strength by helping managers strengthen their judgment, ownership and ability to develop others.Own operational performance. Lead contracting and licensing operations through your managers, ensuring financial professionals and distribution partners receive timely, accurate service. Stay ahead of staffing and service needs, resolve issues quickly, and continually look for ways to make it easier to do business with Symetra.Turn quality insights into improvement. Oversee quality assurance for Contracts & Licensing, using results to strengthen controls, reduce rework and improve processes. Partner with Compliance, Legal and other teams to maintain effective procedures and follow corrective actions through completion.Strengthen training and readiness. Guide the trainers in delivering employee onboarding, ongoing learning, cross-training and support for new technology, processes and ways of working. Use quality findings and business needs to shape training priorities and ensure learning translates into stronger performance.Translate strategy into execution. Partner with the AVP to prioritize and deliver growth and transformation initiatives. Turn direction into clear plans, owners, milestones and outcomes. Lead cross-functional work and prepare teams for changes in products, processes and technology while sustaining day-to-day service.Manage budgets and resources. Prepare and manage operating budgets for your areas, monitor expenses and explain variances. Develop staffing and capacity recommendations, prioritize competing demands and make informed trade-offs across service, quality, cost and change delivery.Represent Agency Services with confidence. Build relationships across Distribution, New Business, Technology, Product, Finance and other teams. Represent Agency Services in leadership and cross-functional meetings, including on behalf of the AVP. Make decisions within delegated authority, follow through on commitments and proactively communicate progress, risks and decisions.What you bringSignificant, progressive experience in service or operations leadership, including demonstrated success directly managing and developing other people managers.A record of improving service, quality and team performance in a complex operational environment, with an understanding of controls and compliance expectations.Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and implementing process or technology changes with measurable results.Strong business and financial acumen, including experience using performance data, managing budgets and making staffing or resource decisions.Clear, confident communication and the ability to build credibility, influence across teams and represent your function with senior leaders and business partners.Proactive ownership and dependable follow-through: you anticipate what needs attention, make sound decisions, keep others informed and drive work to completion.A commitment to developing people, learning the business and adapting as priorities evolve.A college degree or equivalent relevant work experience.Additional experience we valueExperience in life insurance or annuity operations, particularly producer contracting, licensing or appointments, is preferred. Familiarity with independent marketing organizations, broker general agencies or broker-dealer distribution channels is also valuable, as is experience overseeing operational quality assurance, training programs or workflow modernization.Why this opportunityThis is an opportunity to lead through leaders, work closely with senior leadership and help shape how Agency Services supports a growing business. You will have meaningful ownership, visibility across the organization and the opportunity to expand your leadership impact while improving the experience for employees and partners.We empower inclusionAt Symetra, we aspire to be the most inclusive insurance company in the country. We're building a place where every employee feels valued, respected, and has opportunities to contribute.Inclusion is about recognizing our assumptions, considering multiple perspective, and removing barriers. We accept and celebrate diverse experiences, identities, and perspectives, because lifting each other up fuels thought and builds a stronger, more innovative company. We invite you to learn more about our efforts here.Creating a world where more people have access to financial freedomSymetra is a national financial services company dedicated to helping people achieve their financial goals and feel confident about the future. In our daily work, we're guided by the principles of Value, Transparency and Sustainability. This means we provide products and services people need at a competitive price, we communicate clearly and openly so people understand what they're buying, and we design products-and operate our company-to stand the test of time. We're committed to showing up for our communities, lifting up our employees, and standing up for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Join our team and help us create a world where more people have access to financial freedom.For more information about our careers visit: https://symetra.eightfold.ai/careersWork AuthorizationEmployer work visa sponsorship and support are not provided for this role. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States at hire and must maintain authorization to work in the United States throughout their employment with our company.Please review Symetra's Remote Network Minimum Requirements:As a remote-first organization committed to providing a positive experience for both employees and customers, Symetra has the following standards for employees' internet connection:Minimum Internet Speed:100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload, in alignment with the FCC's definition of \"broadband.\"Internet Type:Fiber, Cable (e.g., Comcast, Spectrum), or DSL.Not Permissible:Satellite (e.g., Starlink), cellular broadband (hotspot or otherwise), any other wireless technology, or wired dial-up.When applying to jobs at Symetra you'll be asked to test your internet speed and confirm that your internet connection meets or exceeds Symetra's standard as outlined above.Identity VerificationSymetra is committed to fair and secure hiring practices. For all roles, candidates will be required (after the initial phone screen) to be on video for all interviews. Symetra will take affirmative steps at key points in the process to verify that a candidate is not seeking employment fraudulently, e.g. through use of a false identity.Failure to comply with verification procedures may result in:Disqualification from the recruitment processWithdrawal of a job offerTermination of employment and other criminal and/or civil remedies, if fraud is discovered