Annuity Product Manager (Hybrid)

Guardian; Holmdel Township (NJ); Hybrid; USD 86,000 - 142,000; Full time

Job summary

Guardian is seeking a seasoned subject matter expert for the Annuity Product Management and Development Team. You will guide design, development, maintenance, and launch of Guardian’s individual annuities, collaborating with diverse cross-functional teams and external partners.

Ideal candidates have 10+ years in financial services, 5+ years with policy administration systems, and expert MS Office skills. Remote-friendly with in-person days for some hubs, and a salary range of $86,210–$141,635,

Qualifications

• Expert-level knowledge of annuity product design, administration systems, and product configurations.
• BA/BS+ or equivalent work experience.
• Strong writing and proofreading skills.
• 10+ years in financial services, 5+ years working with policy administration systems.
• Advanced skill level in MS Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of detailed specifications for new annuity products and enhancements, driving consensus among cross-functional stakeholders on product features, business rules, and system functionality while managing the development lifecycle and communicating requirements, updates, and changes.
• Evaluate new product concepts for operational and technical feasibility.
• Review and approve contract, rider, and prospectus language for consistency with product specifications.
• Develop and maintain illustration systems.
• Problem resolution and exception request reviews.
• Review and approve test cases developed by the ESQA and IT teams, ensuring validation of new product features, calculations, business rules, contract values, workflows, and system functionality.
• Identify testing gaps, request additional test scenarios as needed, communicate defects and approve testing results upon successful validation of product requirements.
• Act as a liaison between the Product and Technology teams, leveraging deep expertise in annuity products and Transcend administration to translate business requirements into ALIP configuration and design.
• Lead the design, development, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of client-facing (regulatory required) communications, including transaction confirmations, quarterly statements, annual statements, and other required disclosures.
• Partner with IT (ECM), Operations, Compliance, and Legal teams to define business requirements, and ensure accurate representation of product features, values, calculations, and regulatory content across all client and financial rep platforms (Client portal, Client Manager).
• Participate in the weekly deployment of annuity product new business and renewal rates across multiple administration and illustration systems.
• Update spreadsheets for In-Force rates using rate data provided by Investments/Actuarial.

Skills

Annuity product design

Administration systems

Product configurations

MS Office

Strong writing

Education

BA/BS+ or equivalent work experience

Tools

Transcend

ALIP

Job description

You will serve as a technical subject matter expert on the Annuity Product Management and Development Team and provide system expertise in all aspects of the design, development, maintenance, launch, and sale of Guardian’s individual annuities while working with large and diverse cross-functional teams and outside business partners and vendors.

Requirements

• Minimum requirements:
• Expert-level knowledge of annuity product design, administration systems, and product configurations.
• Education:
• BA/BS+ or equivalent work experience
• Strong writing and proofreading skills
• Experience: 10+ years in financial services, 5+ years working with policy administration systems
• Advanced skill level in MS Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)

Preferred requirements

• Proven experience leading the implementation of new product launches and enhancements.

Responsibilities

New Product Development and Enhancements

• Lead the development of detailed specifications for new annuity products and enhancements, driving consensus among cross-functional stakeholders on product features, business rules, and system functionality while managing the development lifecycle and communicating requirements, updates, and changes.
• Evaluate new product concepts for operational and technical feasibility.
• Review and approve contract, rider, and prospectus language for consistency with product specifications.
• Develop and maintain illustration systems.
• Problem resolution and exception request reviews.

Testing Oversight and Product System Specialist (Transcend, ALIP)

• Review and approve test cases developed by the ESQA and IT teams, ensuring validation of new product features, calculations, business rules, contract values, workflows, and system functionality.
• Identify testing gaps, request additional test scenarios as needed, communicate defects and approve testing results upon successful validation of product requirements.
• Act as a liaison between the Product and Technology teams, leveraging deep expertise in annuity products and Transcend administration to translate business requirements into ALIP configuration and design.

Client Communications

• Lead the design, development, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of client-facing (regulatory required) communications, including transaction confirmations, quarterly statements, annual statements, and other required disclosures.
• Partner with IT (ECM), Operations, Compliance, and Legal teams to define business requirements, and ensure accurate representation of product features, values, calculations, and regulatory content across all client and financial rep platforms (Client portal, Client Manager).

Annuity Rate Management and Implementation

• Participate in the weekly deployment of annuity (FIA, RILA, SPIA, DIA, and SPDA) product new business and renewal rates across multiple administration and illustration systems.
• Update spreadsheets for In-Force rates using rate data provided by Investments/Actuarial.

Location

• While we are open to fully remote candidates in this position, candidates who are located within a commutable distance to a Guardian Life hub-office will be expected to be in-person 3 days per week.

Salary Range

$86,210.00 - $141,635.00

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

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.

Inspire Well-Being

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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [e-mail]. Please note: this resource is for accommodation requests only. For all other inquires related to your application and careers at Guardian, refer to the Guardian Careers site.

Visa Sponsorship

Guardian Life is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment-based visas (e.g., such as an H-1B). In order to be a successful applicant, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship/support now or at any time in the future.

Notice Regarding Guardian’s Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

As part of Guardian’s job application process, Guardian may use artificial intelligence tools ("AI Tools") to automate the sorting and filtering of information provided by applicants as part of its preliminary screening. This preliminary screening may be used to help identify applicant materials and resumes relative to their indication that the applicant meets the requirements for the specific job for which they are applying, as specified in the listing posted on Guardian’s jobs website (Careers at Guardian at https://www.guardianlife.com/careers). At Guardian, we do not use AI Tools to substantially assist or replace human judgment or discretionary decision making in our hiring process. All hiring decisions will be made by Guardian colleagues.

Please be aware that if you apply for a specific position with Guardian, you will have the choice of opting out of Guardian’s use of AI Tools during the job application process. If you would like to request an alternative process that does not utilize AI Tools or would like to request a reasonable accommodation, within ten business days of your position application, you must email your request to [e-mail], making sure to provide your name and job requisition identification number. Guardian will retain your applicant materials and resume and all information therefrom in accordance with Guardian’s document retention policy, a copy of which you may request via [e-mail].

Additionally, at applicable times, Guardian will make public the most recent bias audit results for such AI tools, which may be found here.