AVP, Internal Sales

Athene; West Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Athene is seeking an AVP, Internal Sales in West Des Moines, IA to lead a high-performing Internal Wholesalers team and drive annuity sales growth. You will coach leaders, partner with External Wholesalers, and leverage data/AI insights to improve advisor engagement and share-of-wallet with distribution partners.

You will build scalable processes, champion a collaborative culture, and lead the team through change while aligning with Athene’s BEAM values and risk-aware practices.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in internal wholesaling or related sales, with 4+ years in leadership.
• FINRA Series 6 license within 12 months of hire.
• Strong knowledge of life insurance, annuity and retirement products.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing sales organization; coach and grow associates.
• Accelerate annuity sales growth by partnering with External Wholesalers.
• Use data and AI-enabled insights to improve sales effectiveness.
• Optimize advisor and team experience with campaigns, workflows and processes.
• Build cross-functional partnerships across Sales, Operations, Compliance and Distribution.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Strategic planning

Analytical thinking

Sales leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

FINRA Series 6 license

Job description

Purpose

As the AVP, Internal Sales, you will lead a high-performing team of Internal Wholesalers and Internal Sales leaders responsible for accelerating sales growth, strengthening advisor relationships, and delivering exceptional experience to our distribution partners.

You will drive team performance by coaching, developing, and empowering associates while partnering closely with External Wholesalers and VP, Division Sales Managers to execute market strategies, uncover new business opportunities, and deepen advisor engagement.

You’ll have the opportunity to make an impact at scale as Athene continues to grow and innovate in the retirement services market.

Working within Athene’s broader relationship with Apollo, you’ll help translate our scale, capabilities and market opportunities into stronger advisor partnerships and sales outcomes while bringing our BEAM values to life through how you lead, collaborate and make things happen.

Accountabilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing sales organization by setting clear expectations, providing meaningful coaching and creating opportunities for Internal Wholesalers to grow, innovate and take ownership of results.
• Accelerate annuity sales growth by partnering closely with External Wholesalers to develop and execute strategic territory plans, deepen relationships with financial professionals and distribution partners, and identify new business opportunities.
• Use data and AI-enabled insights to improve sales effectiveness, leveraging sales, activity and operational metrics to identify trends, prioritize opportunities, strengthen advisor engagement and enable faster, more informed decisions.
• Optimize the advisor and team experience by improving call campaigns, workflows, service levels, quality monitoring and operating processes while challenging existing approaches and identifying scalable solutions.
• Lead through complexity and change with a bias for action, strong critical thinking and sound judgment, serving as a trusted resource on complex sales, service, compliance and operational matters.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships across Sales, Operations, Compliance and Distribution, championing collaboration, experimentation and continuous improvement while reinforcing an inclusive, ethical and risk-aware culture.

Qualifications and Experience

• 6+ years of relevant internal wholesaling, sales desk, financial services or related sales experience; including 4+ years of formal or informal leadership, or relevant professional experience, preferred.
• FINRA Series 6 license required within 12 months of hire.
• Strong knowledge of life insurance, annuity and retirement products, with demonstrated success influencing financial professionals, developing strategic partnerships, and delivering sales results.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and develop talent, empower others, lead inclusively and build high-performing teams through growth, ambiguity and organizational change.
• Strong strategic and analytical capabilities, including critical thinking, creativity, adaptability and the ability to leverage data and AI-enabled tools appropriately to improve advisor engagement, team productivity and sales effectiveness.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Equal Opportunity and Inclusion

Athene is committed to inclusion and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.

Athene is a Military Friendly Employer! Learn more about how we support our Veterans.

Additional Information

Drive. Discipline. Confidence. Focus. Commitment.

Learn more about working at Athene.

We are driven to do more. More for our customers and the financial professionals who offer our products. If you are driven to do more and love the challenge of pursuing more, Athene is your kind of company. You will find we offer more than the basics to create an inclusive and dynamic work environment at our various locations.