Chief Financial Planning & Strategy Leader

Guardian; United States; On-site; USD 277,000 - 336,000; Full time

Job summary

Guardian seeks a senior leader to set and execute the enterprise financial planning strategy across channels and client segments, building a holistic planning model that integrates insurance, retirement, investments, and wealth management while enabling scalable delivery for advisors and clients.

As a member of the Client Solutions leadership team, you will govern planning workflows, advance digital capabilities, and design scalable models for complex HNW/UHNW needs, translating financial

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in financial services, wealth management, financial planning, or a related field, including significant leadership responsibility.
• Experience leading planning or advice strategy within an insurance, investment, or wealth management organization.
• Demonstrated experience supporting complex HNW and UHNW client needs and building scalable models for multiple client and advisor segments.
• Deep understanding of how life insurance, annuities, retirement, investments, and protection solutions work together in a holistic financial plan.
• Knowledge of advanced planning concepts and the ability to translate complex technical information into actionable, client‑and‑advisor‑friendly solutions.
• Experience using technology, digital capabilities, data, and performance measures to improve planning quality, adoption, productivity, and business outcomes.
• Proven ability to lead teams and influence senior stakeholders across distribution, product, operations, technology, marketing, legal, and compliance.
• Strong strategic thinking, business acumen, communication, judgment, integrity, and collaboration skills.
• Commitment to Guardian’s purpose of helping clients protect what matters and achieve long‑term financial security.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Head of Client Solutions to align strategy and then design, evolve, and execute a comprehensive protection first, holistic financial planning strategy and framework.
• Define the planning function’s governance, workflows, technology platforms, service standards, decision rights, and process improvements to enable efficient, consistent, and scalable execution.
• Clarify how each planning discipline is reflected within the enterprise framework and how solutions align to distinct client and advisor segments.
• Monitor competitive dynamics, industry trends, regulatory developments, and evolving client needs to keep the offering differentiated and relevant.
• Design scalable planning models and deliverables for clients and advisors, with tailored approaches for complex HNW and UHNW needs.
• Lead the evolution and adoption of digital planning capabilities that improve planning quality, advisor productivity, client engagement, and scale.
• Translate complex financial concepts and technical thought leadership into practical tools, frameworks, case designs, and client-friendly recommendations.
• Evaluate and integrate third-party capabilities where they strengthen the planning proposition and client experience.

Skills

Leadership

Financial planning

Wealth management

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Digital capabilities

Education

FINRA Series 7, 66, 63/65 required and Series 24 to obtain within 90 days

Job description

Guardian seeks a senior leader to set and execute the enterprise financial planning strategy across channels and client segments, building a holistic planning model that integrates insurance, retirement, investments, and wealth management while enabling scalable delivery for advisors and clients.

As a member of the Client Solutions leadership team, you will govern planning workflows, advance digital capabilities, and design scalable models for complex HNW/UHNW needs, translating financial