Remote Chief Financial Planning & Strategy Leader

Guardian Life; United States; Remote; USD 277,000 - 336,000; Full time

Job summary

Guardian Life is seeking a senior leader to set and execute an enterprise financial planning strategy across channels and client segments. The role integrates insurance, retirement, investments, and wealth management into a holistic planning model for advisors and clients.

Responsibilities include designing scalable planning models, advancing digital planning capabilities, and leading the GWAM strategy for complex client needs.

Qualifications

• 15 years of experience in financial services, wealth management, financial planning, or a related field.
• 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.
• Deep understanding of life insurance, annuities, retirement, investments, and protection solutions.
• Knowledge of advanced planning concepts and translating complex technical information into client-friendly solutions.
• Experience using technology, digital capabilities, data, and performance measures to improve planning quality, adoption, productivity, and 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

• 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.
• Lead the GWAM strategy and team across thought leadership, case consultation, case design, business development, and sales campaigns, in alignment with Client Solutions and Wealth Management objectives.
• Advance sophisticated solutions for HNW and UHNW clients, including estate planning, tax-efficient structures, insurance strategies, and legacy planning.
• Partner with advisors, product teams, and internal and external specialists to address complex client needs and integrate advanced planning into broader engagement models.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen Guardian's HNW and UHNW value proposition through innovative, competitive planning solutions.
• Establish planning best practices, advisor enablement programs, training, and coaching strategies in partnership with distribution, regional and field leaders, product teams, and CSWM leadership.
• Foster a planning-first culture centered on client needs, protection, implementation, and long-term relationship building.
• Collaborate with Park Avenue Wealth Management and field partners to drive consistent execution while addressing segment-specific and complex planning needs.
• Partner with marketing and communications to ensure the protection-first, holistic planning approach is reflected clearly and consistently in internal and external content.
• Influence product development, distribution strategy, and executive decision-making through data-driven insights, client outcomes, market intelligence, and planning trends.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives by aligning stakeholders, managing dependencies, and accelerating enterprise priorities across product, operations, technology, marketing, legal, compliance, and distribution.
• In partnership with analytics and business teams, define metrics and reporting for plan utilization, advisor adoption, planning quality, client outcomes, productivity, and revenue impact.
• Establish accountability and performance-management disciplines that improve financial planning quality, consistency, adoption, client outcomes, and organizational effectiveness.
• Partner with legal and compliance to ensure advanced planning strategies align with regulatory requirements, risk standards, and firm policies.
• Build and lead a high-performing team of financial planning and advanced-market professionals
• Set clear priorities, operating rhythms, and development expectations; allocate expertise against high-value enterprise needs.
• Model sound judgment, integrity, collaboration, and executive-level communication while influencing senior stakeholders across the enterprise.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Financial planning

Wealth management

Job description

Guardian Life is seeking a senior leader to set and execute an enterprise financial planning strategy across channels and client segments. The role integrates insurance, retirement, investments, and wealth management into a holistic planning model for advisors and clients.

Responsibilities include designing scalable planning models, advancing digital planning capabilities, and leading the GWAM strategy for complex client needs.