Senior Relationship Manager - Distribution & Onboarding

National Life Group; Addison (TX); On-site; USD 101,000 - 149,000; Full time

Job summary

National Life Group in Addison, TX seeks a Sr. Relationship Manager to own onboarding, operational relationship, and business readiness for Distribution partners, delivering a coordinated experience to help the field grow, adopt new capabilities, and serve customers well.

The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of life insurance/annuities distribution, exercises independent judgment, and influences outcomes without direct authority. Onsite 4 days a week with core days Mon-Thu.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 11+ years of related work experience, or an advanced degree and 8+ years of related experience, or 15+ years total equivalent work experience.
• Related experience in life insurance, annuities, financial services, relationship management, distribution support, Operations, business readiness, or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of life insurance and/or annuity distribution and the operational processes supporting new business, underwriting, policy issuance, service, and field support.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex partner relationships, onboarding, operational initiatives, or cross-functional problem solving.
• Ability to independently evaluate ambiguous business issues, identify appropriate approaches, and influence outcomes without direct authority.
• Experience using operational metrics, partner insight, and business context to identify trends and recommend improvements.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills with the ability to communicate effectively with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to travel as needed.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and relevant collaboration, CRM, workflow, and reporting tools.

Responsibilities

• Own the operational health, readiness, and experience of assigned Distribution relationships, serving as a primary connection between partners and CIG.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of each partner's structure, business practices, growth priorities, technology, service expectations, training needs, and quality-of-business considerations.
• Establish and manage relationship plans, governance routines, service expectations, communication approaches, and operating practices, building formal networks with partners and internal functional teams.
• Contribute to the development of department objectives and policies for how CIG supports Distribution partners, and set short-term goals for the area of accountability aligned with those objectives.
• Anticipate emerging operational requirements and engage the appropriate functional teams before they become significant partner or business issues.
• Lead the Operations experience for partner onboarding and significant business, product, process, or technology changes from planning through stabilization.
• Establish readiness plans that integrate milestones, responsibilities, dependencies, education, communications, risks, and success measures.
• Translate operational and technology changes into clear business implications and practical guidance for Distribution partners.
• Monitor adoption, early performance, and partner feedback; identify barriers and drive adjustments when intended outcomes are not achieved.
• Lead resolution of complex partner matters that span functions by framing the business issue, clarifying accountability, aligning stakeholders, and maintaining momentum through closure.
• Act autonomously on most decisions, using independent judgment to determine when established approaches are sufficient and when new solutions, escalation, or leadership decisions are required.
• Influence timelines and expectations and negotiate priorities within the department when partner needs conflict with other demands.
• Maintain visibility to material commitments, risks, dependencies, and decisions, and communicate results effectively to stakeholders and leaders across disciplines.
• Balance Distribution advocacy with customer, regulatory, risk, operational, financial, and enterprise considerations.
• Integrate operational metrics, partner feedback, adoption results, service trends, and quality-of-business information into a consolidated view of relationship performance.
• Distinguish isolated events from recurring patterns and translate material themes into recommendations for process, technology, training, communication, or service improvements.
• Lead or support root-cause analysis and cross-functional improvement efforts that reduce recurring friction and improve scalability.
• Demonstrate the value of relationship management through stronger partner confidence, improved adoption, reduced handoffs, timely resolution, and measurable operating improvements.
• All other duties as assigned.

Skills

Relationship management

Operations

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

CRM tools

Workflow tools

Reporting tools

Job description

National Life Group in Addison, TX seeks a Sr. Relationship Manager to own onboarding, operational relationship, and business readiness for Distribution partners, delivering a coordinated experience to help the field grow, adopt new capabilities, and serve customers well.

The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of life insurance/annuities distribution, exercises independent judgment, and influences outcomes without direct authority. Onsite 4 days a week with core days Mon-Thu.