Suitability Review Consultant

Sammons Financial Group Companies; West Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 63,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

ESOP program

Friday early release

Paid time off & holidays

Tuition reimbursement & development

Job summary

Sammons Financial Group Companies is seeking a qualified Suitability Review Consultant in West Des Moines, IA, to conduct annuity suitability reviews and manage escalations. You will lead a team, coordinate with agents, and ensure compliance with NAIC and regulatory standards.

Responsibilities include overseeing case management, guiding staff, and applying product knowledge across variable, fixed, and indexed annuities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• 5+ years in broker-dealer back office, annuity or insurance client service preferred.
• Series 6/26 licenses (or Series 7/24) or ability to obtain within 120 days.
• Strong verbal and written communication and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Determine suitability for annuity new business applications and gather information for analysis.
• Lead Suitability Review Consultants with workload management, coaching and case reviews.
• Provide case management support to top producers and manage pre-sale reviews.
• Maintain knowledge of annuity products and external financial products to support suitability reviews.
• Complete heightened reviews and analyze trends to inform management.
• Assist with monthly QA of suitability processes and mentor team members.
• Assist with annual re-certification/audit of third-party distributors for compliance.
• Support IT and Agile projects by facilitating meetings and user acceptance testing.
• Review reports and provide feedback to management and other consultants.

Skills

Strong communication

Analytical problem solving

Influence others

Organizational skills

Self-motivated

Adaptability

Overtime availability

Series 6/26 licenses or 7/24

FINRA SIE preferred

Travel availability

Education

Bachelor's Degree Preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

What You Can Expect In This Role

Conduct suitability reviews of annuity new business applications while managing escalated files, replacement monitoring, heightened reviews, trend analysis and agent outreach to ensure compliance with National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) suitability, state and federal regulations.

What You Can Expect In This Role

Conduct suitability reviews of annuity new business applications while managing escalated files, replacement monitoring, heightened reviews, trend analysis and agent outreach to ensure compliance with National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) suitability, state and federal regulations.

What You'll Do In This Role

• Determine the suitability for annuity new business applications. Gather additional information for analysis, evaluate and make final suitability recommendations and decisions and extensively document decisions and actions taken. Decide when to involve management for limited items outside scope of authority.
• Provide leadership and direction to the Suitability Review Consultants including, but not limited to workload management, coaching, training and case review support.
• Provide individualized case management, level back office service and support to our top producers by directly working with the agents and their staff on all Suitability questions, pre-sale reviews and decline conversations.
• Maintain and provide updates to team on written procedures in compliance with regulations to ensure accurate, efficient and consistent processing of the suitability review workload.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of company offered annuity products (i.e. variable, fixed and fixed indexed) as well as external financial products. Provide Suitability Review Consultant support by utilizing overall product knowledge and expertise.
• Complete heightened reviews on agent's books of business to ensure consistency in our review process. Analyze results and find trends and patterns; share results and recommendations with management and the Review Committee.
• Assist with monthly quality assurance (QA) of the suitability phone and review process to ensure procedures and guidelines are being followed. Provide mentorship through coaching and assisting team members with heightened reviews of individual cases and agents. Collaborate with corresponding team member regarding feedback resulting from quality reviews.
• Assist management with the annual re-certification/audit of third party distributors to ensure functions are being performed as requested and are compliant with applicable laws, rules and regulations. Seek support as necessary from internal suitability governance team. Review the ongoing monitoring of banks, broker-dealers and other external distribution partners.
• Assist the Compliance team with reviewing files on post issue complaints.
• Provide subject matter expertise to IT and Agile project teams by participating and facilitating meetings, creating stories, performing user acceptance testing, and executing business approval.
• Support all other Annuity New Business teams when volume and capacity allows.
• Accept and manage any calls and escalations from our distribution partners professionally and autonomously.
• Assist leader with additional research requests in regards to escalated cases and follow up with agents and business partners when requested.
• Review auxiliary reports related to the Suitability department. Provide timely and comprehensive feedback to management and other suitability consultants regarding these reports.
• Commitment to embrace Sammons Financial Group Companies shared values (Accountability, Connection, Openness, Respect and Integrity).
• As stated within the Company Attendance and Punctuality policy, regular attendance is required and expected in order to meet the business service levels and workflow demands.
• Other duties as assigned.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's Degree Preferred
• Minimum 5 years' Broker dealer back office, annuity or insurance client service experience Preferred
• Previous suitability or compliance experience Preferred
• Proficient use of PC and Microsoft Office products
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent analytical problem solving skills with the ability to make decisions
• Demonstrated ability to influence others
• Advanced organizational skills with ability to focus on appropriate details
• Self-motivator and ability to work efficiently and independently to meet service levels
• Ability to adapt to frequent change
• Ability to work periodic overtime, sometimes with relatively short notice
• Series 6 and Series 26 licenses (or Series 7 and 24) or ability to obtain within 120 days Required
• FINRA SIE Preferred
• Some travel may be required

Other Requirements

• Due to the financial nature and level of accountability of this position, a credit and criminal background check is required - The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires Sammons Financial Group Companies to notify you that, as a routine part of processing this application for employment, Sammons Financial Group may request a consumer report on you to verify all information contained in this application. Such report may include information about work-related behaviors, performance, character, general reputation, and personal characteristics, in addition to information about your previous employment, education, credit history and criminal records
• FINRA regulations require fingerprinting for this position. Management reserves the right to determine and approve incumbent suitability for this position.

Salary Range Information

USD $62,571.00 - USD $104,284.00 /Yr. Range includes data points from multiple labor markets. Specific range is dependent on the labor market where the incumbent will be hired to perform the position. Starting salary is dependent on candidate qualifications and experience. For a narrower salary range specific to your labor market, please inquire.

What you can expect when you join Sammons Financial Group

• Comprehensive health coverage for you and your family, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA & FSA options, and term life insurance.
• Competitive compensation with a performance-based incentive program tied to clear goals and individual and/or company success.
• Invest in your future with our 100% company-funded Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), plus automatic enrollment in our 401(k).
• Work-life balance that means something. Friday afternoons off year-round, generous paid time off, and paid holidays.
• Commit to your growth with paid development time, tuition reimbursement, and professional development opportunities across industry, individual, and leadership programs.
• Make an impact beyond the workplace through volunteer time off, and our company nonprofit matching gift program, supporting the causes that matter most to you.
• An ownership culture that inspires; join a connected, values-driven workplace where employees take accountability, support one another, and are empowered to do their best work-together shaping our future shared success.

Work Authorization/Sponsorship

At this time, we're not considering candidates that need any type of immigration sponsorship now or in the future or those needing work authorization for this role (This includes, but is not limited to students on F1-OPT, F1-CPT, J-1, etc.)

Additional Information

Sammons Financial Group Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

ADA

Sammons Financial Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of the employment process. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the application or hiring process, including navigating our website or applying for a position, please contact [e-mail] or call 800-728-2987.

E-Verify

Sammons Financial Group participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

Policy for External Search Firms and Agencies

Sammons Financial Group maintains an internal Talent Acquisition function and does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from search firms, staffing agencies, or other third-party recruiting vendors. Please review our Recruitment Agency Policy for additional information here.