TPA Business Development Director

Ascensus; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Ascensus, the leading independent technology and service platform for savings plans, seeks a TPA Business Development Director to grow relationships with TPAs across an assigned territory. You will collaborate with local sales, train teams, and present Ascensus as the recordkeeper of choice to win referral business.

The role requires 5+ years in the retirement plan industry, strong relationship and presentation skills, and willingness to travel 25–50%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
• 5+ years in the retirement plan industry, with TPAs, recordkeeping, or plan administration preferred.
• Strong understanding of TPAs, recordkeepers, advisors and sponsors in employer-sponsored plans.
• Proven relationship management or business development track record.
• Excellent presentation, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently in a field-based role.
• Willingness to travel 25–50%, including overnight trips for conferences.
• FINRA Series 6 and Series 63 licenses required.
• ASPPA or NIPA designations are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop territory strategy with local sales to target TPAs and prioritize market opportunities.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with TPAs, principals, owners and staff.
• Train sales reps to position Ascensus as a TPA-friendly recordkeeper.
• Present Ascensus value proposition, service model and tech platform to TPAs to win referrals.
• Collaborate with sales to set joint marketing and sales goals with each TPA partner.
• Develop and track co-branded campaigns and referral programs with TPAs.
• Provide escalation support and coordinate with internal teams to address TPAs’ needs.
• Represent Ascensus at national/regional conferences (ASPPA, NIPA) and travel 25–50% as needed.
• Maintain CRM records and report progress to sales leadership; share market intelligence with stakeholders.

Skills

Relationship management

Retirement plan industry

Presentation skills

Travel readiness

Self-motivation

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Ascensus is the leading independent technology and service platform powering savings plans across America, providing products and expertise that help nearly 16 million people save for a better today and tomorrow.

The TPA Business Development Director is responsible for growing and deepening the company's relationships with Third Party Administrators (TPAs). This role works in close collaboration with the local sales team, and with operations units as needed, to identify, cultivate, and expand TPA relationships within an assigned territory, positioning Ascensus as a recordkeeper of choice for plans administered by those TPAs. The ideal candidate combines relationship‑building skills with a solid understanding of the retirement plan ecosystem — recordkeepers, TPAs, advisors, and plan sponsors — and thrives on cultivating long‑term, mutually beneficial partnerships.

Territory & Relationship Development

• Partner with local sales representatives to design local territory strategy, identifying and prioritizing target TPAs based on market opportunity, existing relationships, and growth potential and then execute on that strategy.
• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with local sales representatives, TPA principals, owners, and key staff.
• Help train sales representatives, as needed, to properly position Ascensus as a TPA friendly recordkeeper.
• Present the recordkeeper's value proposition, service model, and technology platform to TPAs to win their preference and referral business.

Joint Business Planning

• Work alongside sales representatives to establish joint marketing and sales goals with each strategic TPA partner.
• Develop and track co-branded marketing initiatives, campaigns, and referral programs with TPA partners.
• Monitor performance against joint goals and adjust plans as needed.

Partner Support

• Serve as an escalation point and relationship advocate for TPAs working with Ascensus, ensuring issues are resolved quickly and partners feel supported.
• Coordinate with internal service, operations, and relationship management teams to address TPA needs.
• Provide TPAs with ongoing education on platform updates, service enhancements, and tools available to them.

National & Regional Presence

• Represent Ascensus at national and regional industry conferences to build brand awareness and cultivate relationships (e.g., ASPPA, NIPA, and other TPA-focused events).
• Support and help execute national programs designed to strengthen TPA engagement.
• Travel with assigned sales representatives 25–50% of the time to support in-person TPA meetings and presentations.

Collaboration & Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of TPA relationships, activities, and pipeline in the CRM.
• Provide regular updates to sales leadership on territory progress, partner engagement, and joint goal performance.
• Complete and submit reporting as required to track progress against territory strategy and success metrics.
• Share market intelligence and competitive insights gathered from TPA relationships with internal stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in the retirement plan industry, ideally with exposure to TPAs, recordkeeping, or plan administration.
• Strong understanding of the roles TPAs, recordkeepers, and advisors play in employer-sponsored retirement plans.
• Proven relationship management or business development track record.
• Excellent presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Self‑motivated and comfortable working independently in a field‑based role.
• Willingness and ability to travel 25–50%, including overnight and multi‑day trips for conferences.
• FINRA Series 6 and Series 63 licenses required.
• ASPPA or NIPA professional designations a plus.

What Success Looks Like

• Growth in the number of active, engaged TPA relationships within the territory.
• Increased plan referrals and asset flows sourced through TPA partnerships.
• Strong satisfaction scores/feedback from TPA partners.
• Achievement of jointly established sales and marketing goals with TPA partners.

The national average salary range for this role is$125-175k in base pay, exclusive of any bonuses and benefits.This base salary range represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position. Actual salary offered will vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, performance, and internal pay alignment. We do not anticipate that candidates hired will begin at the top of the range however, from time to time, it may occur on a case‑by‑case basis.

Other rewards and benefits may include: 401(k) match, Medical, Dental, Vision, Paid-Time-Off, etc. For more information, please visit careers.ascensus.com/#Benefits

Be aware of employment fraud. All email communications from Ascensus or its hiring managers originate from @ascensus.com or @futureplan.com email addresses. We will never ask you for payment or require you to purchase any equipment. If you are suspicious or unsure about validity of a job posting, we strongly encourage you to apply directly through our website.