Transformation Strategy Lead

Guardian; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 152,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Guardian is seeking a Transformation Strategy Lead to drive operational modernization across the Group Benefits organization. You will evaluate customer journeys, redesign processes, and lead future-state operating models with a focus on automation, AI-enabled transformation, and improved customer experiences.

You will collaborate with business, operations, and technology leaders to deliver strategic initiatives, governance, and measurable outcomes, with a hybrid work arrangement and

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in management consulting, transformation, business strategy, operational excellence, or related discipline.
• Experience leading end-to-end operational transformation initiatives.
• Strong background in process redesign and operating model development.
• Experience developing business cases, transformation roadmaps, and implementation strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise transformation initiatives across the Group Benefits organization.
• Assess end-to-end journeys, processes, and operating models to identify improvements.
• Design and implement future-state processes to boost efficiency and customer experience.
• Identify and execute opportunities for automation, workflow orchestration, and AI-enabled solutions.
• Develop roadmaps, implementation plans, business cases, and success metrics.
• Partner with leaders across business, operations, and technology to execute initiatives.
• Establish governance structures and playbooks to support sustainable transformation.
• Support change management to drive adoption and successful implementation.
• Deliver executive updates on progress, outcomes, and impact.

Skills

Strategic transformation

Operational excellence

Process redesign

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Automation & AI

Change management

Job description

Do you thrive in environments where you can identify complex business challenges and drive enterprise transformation? Guardian is seeking a Transformation Strategy Lead to lead operational modernization initiatives across the Group Benefits organization. In this role, you will evaluate end-to-end customer journeys and business processes, identify opportunities to improve operational effectiveness, and lead the design and implementation of future-state operating models. You will play a critical role in advancing process optimization, automation, and AI-enabled transformation initiatives that improve customer experiences and business outcomes.

You Are

• A strategic transformation professional with deep expertise in operational excellence and business process redesign.
• Highly analytical and able to assess complex workflows to uncover inefficiencies and improvement opportunities.
• Experienced leading large-scale transformation initiatives across cross-functional and matrixed organizations.
• A collaborative leader who can build alignment across business, operations, technology, and executive stakeholders.
• An influential communicator capable of presenting recommendations and business cases to senior leadership.
• Passionate about modernization, automation, digital enablement, and continuous improvement.
• Comfortable balancing strategic planning with hands-on execution and delivery.

You Have

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in management consulting, transformation, business strategy, operational excellence, or a related discipline.
• Insurance industry experience, preferably within Group Benefits.
• Proven experience leading end-to-end operational transformation initiatives.
• Strong background in process redesign, workflow optimization, and operating model development.
• Experience developing business cases, transformation roadmaps, and implementation strategies.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence leaders and drive adoption of organizational change.

Preferred Qualifications

• Group Benefits operational experience.
• Experience supporting automation, AI, or digital transformation initiatives.
• Consulting experience within a top-tier consulting or transformation practice.
• Strong change management and governance framework experience.
• Experience delivering executive-level presentations and strategic recommendations.

You Will

• Lead enterprise transformation initiatives across the Group Benefits organization.
• Assess end-to-end customer journeys, business processes, and operating models to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Design and implement future-state processes that improve operational efficiency and customer experience.
• Identify and execute opportunities to leverage automation, workflow orchestration, and AI-enabled solutions.
• Develop transformation roadmaps, implementation plans, business cases, and success metrics.
• Partner with business leaders, operations teams, and technology organizations to execute strategic initiatives.
• Establish governance structures and operational playbooks to support sustainable transformation.
• Support organizational change management efforts to drive adoption and successful implementation.
• Deliver executive-level updates on transformation progress, outcomes, and business impact.

Reporting Relationships

As our Transformation Strategy Lead, you will partner with leaders across the Group Benefits organization and collaborate closely with operations, strategy, technology, and business stakeholders to enable enterprise transformation and modernization efforts.

Location

This is a hybrid role and must be within commuting distance of a Guardian hub location.

Preferred locations include:

• New York, NY
• Bethlehem, PA
• Boston, MA

Travel

Minimal travel may be required to support business priorities, stakeholder meetings, and transformation initiatives.

Salary Range

$152,290.00 - $250,195.00

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals. Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian’s Purpose – to inspire well-being – we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits.

Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [e-mail]. Please note: this resource is for accommodation requests only. For all other inquires related to your application and careers at Guardian, refer to the Guardian Careers site.

Visa Sponsorship

Guardian Life is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment-based visas (e.g., such as an H-1B). In order to be a successful applicant, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship/support now or at any time in the future.

Notice Regarding Guardian’s Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

As part of Guardian’s job application process, Guardian may use artificial intelligence tools ("AI Tools") to automate the sorting and filtering of information provided by applicants as part of its preliminary screening. This preliminary screening may be used to help identify applicant materials and resumes relative to their indication that the applicant meets the requirements for the specific job for which they are applying, as specified in the listing posted on Guardian’s jobs website (Careers at Guardian at https://www.guardianlife.com/careers). At Guardian, we do not use AI Tools to substantially assist or replace human judgment or discretionary decision making in our hiring process. All hiring decisions will be made by Guardian colleagues.

Please be aware that if you apply for a specific position with Guardian, you will have the choice of opting out of Guardian’s use of AI Tools during the job application process. If you would like to request an alternative process that does not utilize AI Tools or would like to request a reasonable accommodation, within ten business days of your position application, you must email your request to [e-mail], making sure to provide your name and job requisition identification number. Guardian will retain your applicant materials and resume and all information therefrom in accordance with Guardian’s document retention policy, a copy of which you may request via [e-mail].

Additionally, at applicable times, Guardian will make public the most recent bias audit results for such AI tools, which may be found here.