Symetra has an exciting opportunity to join our Retirement Sales team as an Assistant Vice President of Strategic Program Management!
About the role
The AVP, Strategic Program Management is a senior divisional leadership role responsible for driving the Retirement Division’s highest-priority and highest-visibility strategic initiatives from planning through execution and benefits realization. This role partners closely with Retirement executive leadership to translate divisional strategy into coordinated, measurable business outcomes.
The AVP leads a portfolio of complex, cross-functional initiatives that are highly visible to divisional leadership and may have significant business, financial, operational, partner, or reputational impact. Key areas of focus include business growth, Go-to-Market execution, distribution effectiveness, partner and advisor experience, AI enablement, operational excellence, and business transformation. Although the role is accountable for Retirement Division initiatives, successful execution requires close collaboration with senior leaders across Symetra, including Distribution, Product, Marketing, Technology, Operations, Finance, Legal, Compliance, Risk, and other shared functions.
Serving as a trusted advisor to divisional leadership, the AVP establishes program governance, drives organizational alignment, facilitates executive decision-making, and provides clear visibility into the progress, risks, financial impact, and business outcomes of critical initiatives. The role is expected to anticipate challenges, elevate issues requiring executive attention, and ensure high-profile programs maintain momentum and deliver measurable business value.
What you will do
Divisional Strategy and Executive Enablement
- Partner with senior leadership to translate divisional priorities into executable programs, roadmaps, and measurable outcomes.
- Support the identification, prioritization, and sequencing of strategic initiatives based on business value, organizational capacity, risk, and interdependencies.
- Facilitate divisional strategic planning, initiative roadmapping, executive working sessions, and governance forums.
- Provide recommendations to divisional leaders regarding priorities, investment decisions, resource constraints, risks, and execution alternatives.
- Develop executive presentations, business cases, strategic communications, and decision materials that support informed leadership action.
- Monitor progress against divisional objectives and recommend adjustments in response to changing business needs or performance.
- Establish and monitor ROI measures for the Division’s highest-priority programs, providing executive leadership with visibility into expected value, realized benefits, financial performance, and opportunities to improve program outcomes.
Strategic Portfolio and Program Leadership
- Lead a portfolio of the Division’s highest-priority strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with divisional objectives and broader company priorities.
- Establish program scope, objectives, governance, milestones, dependencies, resource requirements, success measures, and accountability.
- Direct multiple complex, cross-functional initiatives simultaneously from initial planning through implementation and benefits realization.
- Maintain an integrated view of initiative health, organizational capacity, dependencies, and competing priorities across the divisional portfolio.
- Recommend re-scoping, reprioritization, postponement, or cancellation when necessary to protect business value, financial performance, or organizational readiness.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for complex program issues requiring divisional leadership attention or decisions.
- Ensure programs are delivered within approved scope, schedule, budget, quality, and risk parameters.
Go-to-Market, Distribution, and Partner Experience
- Serve as a strategic program leader for Division Go-to-Market initiatives, coordinating planning and execution across Distribution, Product, Marketing, Operations, Technology, Compliance, Legal, and other supporting functions.
- Lead initiatives that strengthen distribution effectiveness, partner experience, advisor experience, and organizational readiness.
- Establish integrated plans for product launches, distribution programs, marketing initiatives, partner onboarding, education, technology implementation, and related business changes.
- Monitor partner feedback, account-level trends, launch performance, adoption, execution risks, and progress against divisional distribution strategies.
- Identify and advance opportunities to simplify processes, improve speed to market, strengthen partner engagement, and increase business effectiveness.
- Provide divisional leaders with timely visibility into Go-to-Market readiness, risks, decisions, and expected business outcomes.
AI, Innovation, and Business Transformation
- Lead the divisional coordination and execution of AI, automation, digital, and innovation initiatives aligned with business priorities.
- Partner with divisional leaders, corporate functions, technology teams, vendors, and consultants to define use cases, requirements, implementation plans, and adoption strategies.
- Establish appropriate governance, accountability, executive reporting, and performance measures for divisional AI and innovation initiatives.
- Evaluate initiative feasibility, expected business value, implementation risk, organizational readiness, and resource requirements.
Cross-Functional Leadership and Executive Influence
- Build trusted partnerships with leaders across Distribution, Product, Marketing, Technology, Operations, Finance, Legal, Compliance, Risk, and shared services.
- Serve as a central coordination point between leadership and the cross-functional teams supporting divisional initiatives.
- Influence decisions, priorities, and resource commitments across organizational boundaries without relying on direct authority.
- Facilitate alignment among stakeholders with differing objectives, operating models, timelines, and constraints.
- Clarify decision rights, roles, accountability, dependencies, and escalation paths across complex initiatives.
- Provide substantial feedback, recommendations, and decision support to divisional and cross-functional leaders.
- Represent Division priorities in cross-functional planning and execution discussions while maintaining alignment with broader organizational requirements.
Financial and Portfolio Management
- Provide ownership and accountability for initiative and portfolio financials, including budgets, forecasts, actuals, investment requests, and reconciliation.
- Monitor spending, resource utilization, financial risks, and performance against approved plans.
- Evaluate initiative priorities based on strategic alignment, expected value, cost, risk, timing, and organizational capacity.
- Provide transparent reporting on portfolio investments, financial performance, resource needs, and expected returns.
- Escalate financial or resource issues that may materially affect divisional objectives, delivery commitments, or expected business value.
Executive Reporting and Business Performance
- Establish executive-level dashboards and reporting that provide actionable visibility into portfolio performance, initiative health, financial status, risks, dependencies, decisions, and outcomes.
- Define and monitor key performance indicators, strategic milestones, operational measures, adoption metrics, and business outcomes.
- Measure the realization of expected financial benefits, operational improvements, growth outcomes, and partner or advisor experience enhancements.
- Translate complex program information into concise, decision-oriented communications for senior and executive leaders.
- Provide regular trend analysis and recommendations related to divisional strategy execution, product launches, distribution initiatives, partner feedback, and organizational performance.
- Ensure reporting is accurate, timely, consistent, and aligned with leadership needs.
Change Leadership and Organizational Readiness
- Develop and coordinate change strategies that prepare leaders, employees, partners, and supporting functions for new capabilities, processes, products, and operating models.
- Assess organizational readiness, adoption risks, stakeholder impacts, training needs, and communication requirements.
- Partner with functional leaders and change-management resources to develop implementation, communication, training, and adoption plans.
- Promote accountability for business adoption and sustained use of new capabilities.
- Monitor implementation effectiveness and recommend corrective actions when expected adoption or business outcomes are not achieved.
- Help leaders and teams navigate ambiguity, competing priorities, and significant organizational change.
Risk Management and Operational Excellence
- Identify strategic, operational, financial, technology, regulatory, reputational, and execution risks across the initiative portfolio.
- Establish mitigation plans, contingency strategies, escalation protocols, and clear ownership for significant risks and issues.
- Ensure appropriate involvement from Legal, Compliance, Risk, Information Security, Privacy, and other control functions.
- Analyze complex situations requiring evaluation of business tradeoffs, incomplete information, and organizational impacts.
- Champion disciplined program-management practices, continuous improvement, and consistent execution standards.
- Identify process, technology, and operating-model improvements that increase efficiency, scalability, quality, and business value.
Why work at Symetra
"This is a best workplace that value the personal and professional growth of its employees." - Sara H., Sr. Analytics Engineer
“Come hungry. Stay hungry. Symetra is a place where curiosity, continuous learning, and personal growth are truly valued. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or challenge yourself—every step you take is worth it. You’ll grow into a stronger, more empowered employee at one of the most diverse and equitable companies in the country.” - Ashley C., Internal Wholesaler
What we offer you
We don’t take a “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to our employees. Our programs are designed to make your life better both at work and at home.
- Flexible full-time or hybrid telecommuting arrangements
- Plan for your future with our 401(k) plan and take advantage of immediate vesting and company matching up to 6%
- Paid time away including vacation and sick time, flex days and ten paid holidays
- Give back to your community and double your impact through our company matching
- Want more details? Check out ourSymetra Benefits Overview
Compensation
$155,800 - $259,600 annually plus eligibility for Company Annual Bonus program
Who you are
Who you are
- High school diploma required
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required; advanced degree preferred.
- Professional certification or designation relevant to the role, such as PMP, PgMP, Prosci, Lean, or Agile certification, preferred.
- Twelve to fifteen or more years of progressive experience in strategic program management, business transformation, strategic operations, or a related discipline.
- Demonstrated success leading a portfolio of large, highly complex, cross-functional initiatives with significant divisional impact.
- Experience partnering directly with Vice Presidents, senior executives, and cross-functional leaders to translate strategy into execution.
- Proven ability to influence organizational decisions, priorities, and resource commitments without direct authority.
- Strong financial acumen, including experience with budgets, forecasts, business cases, investment analysis, and benefits realization.
- Demonstrated experience establishing governance, executive reporting, performance measures, and accountability for complex initiatives.
- Experience leading initiatives involving Go-to-Market execution, distribution, partner experience, product launches, technology, AI, digital transformation, or operational excellence preferred.
- Financial services, insurance, retirement products, or distribution experience preferred.
- Strong executive communication, presentation, facilitation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
We empower inclusion
At Symetra, we aspire to be the most inclusive insurance company in the country. We're building a place where every employee feels valued, respected, and has opportunities to contribute.
At Symetra, we aspire to be the most inclusive insurance company in the country. We're building a place where every employee feels valued, respected, and has opportunities to contribute.
Inclusion is about recognizing our assumptions, considering multiple perspective, and removing barriers. We accept and celebrate diverse experiences, identities, and perspectives, because lifting each other up fuels thought and builds a stronger, more innovative company. We invite you to learn more about our efforts here.
Creating a world where more people have access to financial freedom
Symetra is a national financial services company dedicated to helping people achieve their financial goals and feel confident about the future. In our daily work, we're guided by the principles of Value, Transparency and Sustainability. This means we provide products and services people need at a competitive price, we communicate clearly and openly so people understand what they're buying, and we design products--and operate our company--to stand the test of time. We're committed to showing up for our communities, lifting up our employees, and standing up for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Join our team and help us create a world where more people have access to financial freedom.
Symetra is a national financial services company dedicated to helping people achieve their financial goals and feel confident about the future. In our daily work, we're guided by the principles of Value, Transparency and Sustainability. This means we provide products and services people need at a competitive price, we communicate clearly and openly so people understand what they're buying, and we design products--and operate our company--to stand the test of time. We're committed to showing up for our communities, lifting up our employees, and standing up for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Join our team and help us create a world where more people have access to financial freedom.
For more information about our careers visit:
Work Authorization
Employer work visa sponsorship and support are not provided for this role. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States at hire and must maintain authorization to work in the United States throughout their employment with our company.
Employer work visa sponsorship and support are not provided for this role. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States at hire and must maintain authorization to work in the United States throughout their employment with our company.
Please review Symetra's Remote Network Minimum Requirements:
As a remote-first organization committed to providing a positive experience for both employees and customers, Symetra has the following standards for employees' internet connection:
- Minimum Internet Speed:100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload, in alignment with the FCC's definition of "broadband."
- Internet Type:Fiber, Cable (e.g., Comcast, Spectrum), or DSL.
- Not Permissible:Satellite (e.g., Starlink), cellular broadband (hotspot or otherwise), any other wireless technology, or wired dial-up.
When applying to jobs at Symetra you'll be asked to test your internet speed and confirm that your internet connection meets or exceeds Symetra's standard as outlined above.
Identity Verification
Symetra is committed to fair and secure hiring practices. For all roles, candidates will be required (after the initial phone screen) to be on video for all interviews. Symetra will take affirmative steps at key points in the process to verify that a candidate is not seeking employment fraudulently, e.g. through use of a false identity.
Failure to comply with verification procedures may result in:
- Disqualification from the recruitment process
- Withdrawal of a job offer
- Termination of employment and other criminal and/or civil remedies, if fraud is discovered
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