Director Distribution Operations- Onsite, Des Moines, Iowa

About the role

The Director Distribution Operations will be responsible for Distribution Operations ensuring consistent support to all distribution channels. They will collaborate with distribution leaders to develop and support sales strategies, and deliver distribution support including sales analysis, budget management, reporting and automation; agent support, and training.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and direction that enables the distributions to execute on strategic plans.
• Communicate the company’s overall goals and objectives to all distribution operations units so it is clear how their responsibilities are connected to the well-being of the distribution and Wellabe overall.
• Create, develop, and recommend goals, objectives and policies to ensure the most effective operation and staffing of the Distribution units.
• Approve hiring recommendations, monitor staff performance and manage performance.
• Create a high-performing organization, continuously analyzing current business work flows and productivity/efficiency results to implement process improvements.
• Oversee the planning, design and tactical implementation of various projects and operational initiatives to support the sales functions.
• Create and monitor budgets for all distributions. Analyze budget trends and monitor profit and loss statements. Reconcile assumptions to actual performance; present variances; develop action plans to resolve negative variances.
• Develop and monitor business analytics, data and reports that help drive sales programs. Assist in all facets of sales planning, inclusive of regular updates to quotas, headcount and sales compensation plans.
• Proactively diagnose the analytics requirements of the distributions; design and deliver reporting to meet their requirements.
• Develops and communicates competitive intelligence data to distributions to drive sales.
• Manage and deploy sales tools, to enable the sales team to more effectively communicate the company’s value proposition, accelerate the sales process and maximize revenue potential.
• Oversee the development and distribution of Sales communications to agents in all distribution channels.
• Oversee the lead management process for distribution channels, leveraging the program to allow for lead sharing across sales distributions. Monitor program efficiencies and ROI tracking.
• Lead the design and delivery of sales training and development programs. Ensure programs meet the needs of distribution leaders, agents and market conditions consistent with the long-term goals of the company.
• Lead distribution project management activities to ensure accurate and timely project delivery and execution.
• Collaborates with operational project managers to ensure seamless integration and execution.
• Communicates complex and technical concepts clearly and effectively; builds alignment and influences stakeholders across functions and levels.
• Strong aptitude for understanding technical solutions and learning/utilizing tools.
• Intermediate knowledge of MS Office Suite (Excel, Word and PowerPoint).
• Builds strong partnerships and drives alignment across teams without direct authority; effectively navigates competing priorities.
• Applies strong business and technical understanding to evaluate solutions, support decision-making, and align work to organizational priorities.
• Able to meet aggressive deadlines. Adapts to evolving priorities and environments; applies feedback and insights to improve team performance and delivery outcomes.
• Leads planning and execution across initiatives; ensures priorities are clear, timelines are met, and work is delivered with quality and consistency.
• Excellent problem solving and negotiation skills. Addresses complex and ambiguous challenges by evaluating tradeoffs, risks, and constraints; drives timely, well-reasoned decisions.
• Supports and leads implementation of new processes, tools, and ways of working; drives adoption and reinforces sustainable change.
• Implements and reinforces defined ways of working, including roles, processes, and decision frameworks, to improve efficiency and clarity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business management or related field required or combination of education and/or relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of degree.
• Previous leadership experience, a plus.
• Experience managing budgets, including forecasting, variance analysis, and action planning.
• Experience partnering cross-functionally with sales, product, marketing, and operational teams to drive projects and outcomes.
• Experience supporting market-facing initiatives, including product positioning, partner relationships, or distribution strategy.
• 8+ years of experience in sales/distribution operations, business operations, or a related field, and within the insurance industry preferred.