Executive Director — AEP Applicant Services

Job Responsibilities

• Oversees the product roadmap, vision, development, execution, risk management, and business growth targets
• Led the entire product life cycle through planning, execution, and future development by continuously adapting, developing new products and methodologies, managing risks, and achieving business targets like cost, features, reusability, and reliability to support growth
• Coaches and mentors the product team on best practices, such as solution generation, market research, storyboarding, mind-mapping, prototyping methods, product adoption strategies, and product delivery, enabling them to effectively deliver on objectives
• Owes product performance and is accountable for investing in enhancements to achieve business objectives
• Monitors market trends, conducts competitive analysis, and identifies opportunities for product differentiation
• Lead the modernization, growth, and maintenance of applicant services strategies, ensuring alignment with organizational standards and priorities
• Cookes and mentors the product team on best practices, such as solution generation, market research, storyboarding, mind-mapping, prototyping methods, product adoption strategies, and product delivery, enabling them to effectively deliver on objectives
• Owns product performance and is accountable for investing in enhancements to achieve business objectives
• Maintains a strong focus on risk and controls, ensuring issues are identified, escalated, and managed effectively and transparently
• Plan and deliver innovative information to applicants efficiently in various formats, contributing to documentation related to applicant services
• Demonstrate principled leadership in aspects of culture and conduct, articulating the organization's competitive proposition and key differentiators

Required Qualifications, Capabilities, And Skills

• 8+ years of experience or equivalent expertise delivering products, projects, or technology applications
• Extensive knowledge of the product development life cycle, technical design, and data analytics
• Proven ability to influence the adoption of key product life cycle activities including discovery, ideation, strategic development, requirements definition, and value management
• Experience driving change within organizations and managing stakeholders across multiple functions
• Comprehensive knowledge of the applicant lifecycle and solid understanding of business processes and risk controls
• In-depth understanding of market participants, client requirements, and market practices, demonstrated through established relationships and previous achievements
• Proven track record in delivering and managing change effectively, with strong analytical, problem-solving, and process re-engineering skills
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey clear, concise messages and leverage the broader organization to achieve objectives
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks across different time horizons while meeting deadlines
• Proven ability to manage teams both directly and through dotted-line relationships, as well as across support areas to achieve overall objectives, with a strong understanding of the regulatory environment and its impact on applicant services

Preferred Qualifications, Capabilities, And Skills

• Recognized thought leader within a related field
• Demonstrated leadership delivering self-service platforms and reusable capability models at scale
• Strong applied AI/GenAI product delivery experience (use-case selection, measurement, governance partnership, monitoring, and responsible rollout)
• Confident executive presence with the ability to secure sponsorship, align diverse stakeholders, and communicate market and strategy narratives effectively
• External industry engagement (forums, panels, standards groups) relevant to onboarding/applicant services