Lead Associate, Strategy & Insights Single Family Policy, Product & Guide Team

About the role

We are seeking a highly analytical and strategic Lead Associate, Strategy & Insights to join Fannie Mae's Policy, Product & Guide organization within Single-Family. As a valued colleague on our team, you will lead strategic analysis that helps shape product, policy, digital strategies and priorities. You will work across the organization to turn complex and often ambiguous business questions into structured analyses, actionable insights, and decision-quality recommendations.

The ideal candidate combines structured problem solving, strong quantitative and qualitative analysis, business judgment, and executive communication. You are comfortable starting without a predefined answer or workplan, determining the right analytical approach, working directly with data and research, and influencing stakeholders to move from insight to action. You strengthen team capabilities by improving methodologies and support team development through sharing knowledge, conducting thoughtful peer review, and coaching.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic analyses from problem definition through recommendation, translating ambiguous business questions into clear hypotheses, analytical approaches, workplans, and decision-ready conclusions. Analyses could pertain to: policies, products (mortgage, digital, etc), pilots, and other strategic priorities.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis, including market sizing, opportunity assessments, customer and lender behavior, product adoption and utilization, competitive intelligence, SWOT/right-to-win, market dynamics, and industry and technology trends.
• Where needed, consult internal stakeholders to inform the strategic recommendations and/or contribute their analyses.
• Synthesize analysis into actionable strategic recommendations, balancing desirability (market opportunity & strategic alignment); viability (value creation, competition, economics); and feasibility (path to execution, risks). Recommendations could inform: product direction, prioritization, and investment decisions.
• Strengthen Strategy & Insights capabilities by improving methodologies, standard work, tools, and analytical approaches.
• Support team development through sharing knowledge, conducting thoughtful peer review, and providing coaching.

Requirements

• At least 4 years of relevant experience in corporate strategy, management consulting, product strategy, business analytics, market intelligence, or a related field.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Analytics, Strategy, Public Policy, Engineering, or a related field. MBA preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently structure and solve complex business problems, determine the analysis required, and own deliverables from initial problem framing through final recommendation.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, with experience in areas such as market sizing, segmentation, scenario analysis, business cases, competitive analysis, customer insights, or financial analysis.
• Strong business judgment and ability to connect analysis to economics, market impact, operational implications, risk, and strategic rationale.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex information, distinguish what matters most, and develop clear recommendations for senior leaders.
• Strong stakeholder-management skills and experience influencing cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Strong written, verbal, and executive communication skills, including advanced proficiency with Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel.

Desired Experience

• Experience in mortgage lending, housing finance, banking, financial services, or fintech.
• Understanding of the mortgage origination and underwriting lifecycle and the operational considerations that influence lender adoption and execution.
• Familiarity with Fannie Mae or other investor/agency products, policies, underwriting tools, digital solutions, or Selling Guide requirements.
• Shows curiosity and adaptability in learning and responsibly applying new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to reimagine how we work.

What Will Make You Successful

• Creates clarity from ambiguity. Brings structure to complex topics, frames the right questions, and identifies what matters most.
• Demonstrates curiosity. Learns new topics quickly, challenges assumptions, and seeks diverse perspectives to strengthen recommendations.
• Exercises strategic judgment. Balances data, strategic alignment, stakeholder perspectives, and risk to distill insights and form recommendations.
• Communicates with impact. Turns complex analysis into the few insights that matter most and builds a concise, compelling recommendation for leaders.
• Acts with ownership and influence. Anticipates risks and dependencies and moves stakeholders toward outcomes in an environment where priorities evolve.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Thinking & Structured Problem Solving
• Market Sizing & Opportunity Assessment
• Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis
• Competitive & Market Intelligence
• Digital Product Strategy development
• Business Case Development
• Executive Communication
• Stakeholder Management & Influence
• Cross-Functional Leadership

Qualifications

• Agile Methodology
• Cross-Functional Teamwork
• Product Launches
• Product Management
• Product Strategies
• Roadmap Development
• Stakeholder Management
• Strategy Development

Education

• Bachelor's Level Degree (Required)

Pay

The hiring range for this role is $123,000 to $161,000. Final salaries will generally vary within that range based on factors that include but are not limited to, skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and other relevant qualifications. This position is eligible to participate in a Fannie Mae incentive program (subject to the terms of the program).