Director Life Operations

At Horace Mann, we are dedicated to supporting educators and helping them achieve lifelong financial security. We are seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking Director, Life Operations to lead and evolve our Life New Business operations. This role is a critical leadership position responsible for driving operational excellence, enhancing customer and agent experiences, and delivering strategic improvements across the end-to-end new business lifecycle. The ideal candidate will combine strong operational leadership, regulatory knowledge, and a passion for developing high-performing teams. Key Responsibilities Operational Leadership & Strategy Lead day-to-day Life New Business Operations, ensuring accuracy, quality, compliance, and exceptional customer service. Develop and execute strategic, forward-thinking plans to improve processes, drive efficiency, and elevate service standards. Establish and monitor performance goals and metrics, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and service expectations. Identify opportunities to streamline workflows and reduce processing cycle times to enhance the customer and agent experience. Process Improvement & Execution Evaluate and optimize operational processes from submission through policy issuance to drive measurable improvements. Promote a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging team contributions to enhance efficiency and service delivery. Oversee quality assurance practices and ensure adherence to operational standards and compliance requirements. Lead initiatives that improve accuracy, productivity, and overall operational performance. Leadership & Talent Development Lead, coach, and develop a team of managers and operational staff, fostering a high-performance and growth-oriented environment. Effectively utilize team member strengths to maximize performance and create career development opportunities. Partner with Human Resources to hire, train, evaluate, and develop talent, taking corrective actions when necessary. Build a culture centered on accountability, collaboration, and engagement. Cross-Functional Collaboration Collaborate with underwriting, distribution, IT, compliance, and product teams to ensure seamless execution of business processes. Provide leadership and guidance across internal and cross-functional teams to align priorities and deliver results. Keep stakeholders informed on progress, performance, and key initiatives. Customer & Agent Experience Oversee customer and agent interactions to ensure a best-in-class service experience aligned with Horace Mann’s mission. Drive improvements that enhance responsiveness, transparency, and ease of doing business. Governance, Compliance & Risk Management Maintain deep understanding of the regulatory environment, including state Departments of Insurance, IRS, SEC, and FINRA requirements. Ensure all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are compliant and consistently followed. Uphold regulatory and company standards in all operational activities. Financial & Business Planning Partner with leadership to develop and manage budgets and business plans. Apply strong business acumen to support strategic decision-making and operational investments. Qualifications & Experience Bachelor's in business or related business discipline required. Extensive experience in Life Insurance or Life operations, preferably within new business processing. Proven leadership experience managing operations teams and developing talent. Strong understanding of end-to-end new business lifecycle and processing systems. Deep knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements within the insurance and financial services industry. Demonstrated ability to drive process improvement, operational efficiency, and service excellence. Excellent communication, strategic thinking, and stakeholder management skills. Experience managing budgets, business planning, and operational performance metrics. Pay Range: $89,800.00- $125,500.00 annually Salary is commensurate to experience, location, etc. Horace Mann was founded in 1945 by two Springfield, Illinois, teachers who saw a need for quality, affordable auto insurance for teachers. Since then, we’ve broadened our mission to helping all educators protect what they have today and prepare for a successful tomorrow. And with our broadened mission has come corporate growth: We serve more than 4,100 school districts nationwide, we’re publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: HMN) and we have more than $12 billion in assets. We’re motivated by the fact that educators take care of our children’s future, and we believe they deserve someone to look after theirs. We help educators identify their financial goals and develop plans to achieve them. This includes insurance to protect what they have today and financial products to help them prepare for their future. Our tailored offerings include special rates and benefits for educators. EOE/Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status For applicants that are California residents, please review our California Consumer Privacy Notice All applicants should review our Horace Mann Privacy Policy