Job Summary

This role leads an Investment Client Service Operations team that supports financial representatives and home office partners by ensuring reliable access, support, and oversight of investment-related systems and processes. The manager is accountable for service delivery, issue resolution, and operational performance, while coaching and developing employees to provide a consistent, high-quality field experience.

This position leads complex escalations, drives root-cause analysis and process improvement, and partners across teams to enhance system effectiveness and field productivity. Success requires strong people leadership, sound judgment, adaptability, and the ability to manage risk, compliance, and confidentiality in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the team through selection, onboarding, coaching, development, and performance management. Identify staffing needs, mentor employees, and set clear expectations for roles, priorities, milestones, and measures of success.
• Provide day-to-day leadership by reviewing, prioritizing, and resolving requests. Identify proactive solutions, evaluate options, and recommend the best course of action to improve outcomes.
• Ensure high-quality service delivery by meeting service level goals and maintaining strong quality controls, including timely call reviews and processing audits.
• Manage and resolve escalated issues involving staff, processes, and systems across both home office and field operations. Partner with internal teams, external vendors, and cross-functional stakeholders to drive resolution.
• Serve as a project owner, contributor, subject matter expert, and team lead for operational initiatives and enhancements, including allocating team resources from concept through implementation.
• Lead change management efforts that impact service delivery, tools, and workflows. This role interfaces directly with field partners, internal teams, strategic vendors, and engineering teams.
• Communicate effectively across all levels of the organization. Use strong judgment to navigate ambiguity, manage conflict, support salary administration, and make independent, high-quality decisions.
• Improve field productivity, support growth, and help retain customer assets by identifying system issues and enhancement opportunities, increasing operational efficiency, and coordinating with service providers.
• Support succession planning by identifying future leaders and developing team members to achieve their highest potential.
• Stay current on industry developments and anticipate the need for communication and coordination with internal partners and the field.
• Establish and monitor policies and procedures to ensure regulatory compliance. Serve as a liaison for regulatory audits, internal audits, and legal requests.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in business, operations management, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of seven years of related experience, including deep knowledge of operational procedures and policy design and implementation.
• At least two years of operational people leadership experience, with demonstrated strengths in management, human relations, interpersonal effectiveness, and talent development (selection, assignment, training, coaching, and motivation).
• Technical knowledge of operational aspects of financial services and products.
• Demonstrated ability to apply expertise across complex business areas and effectively manage projects and or teams.
• Strong business acumen and ability to learn new concepts and procedures quickly.
• Proven ability to respond to changing business needs, manage competing priorities, and operate effectively in ambiguity.
• Ability to deliver proactively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with multiple concurrent demands.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate business impacts, downstream consequences, and emerging trends.
• Experience partnering with internal and external customers to meet or exceed expectations.
• Creative, flexible problem-solver who can improve outcomes through technology and process improvements.

Licensing

• FINRA Series 7 and Series 24 required.

This position has been classified as a Registered Representative under NMIS guidelines and requires fingerprinting.Series 24 - FINRA, Series 7 - FINRA, SIE - FINRA

Compensation Range:

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We believe in fairness and transparency. It’s why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However, final salaries are based on a number of factors, including the skills and experience of the candidate; the current market; location of the candidate; and other factors uncovered in the hiring process. The standard pay structure is listed but if you’re living in California, New York City or other eligible location, geographic specific pay structures, compensation and benefits could be applicable, click here to learn more.

Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do. Get started now!

Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer who welcomes and encourages diversity in the workforce. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.

Skills

Financial Services Industry Acumen (NM) - Expert, Business Acumen (NM) - Expert, Customer Support (NM) - Expert, Talent Development & Planning (NM) - Advanced, Field Consulting (NM) - Expert, Accountability (NM) - Advanced, Change Adaptability (NM) - Expert, Customer Service Mindset (NM) - Expert, Strategic Vision & Planning (NM) - Intermediate, Attention to Detail (NM) - Expert, Process Improvement (NM) - Advanced, Adaptive Communication (NM) - Expert, Root Cause Analysis & Decision Quality (NM) - Expert, Consulting (NM) - Expert, Cross Functional Partnering & Planning (NM) - Expert, Investment Products (NM) - Expert, Policy & Procedure (NM) - Advanced, Customer Centricity (NM) - Expert, Prioritization (NM) - Expert, Tax Awareness (NM) - Expert, Technical Problem Solving (NM) - Expert, Analytical Thinking (NM) - Expert, Compliance (NM) - Expert, Stakeholder Relationship (NM) - Advanced, Investment Management Systems (NM) - Expert, Organization (NM) - Expert, Policy Inquiries & Complaints Management​ (NM) - Advanced, Industry Knowledge (NM) - Expert, Audits (NM) - Expert

FIND YOUR FUTURE

We’re excited about the potential people bring to Northwestern Mutual. You can grow your career here while enjoying first-class perks, benefits, and our commitment to a culture of belonging.

• Flexible work schedules
• Concierge service
• Comprehensive benefits
• Employee resource groups