Summary:

Deliver expert people leadership and guidance to the Project & Administration team in Field Rewards on projects and administration related to compensation, bonus, awards, and recognition topics to help the team achieve their business objectives and goals. Accountable for performance management and staffing of the group, with a strong focus on coaching and staff development. Provides highest level of program/portfolio management expertise and consultation in order to meet department, cross-department and enterprise-wide goals. Plans, monitors and manages the resourcing needed within the team to support the internal business programs from initiation through rollout and ongoing program management.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Supervises a team that is accountable for business owner feature sign off at a program level.
• Accountable for business-level resource management as it relates to meeting project demands. Involves identifying knowledgeable and skill-set needs; risk mitigation; addressing performance gaps; and making capacity driven resource decisions that serve the best interest of the team and overall success of the organization.
• Perform all aspects of performance management and career development through recruiting, goal setting, performance appraisal, motivation, and coaching.
• Accountable for motivating project team members and influencing them to take positive action and accountability for their assigned work.
• Informs and clarifies strategic outcomes at an Epic-level project focus, as it relates to new/existing program administration and execution impacting the field experience.
• Provides outside perspective on the effectiveness of our compensation/recognition programs, interfaces, and ways of working/partnering with the product organization, engineering and business owner(s) to deliver on time, within budget, and on scope.
• Manages a portfolio of large corporate and small departmental projects.
• Leads complex cross-functional or cross-departmental projects to move field experience initiatives through an agile delivery process.
• Bridges agile delivery with lean execution, connects technology changes to business processes.
• Responsible for the translation of current business processes into technical language with the product organization and engineering.
• Serve as a business SME for project intake, prioritization and planning for execution.
• Collaborate with product/project/outcome managers across the organization to deliver the desired strategic and business value for our customers and policy owners.
• Accountable for executing key business outcomes in collaboration with Product and Engineering leadership/teams.
• Involves setting project and support delivery objectives during program increment planning events and assuring business perspective is represented through the sprint delivery cycle.
• Identify and resolve issues and conflicts to ensure the success of the portfolio and program level outcome.
• Identify, implement, and cultivate a lean process mind-set/environment that supports continuous improvement through operational efficiencies.
• Responsible for issue/risk resolution, adoption, change management, and communication of new program deliverables.
• Work with key stakeholders across the organization to define and address issues that impact the client, the field, and Home Office experience.
• Provide operational support to augment business escalation process.
• Work closely with operational leadership to determine support needs and create clear expectations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, MIS, project management or related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• 7 to 10 years of progressively responsible management-level experience with broad in-depth Field Rewards experience.

• Prior formal manager experience.

• Significant business knowledge emphasizing analytical and decision-making skills. Experience with team building, communication and personnel development.

• Excellent leadership, strategic, organizational and change agility, and decision-making skills. Comfort level with lean thinking and agile delivery.

• Experience with innovative thinking and solutions.

• Business architecture mindset (ability to transform business processes through people, process, technology and information insights).

• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead large complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, process improvements, communications and change management.

• Superior oral and written communications skills with the proven ability to build relationships inside and outside team and successfully negotiate issues.

• Large project experience.

Northwestern Mutual pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement in the salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. At Northwestern Mutual, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. Please note that the salary range listed in the posting is the standard pay structure. Positions in certain locations (such as California) may provide an increase on the standard pay structure based on the location. Please click for additiona l information relating to location-based pay structures.

We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you work or would be working in California, Colorado, New York City, Washington or outside of a Corporate location, please click for information pertaining to compensation and benefits.

We're excited about the potential people bring to Northwestern Mutual. You can grow your career here while enjoying first-class perks, benefits, and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

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