Senior Program Manager - Retail Investments

At Northwestern Mutual, we are strong, innovative and growing. We invest in our people. We care and make a positive difference.

At Northwestern Mutual, we help our clients realize the promise of financial security and deliver comprehensive planning, insurance and investments through a trusted advisor and engaging technology.

Investment Products and Services helps our clients grow their wealth. In other words, IPS completes the promise we've made to our clients. By bringing investments and insurance together into one comprehensive plan, we help our clients strive toward their complete financial picture.

Our team is committed to learning and training for Investments Products and Services initiatives. This person will craft, develop and/or facilitate learning and performance solutions for home office employees and/or members of the field force that drive business outcomes and employee growth.

What you will do:

This role plans, coordinates and actively manages sophisticated, cross-functional solutions for the Retail Investments business. Develops and manages end-to-end delivery plans inclusive of all changes needed to support the business strategy and initiative outcomes, bringing together various disciplines from product, technology, operations, change management, legal, compliance, and other related areas.

How you will do it:

• Accountable for driving large-scale efforts and/or multiple projects concurrently.
• Makes connections across teams to understand the desired outcomes and drives identification and management of dependencies.
• Accountable for defining the program structure and crafting a single, unified plan to deliver on the program objectives.
• Drives for transparency on objectives, priorities and measures.
• Accountable for identifying, assessing and mitigating program risks and issues and removing impediments.
• Leads highly visible multidisciplinary project teams or initiatives; provides thought leadership.
• Serves as the centralized point-person in managing the overall delivery plan as well as day-to-day management of the work efforts/workstreams.
• Creates visibility to the trajectory of the program/projects through artifact deliverables; may serve as leader of working teams and steering committees.
• Solves unique problems with broad impact on the business; requires conceptual and innovative thinking to develop solutions.
• Impacts the direction and resource allocation for program, project or services; works within general department policies and industry guidelines.

Bring your best! What this role needs:

• Bachelor's degree with an emphasis in Business, Project Management or related field, Computer Science, Information Systems, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Minimum of six years of project management experience in business functions and technology.
• Experience with various project management methodologies and SDLC. Working knowledge of project management software and agile tooling.
• Understands how software is developed, tested and implemented as well as technical concepts.
• Experience managing large scale, cross-functional initiatives using a variety of delivery methodologies (i.e. waterfall, agile, lean, scrum, etc.).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Intellectual curiosity and a desire to dig into details, learn, ask questions and become the "go to expert" on certain concepts and topics.
• Proven ability to develop strong cross-functional relationships and the ability to influence/persuade team members, stakeholders, and vendors.
• Proven track record to work closely with business leaders, designers, product managers and engineers in explaining difficult or sensitive information.
• Excellent communication skills with all levels of the organization.
• Helpful experience: Strong understanding of financial/brokerage industry; Experience in working with third-party providers and vendors or a professional services organization delivering software used in financial services; Familiarity with the data associated with the processing of securities, transactions and lifecycle of an investment account.

Benefits:

Great pay package, 401K, Company sponsored retirement plan, Educational assistance, Performance based incentive pay, Medical, dental and vision insurance, Parental leave, Caregiver time off....and more

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

W e 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 Colorado or outside of a Corporate location, please click here for information pertaining to compensation and benefits.