Adoption Lead

At Northwestern Mutual, we’re changing the way people think about financial planning with the scale of a Fortune 100 company. We’re redefining and disrupting the industry while changing people’s financial lives with better experiences and better technology. We believe in building inclusive and diverse workplaces, where every voice is heard. Come help us build for the future!

Provides the highest-level of expertise and consultation to meet functional and cross functional goals. This role is accountable for the overall results and ongoing utilization of adoption for assigned program; PX and/or Advisor Desktop. This may include defining the project structure into manageable work units, identifying needs and obtaining/allocating resources, overall scope, interdependencies, relationship management, communication, methods for monitoring and reporting on status, and organizational change.

This role works directly with leadership on priority initiatives, helping them see how the work fits into the bigger picture, as well as mitigate any difficulties that arise. This role will be a trusted resource and advocate for clients within their practice!

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Engage with our sophisticated advisors passionate about understanding the practice operations and advisor client engagement for increased adoption of all experiences.

• Responsible for the sophisticated advisors to be enabled on advisor desktop platform post rollout

• Accountable for development and implementation of overall comprehensive communication strategy for Field and Home Office for Adoption Initiative (in collaboration with Field Communications).

• Drives organization change consulting and methodology across the function, using accepted methodologies to implement a more prescriptive and proactive approach to how we inspire change in the field and within the function.

• Develop actionable insights from field feedback and incorporate into adoption strategies and product development priorities

• Coordinate with technology partners on high level impact analysis of proposed solution

• Analyze the industry landscape including wealth management awareness and a subject matter expert on advisor desktop and/or PX.

• Assist the business in developing a point of view on future state experiences

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Business, finance or related field or an equivalent combination of education, field experience and/or dynamically responsible work experience.

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience working closely with a financial services distribution system in a consulting capacity with ability to form relationships and gain traction

• Experience in project management and consulting work. Experience in aligning projects to corporate strategies.

• Strong leadership, vision and strategy, decision-making and team-building skills. Excellent facilitation experience to include integrating staff from various functions, leading and influencing others who are not under direct control.

• In depth knowledge of the distribution system, Network Office operations, Northwestern Mutual's products, marketing approaches and sales and career cycle

• Strong communication skills with ability to empower a wide variety of audiences.

• Strong interpersonal skills with proven ability to build rapport at all levels of the home office and in the field.

• Strong background in analytics and measurement.

• Experienced in organizational change management.

• Ability to optimally communicate with all levels of the organization, including ability to negotiate in difficult situations with both internal and external audiences.

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to craft cost effective solutions to address long-range distribution system needs

• Industry experience on advisor desktop or wealth management experiences a plus

• FINRA Series 7 and Series 63 preferred (for Advisor Desktop work)

• High level of credibility with the Network Offices and field management including excellent platform skills.