Strategic Expense Lead – Senior Consultant

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Strategic Expense Lead - Nationwide Financial Sr. Consultant

Role summary

The Strategic Expense Lead is a senior individual contributor responsible for improving expense efficiency and strategic influence across Nationwide Financial. The role connects corporate priorities with business-unit strategy through recommendations on spend, productivity, allocations, benchmarking, AI-enabled opportunities, and other enterprise efficiencies. It brings a cross-business perspective, strengthens Corporate Expense and business-unit relationships, and turns financial and external insights into actions supporting CFO priorities.

Key job responsibilities

• Shape enterprise expense strategy, including productivity opportunities, allocations, and prioritization.

• Lead or support business-unit expense initiatives, translating analysis into practical recommendations.

• Build trusted relationships with Corporate expense team, CFO leadership teams, and business-unit leaders.

• Standardize effective expense-management practices and lead cross-functional initiatives that build capabilities, share knowledge, and develop future leaders.

• Communicate clear recommendations to senior leaders and influence decisions without direct authority.

Required skills and capabilities

• Advanced financial analysis, expense management, forecasting, and strategic planning skills.

• Strong understanding of cost drivers, allocations, productivity measurement, and expense prioritization.

• Ability to apply benchmarking and external insights to internal decisions, including practical AI and automation opportunities.

• Executive presence with strong communication, stakeholder-management, and influencing skills.

• Strategic business acumen linking expense decisions to business-unit performance and customer outcomes.

• Structured problem-solving skills and an enterprise-minded, collaborative approach across multiple businesses.

Role profile

• Level: Senior individual contributor / H band

• Primary orientation: Enterprise expense strategy and influence

• Success measure: Better-informed spend decisions, stronger expense efficiency, and progress against strategic CFO priorities

• Location:  This role will work a hybrid schedule from the Columbus, OH headquarters.

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Job Description Summary

Do you have a big picture point of view as well as a keen eye for details? Our success depends on staying ahead of the curve, making sure our businesses and leaders are on top of financial trends and changes. If you are a highly skilled business professional, who can develop and communicate financial information and forecasts, we want to hear from you!

As a Senior Consultant, you'll work with financial and business unit leadership on the most complex cross-functions projects, processes, systems and other activities that support strategic financial and corporate initiatives. You'll be as a recognized technical specialist and plan, coordinate and complete financial projects that impact multiple businesses/products or functional Finance areas.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Develops plans, coordinates and manages the most complex financial projects. Manages all aspects of financial projects according to project guidelines, budget, impact and scope, and strategic focus.

• Prepares and presents reports to Finance and business leadership.

• Makes recommendations for improving the financial results of the supported business unit/product and/or functional Finance area.

• Analyzes proposed transactions for acceptability and desirability from a financial point of view.

• Leads studies and makes recommendations regarding business unit/company position on specialized financial actions such as investment income, systems, growth support model, corporate financial reporting, cash flow reporting, internal controls and self-assessment, mergers and acquisitions, corporate reinsurance contracts, etc.

• Maintains awareness of major developments in the insurance and financial services industries and regulatory agencies.

• Provides financial counsel and assistance to other functional areas on special projects or programs as assigned or requested.

May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to Director/Officer/Executive; may lead project team members. 

Typical Skills and Experiences:

Education: Undergraduate studies in finance, accounting, statistics or related subject area. Graduate level studies with advanced degree preferred.

License/Certification/Designation: Technical industry coursework or certifications, e.g., CPCU, CPA, NASD, etc. desirable.

Experience: Eight years of related work experience in insurance and/or financial services industry. Project management experience.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Technical expertise in advance financial principles and concepts. Advanced knowledge of accounting, statistics, finance, insurance/financial services industry, company organizational structure, regulatory requirements and financial analysis techniques. Financial project management practices and methodologies. Broad-based knowledge of multiple financial subject areas. Advanced communication skills for verbal and written contact; presentation skills. Project management concepts and techniques. Ability to analyze financial and statistical data and make recommendations for pivotal initiatives. Ability to operate a personal computer with various financial and business software applications.

Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.

Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the CFO or the HR leader.

Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates Nationwide Values.

Job Conditions:

Overtime Eligibility: Not Eligible (Exempt)

Working Conditions: Normal office environment. 

ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.

Benefits

We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including: medical/dental/vision, life insurance, short and long term disability coverage, paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date, nine paid holidays, 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off, 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off, 401(k) with company match, company-paid pension plan, business casual attire, and more. To learn more about the benefits we offer, click here.

Nationwide is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged. Nationwide prohibits discrimination and harassment and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic (or classification) protected by applicable law.

NOTE TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES:

We value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. Nationwide does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. All resumes submitted by employment agencies directly to any Nationwide employee or hiring manager in any form without a signed Nationwide Client Services Agreement on file and search engagement for that position will be deemed unsolicited in nature. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is subsequently hired as a result of the referral or through other means.

Nationwide pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement within the actual starting 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 and location of the role as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. If a Sales job, Sales Incentives, based on performance goals are possible in addition to this range. Note on Compensation for Part-Time Roles: Please be aware that the salary ranges listed below reflect full-time compensation. Actual compensation may be prorated based on the number of hours worked relative to a full-time schedule.The national salary range for Sr Consultant, Finance - 444080 : $122,000.00-$214,000.00The expected starting salary range for Sr Consultant, Finance - 444080 : $122,000.00 - $182,000.00