Manager Agency Services

Overview

The Manager, Agency Services plays a critical leadership role in overseeing service delivery to Independent Distribution partners. This position is responsible for managing day-to-day operations, driving service excellence, and implementing process improvements that enhance partner satisfaction and retention. Working closely with cross-functional teams, the Manager ensures that service strategies are executed effectively and aligned with organizational goals. The role brings deep customer service expertise and a strong operational mindset to optimize workflows, improve efficiency, and support business growth. This leader fosters a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement within the service teams. By leveraging industry best practices and data-driven insights, the Manager enhances the partner experience and contributes to the overall success of Independent Distribution.

Responsibilities

What you will do:

• Oversight of the Agency Support Call Center helping direct and enhance call center operations to deliver high-quality, responsive service to independent agents, ensuring consistent support and satisfaction.
• Oversee the New York Suitability Review process, ensuring the comprehensive evaluation of all New York applications to ensure alignment with suitability standards and regulatory requirements. Facilitate accurate reporting to support internal audits and compliance reviews.
• Lead Compliance Management through the supervision of Department of Insurance (DOI), Special Investigations Unit (SIU), and regulatory inquiries related to customer interactions across our distribution partners. Includes oversight of agency call center quality to ensure adherence to compliance protocols.
• Guide and support service teams including a multitude of responsibilities including but not limited to onboarding top-tier partners and call centers, managing escalated service issues and collaborating with National Account Managers. Assist in providing product and system training to partners and drive cross-functional collaboration to resolve complex procedural and system-related challenges.
• Provide oversight and support of data analytics, ensuring accuracy and promoting best practices in data handling and reporting. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define analytical needs and deliver actionable insights.
• Develops a strong service team through training, development, guidance, feedback, coaching, motivation, and succession planning. Identifies needs, removes obstacles, and fosters individual accountability and engagement to deliver or exceed service goals.
• Develops and executes strategic relationship strategy for partner interactions with the company resulting in increased partner production and loyalty. Drives continuous process improvements and collaborates with internal partners to execute the operation of high value quality service, programs, practices and procedures, and meet department metrics.
• Develops and monitors daily operations with full responsibility for all management duties such as productivity, budget administration and performance.
• Ensures compliance with internal and external guidelines as well as with State and Federal Regulations.
• Partners with Gerber Life leadership in evaluation and recommendation of new technologies for improving partner experience capabilities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with all policies and standards.
• Provides direction to and development of associates through daily coaching, the administration of the Performance Management Model, and the creation and implementation of development plans. Recruits, hires, trains and develops staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree Or equivalent work experience - Required
• Typically requires 5-plus years successful customer service experience including managing, coaching and motivating customer service teams (Financial Services and Call Center industry considered a plus). - Required
• Strong service competencies, business acumen and quality decision making. - Required
• Innovation management, influence and delegation. - Required
• Project management, process improvement, proven change agent. - Preferred
• Proven track record for over-achieving service targets, improving processes, streamlining operations and automating processes. - Required
• Demonstrated ability to gain commitment, energize and coach others to build a successful team. - Required
• Proven to be self-directed and highly motivated with the flexibility necessary to operate in a fast-growing and fast-paced environment. - Required
• Solid to advanced PC data entry and word processing software skills - Required
• LOMA designations or equivalent considered - Preferred
• Producer license in one or multiple states - Preferred

Work Setting/Position Demands:

• Works in an office setting and remains in a stationary position for long periods of time while working at a desk, on a computer or with other standard office equipment, or while in meetings.
• Requires the ability to verbally communicate and exchange accurate information to customers and associates on a regular basis.
• Requires visual acuity to read and interpret a variety of correspondence, procedures, reports and forms via paper and electronic documents, visual inspection involving small defects; small parts, and/or operation of machinery (including inspection); using measurement devices continuously. Visual acuity is required to determine accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of work assigned.
• Requires the ability to prepare written correspondence, reports and forms using prescribed formats and conforming to rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style on a regular basis.
• Requires the ability to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
• Performs substantial movement of wrists, hands, and fingers for continuous computer work.
• Extended hours required during peak workloads or special projects/events.
• Associate must be able to operate a motor vehicle for short and/or long distances
• Associate must be able to travel via airplane
• Associate must be able to travel via car
• Occasional after-hours work needed
• Routine and/or extended after hours work needed
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Travel Requirements:

• Travel - could involve 2-3 overnight travels or as required by special projects