Business Delivery Director

Are you passionate about being part of a team at a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales that delivers extraordinary care to help individuals and businesses prepare for and protect their future? If so, then Nationwide Financial could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers and partners are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

Director, Business Delivery – Role Addendum (Pet Operational Excellence)

This position can be fully remote for the right candidate. In addition to the core Director, Business Delivery job description, the following role-specific expectations apply for Pet Operational Excellence.

Scope & Team

• Lead a team of 6–10 associates (mix of delivery leaders/analysts) with clear accountability for performance, development, and engagement.
• Operate as a hands-on delivery leader – able to move between portfolio-level strategy and detailed execution, not a purely advisory role.
• Own the business delivery outcomes for a defined portfolio within Pet (profitability, regulatory/compliance, platform transformation, and growth initiatives).

Leadership & People Management

We are specifically seeking a seasoned people leader, not a first-time manager.

• Proven track record of leading high-performing, multi-level teams (analysts, leads, and delivery managers) through complex change.
• Demonstrated ability to:
  • Set clear expectations, goals, and success measures.
  • Provide direct, timely feedback (positive and constructive) and hold associates accountable.
  • Address underperformance early and effectively, including coaching plans and, when needed, decisive personnel actions.
• Strong talent development mindset – creates growth opportunities, builds bench strength, and actively mentors future leaders.
• Models calm under pressure, resilience, and healthy challenge; sets the tone for urgency without chaos.

This role is not suitable for individuals without prior, successful team leadership experience.

Delivery, Portfolio & Execution Ownership

• Owns end-to-end delivery of a large, complex project/program portfolio (e.g., multi-million dollar initiatives, multi-quarter timelines, cross-functional dependencies).
• Demonstrated strength in:
  • Prioritization and trade-offs across competing initiatives, with a clear link to strategy and value.
  • Risk and issue management – proactively identifies, communicates, and drives mitigation plans (not just reporting).
  • Structured governance – runs effective routines (status, RAID, stage gates) that drive decisions and progress.
  • Follow-through – closes the loop on decisions, actions, and commitments; avoids drift.
• Comfortable making sound decisions with imperfect information, escalating appropriately and in a timely way.
• Proven experience partnering closely with Product, Technology, Operations, Data & Analytics, Finance and Marketing (or similar) to deliver outcomes, not just artifacts.

Communication & Executive Presence

• Crisp, transparent communicator and strong informer who can:
  • Proactively keep their leader and senior stakeholders informed — no surprises on portfolio health, risks, or decisions.
  • Synthesize complex portfolio health into clear, concise summaries for senior leaders.
  • Tell a coherent “story” of risk, timeline, budget, and value in a way that drives action.
  • Tailor communication for different audiences (executives, peers, delivery teams, external partners).
• Brings their leader along:
  • Establishes and maintains predictable, proactive feedback loops (e.g., regular touchpoints, short written updates, early escalations).
  • Closes the loop on actions and decisions, so leadership understands status, impacts, and asks.
  • Surfaces issues early with options and recommendations, not just problems.
• Demonstrated executive presence:
  • Shows up prepared, on camera, and engaged in key meetings.
  • Is willing and able to push back constructively, raise concerns early, and influence direction.
  • Represents the team and Pet professionally and confidently in cross-functional and executive forums.
• Strong written communication skills for executive-ready materials (1-pagers, decks, RAID logs, decision memos, decision emails).

Ways of Working & Presence Expectations

While this role can be fully remote, it has clear expectations for availability and presence given the cross-time-zone nature of the Pet organization:

• Core availability:
  • Online and available for meetings and collaboration from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time (PST), Monday–Friday.
• Cross–time zone flexibility:
  • Many partners and team members are East Coast–based (including Columbus, Andromeda Thompson, and members of the Business Delivery team).
  • The Director is expected to flex their schedule as needed to support East Coast stakeholders, including:
    • Scheduling 1:1s with East Coast direct reports or key partners before 8:00 a.m. PST, when appropriate.
    • Being available for critical meetings that may occasionally fall outside the 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. PST window.
• Consistent “leadership presence” in the virtual environment:
  • Camera-on participation for key meetings, portfolio reviews, and leadership discussions (barring reasonable exceptions).
  • Timely responsiveness via Teams, email, and shared tools.
  • Proactive engagement with associates to build trust, psychological safety, and connection in a hybrid/remote context.

Mindset & Competencies

The successful candidate will consistently demonstrate:

• Bias for action and ownership – initiates, doesn’t wait to be directed; moves work forward while bringing partners along.
• Strategic agility – connects day-to-day delivery decisions to broader Pet strategy, profitability goals, and transformation roadmap.
• Change leadership – able to lead teams through ambiguity, shifting priorities, and enterprise integration with clear narratives and support.
• Continuous improvement orientation – leverages Lean/Agile practices, data, and feedback to simplify processes and improve delivery quality.
• Humility and curiosity – actively seeks feedback, learns quickly, and adapts, while still operating with confidence and clarity.

Qualifications (Expanded)

In addition to the base role description:

• Significant prior people leadership experience (typically 5+ years) with direct accountability for team performance and development.
• Demonstrated success leading large, cross-functional portfolios or programs in a complex environment.
• Strong background in business delivery, process leadership, and continuous improvement (Lean, Agile, or similar).
• Experience in financial services, insurance, or retirement solutions is a plus but not required; ability to learn domain quickly is essential.
• Proven ability to work independently, take initiative, and drive clarity in situations with ambiguity or limited direction.
• Humble, curious, eager to learn – and comfortable being visible and accountable as a senior leader in Pet Operational Excellence.

This role does not qualify for employer sponsored work authorization. Nationwide does not participate in the STEM OPT extension program.

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Job Description Summary

Our team is a versatile group of individuals, working collaboratively to meet the needs of our customers. We value knowledge, strong business savvy and contributing to a stellar team environment. If you thrive in a busy, engaging work environment, we want to know more about you!

As a Director, you'll be responsible for leading major process modeling, analysis and design efforts and be instrumental in development of compelling business rationale to formulate transformation. You'll direct the activities and staff responsible for providing business performance management, organizational design and business risk management capabilities to formulate pragmatic, forward facing and meaningful business transformation plans.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Directs all activities for team involving business transformation through the strategic application of people, processes and technology. Team participates in business planning processes across multiple departments or business units by identifying complexities, dependencies and duplications.

• Manages staff who consults on business process analysis, organizational analysis, needs assessments and cost/benefit analysis to align technology solutions with business strategies and directions.  Consults with functional groups within Nationwide Technology and internal business clients to develop short- and long-term systems plans. 

• Leads associates involved with process management and consultation between business customers and systems area for development and implementation of new business processes and procedures. Responsible for communicating to customers, management and external sources.

• Provides direction and insight to leader, peers and team members responsible for identifying critical elements of a business process that need to be managed. Leads individuals to define criteria of performance success. Selects and applies appropriate performance measurement tools. 

• Advises team on analysis and design of organizational structures, roles, responsibilities, governance, staffing and sourcing to support business goals, strategies and process architecture. Leads organization-wide change. 

• Manages team responsible for training the customers on business, technological, societal and environmental trends to support strategies for improving business performance.

• Directs staff who participate in strategic projects and who evaluate new technological developments, evolving business requirements and who recommend appropriate systems alternatives and/or improvements to current systems. 

• Leads team that develop compelling business cases, including gaining senior management input, to accomplish business objectives. Identifies, assesses and mitigates business risks associated with the current operating model and/or desired target state operating models.

• Manages associates, including performance management, salary planning and administration, training and development, workflow and organizational planning, hiring and placement and disciplinary actions.

May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to Associate Vice President/Vice President directs a team of six to 15 direct and indirect reports.

Typical Skills and Experiences:

Education: Undergraduate studies in computer science, management information, business, mathematics or related field strongly preferred. Graduate studies are highly desired. 

Experience: Ten plus years of dynamic experience in planning, designing and implementing company -wide business transformation initiatives. Extensive experience in functional, process, information and data modeling, data management and warehousing and applications integration. In-depth experience with process redesign methods and tools. Five years of experience in people management. 

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Expert knowledge of standards, methodologies and frameworks, business process management and technology. Proven knowledge of a wide variety of tools, concepts and techniques of business process modeling, analysis and design. Expert knowledge of emerging industry, competitor, customer demography, regulatory and market trends. Understanding of new technologies and developments in the technology industry.  Extensive knowledge of project management concepts and techniques, facilitation, performance management, organizational design and managing organization change required. Ability to serve as the top technical specialist for business consulting and analysis. Demonstrable ability to lead large, sophisticated projects that involve high risk and great impact. Strong communication skills, ability to influence, apply innovative approaches, and deal with ambiguity.

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

Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and HR Business Partner.

Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide

Job Conditions:

Overtime Eligibility: Exempt (Not eligible)

Working Conditions: Normal office environment. Extended work hours may be required based on workload. May require occasional travel.

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.

We currently anticipate accepting applications until 05/21/2026. However, we encourage early submissions, as the posting may close sooner if a strong candidate slate is identified before the deadline.

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.

This position could be filled within any of the lower 48 U.S. states.Smoke-Free Iowa Statement: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, its affiliates and subsidiaries comply with the Iowa Smokefree Air Act. Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed areas on or around company premises as well as company issued vehicles. The company offers designated smoking areas in which smoking is permitted at each individual location. The Act prohibits retaliation for reporting complaints or violations. For more information on the Iowa Smokefree Air Act, individuals may contact the Smokefree Air Act Helpline at 888-944-2247.
For NY residents please review the following state law information: Notice of Employee Rights, Protections, and Obligations LS740 (ny.gov) https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/02/ls740_1.pdf

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 Director, Business Consulting : $122,000.00-$214,000.00The expected starting salary range for Director, Business Consulting : $122,000.00 - $182,000.00