Director – Cost Control & Strategic Initiatives

Overview

At Banner Life Insurance Company, we lead with heart and ambition. Every day, we transform purpose into progress, guided by our unwavering commitment to be better for our customers, clients, and communities, not just today but long-term as well. Our people are the driving force behind everything we achieve. Their passion, purpose, and pursuit of innovation empower us to deliver cutting-edge solutions that support those we serve, ensuring we are here for you, here for good and striving for better.

We’re a forward-thinking company energized by our work and how we show up for one another. Our culture is built on meaningful impact and genuine enjoyment, because we believe great work and great experiences should go hand in hand.

By offering career development opportunities, comprehensive benefits, and programs that support your wellbeing, we help you thrive personally and professionally. We are here for you, here for good and here for better.

The Director, Cost Control & Strategic Initiatives is a strategic leader with change management and people development experience to form and lead Banner Life Insurance Company's expense management function.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Initiatives:
• Support pricing for both US retirement and Life businesses
• Provide analytical and execution support
• Lead on costing new initiatives and working closely with CFO of PRT incorporating them into Plan
• Other projects as needed
• Expense Management:
• Lead the development and implementation of the annual expense budget for the company (apprx $250m)– creating a holistic expense management philosophy, system and process and embed throughout Banner Life Insurance family of companies. This will be done by collaborating across Finance, IT and all business functions and aligning local needs with local/global ambitions.
• Leverage data analytics to provide insights into spending patterns and identify opportunities for budget optimization.
• Implement cost-saving initiatives to improve expense management efficiency through definition of new operating model.
• Investigate offshore opportunities (in conjunction with Group)
• Investigate opportunities to vary headcount expense by geography for US-based roles
• Creation of Group Functions, local direct functions –reducing redundancies
• Thought Leadership / Collaboration on Finance Reimagination program (Anaplan replacement, SAP Concur, Aptitude + planning tools, project vault)
• Collaborate with IT to develop solutions around expense data management, reporting and analysis, including budget vs. forecast, attribution of variances etc.
• Report on KPIs as needed by the business
• Develop a process to attribute expenses for IFRS reporting purposes and assumption setting purposes (Cash flow testing, pricing etc).
• Lead the budget process across the company, by partnering with the business, collecting data and building out plan as well as sensitivities.
• Provide input and challenge to strategic project plans; ensure that budgeted expenses are appropriate and represent best estimate view. 
• Monitor and analyze actual expenses against the budget, identifying variances and recommending corrective actions.
• Invoice management, management of SLAs & intercompany settlements
• Management of monthly Group Management Information submissions
• Leadership and Collaboration:
• Build a strong team able to deliver and execute independently and to build partnerships throughout the organization at the appropriate levels, to be able to influence decisions and maintain oversight and controls over expense levels. 
• Foster a culture of accountability and alignment with L&G behaviors within the finance department.
• Focus on business partnering and delivering insight, support and challenge to the business. Involvement in strategic roadmap delivery for Retirement.
• Communicate complex financial information in a clear and concise manner.
• Develop succession plan to be executed over 18-24 months post completion of new operating model and effective BAU expense management environment
• Make Banner Life a great place to work – retaining talent and fostering a positive & inclusive culture
• People Management: Lead, develop and support a team of [3-4] financial analysts/managers.  Further assessment of resource needs will determine if any further FTEs are needed.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years of experience in a senior finance role, with a strong track record in financial reporting, financial governance and expense management.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing internal controls over financial reporting.
• In-depth knowledge of US STAT, SII and IFRS accounting principles.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
• Proficiency in financial modeling and budgeting software.
• Experience in the insurance industry

What’s in it for you?

The expected hiring compensation range for this position is $157,100 - $227,800 annually.

The Director of Cost Control will work on a hybrid basis in our Stamford, CT or Frederick, MD office. Full-time remote option will be considered based on experience and proven ability to work from home successfully.

The total compensation package for this position may include other elements, such as a sign-on bonus, long term incentives, and annual bonuses.  This role is eligible to participate in the Annual Incentive Plan. The current target payment for the position is 20% of base salary, modified for corporate and individual performance. Bonuses are pro-rated based on start date.  This role has 20 vacation days and 10 sick days that are accrued on a bi-weekly basis. Employees also have 9 paid holidays throughout the calendar year.

We have a competitive compensation and benefits package focused on your overall wellbeing.  Employee benefits include health, life, and dental insurance; 401K with company match up to 6% as well as a pension package; generous time off; and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year (we like doing fun stuff).  We’re big on professional development and we’ll support and mentor you in your career progression and expect you to help us pay it forward by helping us develop tomorrow's leaders and growth-focused professionals. We value our teams and our communities and believe in giving back. Enjoy time off to volunteer for those causes that matter most to you!

If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors. The Company reserves the right to change benefits plans at any time.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.