Director, Annuity Customer Care

The Opportunity

The Insurance Operations Director for Annuity Customer Care is responsible for leading and directing the activities of a team of 15-20 non-exempt direct reports who handle inbound service requests directed at MassMutual’s Fixed Annuity Customer Care Team from a variety of clients, advisors, and distributors for our Annuity Products. This position is accountable for all aspects of attracting, retaining and coaching talent, while maintaining daily operational supervision and employee development. This position manages the operation and supports the implementation of both tactical and strategic service and efficiency improvements through people, process and technology. This leader ensures compliance with all policies, procedures, programs, and workflows in the MMUS Insurance Operations Service Center.

The Team

This position will be part of a diverse, collaborative, fun-loving Leadership Team within the Annuity and Pension Risk Transfer Customer Care Organization. The department is experiencing rapid growth, making this an exciting place to lead, experiment with new ideas and grow a career.  

The Impact

Manage a team of employees responsible for fielding incoming 800-line calls within our Annuity Call Center. Create/foster a culture where employees play the role of advocating for our customers by anticipating their needs, meeting them where they are, and innovating to improve their experiences. Manage daily operations including, but not limited to, research, analysis and problem resolution. Ensure customer and field goodwill is maintained and develop knowledge in team to improve processes, streamline work and gain efficiencies. Assess trending of metrics, quality, and resource assignments for required adjustments to be made and ensure daily service levels will be consistently met. Select, train, coach and develop staff, managing team structure, and creating an environment that inspires & motivates employees, leading by example. Invest in and develop critical thinkers who can understand the end-to-end customer experience to be able to make decisions on behalf of the customer. Drive continuous improvement through use of Lean methodologies by implementing new procedures, standard work, workflows, and technology enhancements that improve productivity measures, provide efficient use of resources and reduce overall operational costs. Adhere to both company policy and governmental regulations concerning department. Stay abreast of pertinent business and industry knowledge as well as state and federal regulation.

Goals:

Key success metrics at the team and department level include customer handling time, schedule adherence, meeting service levels (70%-80% of calls answered within SLA), call and transaction quality/compliance, voice of customer (customer satisfaction) and employee satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities Include but not limited to:

• Lead a team in Annuity Customer Care that works between the hours of 8am to 8pm (EST), Monday – Friday.  

• Drives the execution of call center strategy inclusive of People, Process and Technology while fostering a culture of continuous improvement focused on improving customer satisfaction (VOC), employee morale, and operational efficiency. 

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including senior leadership, to ensure alignment on strategic goals and objectives.

• Lead change management initiatives to ensure smooth transition and adoption of new processes and systems within the call center.

• Accountable for customer/advisor service escalations.  Partners with departmental staff, business partners and key customer contacts to identify and resolve service and staffing issues.

• Oversee the recruitment, training, and development of call center staff to ensure a high level of service quality and employee engagement.

• Partner with Workforce Management and manage resource allocation to support the business ensuring cost-effective operations while meeting service level agreements.

• Requires regular interaction with MMSD advisors and support staff as well as engaging with members of MMSD Sales and Distribution and other MMSD Operations Leadership and Teams.

• Fosters a positive team environment and provides ongoing guidance and career development opportunities to direct reports. Motivate staff by driving to high levels of engagement, satisfaction and career growth.

• Ensures compliance with all policies, procedures, programs, and workflows in MMUS Operations.

• Identifies potential risks and develop mitigation strategies to address them.

• Consistently delivers on service commitments and takes ownership for resolving escalated and/or complex requests.

• May participate in the development and administration of the annual department operating plans and budget.

• Lead and/or participate in key initiatives for MMUS Insurance Operations.  Maintain competitive awareness through participation in industry events and associations, study groups, etc.

The Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and/or H.S. Diploma or GED with 4+ equivalent work experience

• 3+ years’ experience illustrated leadership role either customer facing team and/or call center management

• 3+ years of experience in strategic initiatives, customer experience, or continuous improvement

• Candidates residing within a 50-mile radius of the Springfield, MA office will follow a hybrid work schedule, requiring on site three days a week

The Ideal Qualifications

• 3+ years of Annuity Knowledge

• 3+ years of Operations Leadership Experience

• 2+ years of experience interacting with field partners

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Excellent strategic thinking, business judgment, analytical and decision-making skills.

• Excellent communication, collaboration and influencing skills required.

• Ability to identify, develop and retain a diverse pool of talented associates.

• Appreciation of / leveraging diverse backgrounds, ideas, experiences

• Experience and understanding of call center operations and technology strongly preferred

• Bilingual (Spanish)

• Master’s Degree

What to Expect as Part of MassMutual and the Team

• Regular meetings with the Pension Risk Transfer team

• Focused one-on-one meetings with your manager

• Networking opportunities including access to Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, African American, women, LGBTQ, veteran and disability-focused Business Resource Groups

• Access to learning content on Degreed and other information platforms

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MassMutual is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer Minority/Female/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Individual with Disability/Protected Veteran. We welcome all persons to apply. Note: Veterans are welcome to apply, regardless of their discharge status.

If you need an accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us and share the specifics of the assistance you need.