Head of Financial Planning Strategy & Execution

ROLE PURPOSE

As a member of the Client Solutions leadership team, this role sets and executes Guardian’s enterprise financial planning strategy across channels and client segments. The leader builds a protection-first, holistic planning model that integrates insurance, retirement, investments, and wealth management; converts advanced-market expertise into actionable solutions; and scales consistent delivery for advisors and clients.

Key Accountabilities

Enterprise Planning Strategy & Operating Model

·       Partner with the Head of Client Solutions to align strategy and then design, evolve, and execute a comprehensive protection first, holistic financial planning strategy and framework.

·       Define the planning function’s governance, workflows, technology platforms, service standards, decision rights, and process improvements to enable efficient, consistent, and scalable execution.

·       Clarify how each planning discipline is reflected within the enterprise framework and how solutions align to distinct client and advisor segments.

·       Monitor competitive dynamics, industry trends, regulatory developments, and evolving client needs to keep the offering differentiated and relevant.

 Planning Solutions, Experience & Digital Scale

·       Design scalable planning models and deliverables for clients and advisors, with tailored approaches for complex HNW and UHNW needs.

·       Lead the evolution and adoption of digital planning capabilities that improve planning quality, advisor productivity, client engagement, and scale.

·       Translate complex financial concepts and technical thought leadership into practical tools, frameworks, case designs, and client-friendly recommendations.

·       Evaluate and integrate third-party capabilities where they strengthen the planning proposition and client experience.

Advanced Markets & Complex Planning

·       Lead the GWAM strategy and team across thought leadership, case consultation, case design, business development, and sales campaigns, in alignment with Client Solutions and Wealth Management objectives.

·       Advance sophisticated solutions for HNW and UHNW clients, including estate planning, tax-efficient structures, insurance strategies, and legacy planning.

·       Partner with advisors, product teams, and internal and external specialists to address complex client needs and integrate advanced planning into broader engagement models.

·       Identify opportunities to strengthen Guardian’s HNW and UHNW value proposition through innovative, competitive planning solutions.

Advisor, Field & Client Activation

·       Establish planning best practices, advisor enablement programs, training, and coaching strategies in partnership with distribution, regional and field leaders, product teams, and CSWM leadership.

·       Foster a planning-first culture centered on client needs, protection, implementation, and long-term relationship building.

·       Collaborate with Park Avenue Wealth Management and field partners to drive consistent execution while addressing segment-specific and complex planning needs.

·       Partner with marketing and communications to ensure the protection-first, holistic planning approach is reflected clearly and consistently in internal and external content.

Enterprise Alignment, Performance & Risk

·       Influence product development, distribution strategy, and executive decision-making through data-driven insights, client outcomes, market intelligence, and planning trends.

·       Lead cross-functional initiatives by aligning stakeholders, managing dependencies, and accelerating enterprise priorities across product, operations, technology, marketing, legal, compliance, and distribution.

·       In partnership with the appropriate analytics and business teams, define metrics and reporting for plan utilization, advisor adoption, planning quality, client outcomes, productivity, and revenue impact.

·       Establish accountability and performance-management disciplines that improve financial planning quality, consistency, adoption, client outcomes, and organizational effectiveness.

·       Partner with legal and compliance to ensure advanced planning strategies, solutions, and supporting practices align with regulatory requirements, risk standards, and firm policies.

Team & Leadership

·       Build and lead a high-performing team of financial planning and advanced-market professionals

·       Set clear priorities, operating rhythms, and development expectations; allocate expertise against the highest-value enterprise, advisor, and client needs.

·       Model sound judgment, integrity, collaboration, and executive-level communication while influencing senior stakeholders across the enterprise.

Qualifications & Experience

·       15+ years of experience in financial services, wealth management, financial planning, or a related field, including significant leadership responsibility.

·       Experience leading planning or advice strategy within an insurance, investment, or wealth management organization.

·       Demonstrated experience supporting complex HNW and UHNW client needs and building scalable models for multiple client and advisor segments.

·       Deep understanding of how life insurance, annuities, retirement, investments, and protection solutions work together in a holistic financial plan.

·       Knowledge of advanced planning concepts and the ability to translate complex technical information into actionable, client- and advisor-friendly solutions.

·       Experience using technology, digital capabilities, data, and performance measures to improve planning quality, adoption, productivity, and business outcomes.

·       Proven ability to lead teams and influence senior stakeholders across distribution, product, operations, technology, marketing, legal, and compliance.

·       Strong strategic thinking, business acumen, communication, judgment, integrity, and collaboration skills.

·       Commitment to Guardian’s purpose of helping clients protect what matters and achieve long-term financial security.

Licenses & Credentials

·       FINRA Series 7, 66, 63/65 required and series 24 required to obtain within 90 days upon hire.

Salary Range:

$277,000 - $335,650

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals.  Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian’s Purpose – to inspire well-being – we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits. Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact MyHR@glic.com. Please note: this resource is for accommodation requests only. For all other inquires related to your application and careers at Guardian, refer to the Guardian Careers site.

Visa Sponsorship

Guardian Life is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment-based visas (e.g., such as an H-1B). In order to be a successful applicant, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship/support now or at any time in the future.

Notice Regarding Guardian’s Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

As part of Guardian’s job application process, Guardian may use artificial intelligence tools (“AI Tools") to automate the sorting and filtering of information provided by applicants as part of its preliminary screening. This preliminary screening may be used to help identify applicant materials and resumes relative to their indication that the applicant meets the requirements for the specific job for which they are applying, as specified in the listing posted on Guardian’s jobs website (Careers at Guardian at https://www.guardianlife.com/careers). At Guardian, we do not use AI Tools to substantially assist or replace human judgment or discretionary decision making in our hiring process. All hiring decisions will be made by Guardian colleagues.

Please be aware that if you apply for a specific position with Guardian, you will have the choice of opting out of Guardian’s use of AI Tools during the job application process. If you would like to request an alternative process that does not utilize AI Tools or would like to request a reasonable accommodation, within ten business days of your position application, you must email your request to MyHR@glic.com, making sure to provide your name and job requisition identification number. Guardian will retain your applicant materials and resume and all information therefrom in accordance with Guardian’s document retention policy, a copy of which you may request via MyHR@glic.com.

Additionally, at applicable times, Guardian will make public the most recent bias audit results for such AI tools, which may be found here. 

Current Guardian Colleagues: Please apply through the internal Jobs Hub in Workday.