Life and Annuity Operations Relationship Lead (REMOTE or HYBRID)

About the Role

At Equitable, we help clients secure their financial well-being so they can pursue long and fulfilling lives- a mission we’ve honed since 1859.  

Equitable is seeking an experienced Life and Annuity Operations Relationship Lead to be responsible for overseeing outsourced operational support functions that service Financial Professionals and their support staff across variable annuity, fixed annuity, and life insurance business lines. This role serves as a key liaison between Equitable and its outsourcing partner, ensuring advisor-facing service delivery for new business and existing business inquiries, regulatory compliance, operational effectiveness, vendor accountability, and adherence to established service level agreements.

The successful candidate will leverage strong financial services expertise, operational knowledge, and analytical skills to identify opportunities for process improvement, mitigate risk, and support the achievement of business objectives. This position partners closely with internal stakeholders, compliance, audit teams, and vendor leadership to lead vendor-supported projects and process improvements, strengthen controls, resolve advisor service issues, and maintain a high-performing, accountable, and customer-focused service model.

This position offers a flexible work schedule: it may be fully remote/hybrid. If you are located near one of our offices (e.g., Charlotte, NC; Syracuse, NY), a hybrid schedule with 2–3 days on-site per week is expected to foster collaboration and connection.  If remote, you will fully engaged with your team to provide outstanding, customer focused service during our core hours (8:30 AM–5:30 PM EST).

What You’ll Be Doing

• Service & Relationship Administration

  • Serve as a primary service and escalation contact for Financial Professionals and support staff regarding new business and existing business inquiries, service-related issues, exceptions, and vendor-supported processing for life and annuity business.

  • Partner with the outsourced vendor to ensure timely, accurate, and complete resolution of Financial Professional inquiries, service requests, and escalations.

  • Foster strong working relationships with internal business partners and external service providers to enhance operational effectiveness and client satisfaction.

     

• Vendor Oversight & Performance Monitoring

  • Monitor outsourced operations to ensure compliance with contractual obligations, service standards, regulatory expectations, and established Service Level Agreements.

  • Review, analyze, and communicate key performance metrics, trends, and operational results to leadership.

  • Conduct ongoing oversight of vendor performance and identify opportunities to improve service quality, efficiency, and customer experience.

  • Take the lead with vendor partners on operational projects, process improvements, workflow enhancements, and root cause analysis efforts to improve service quality, efficiency, accuracy, and advisor experience.

  • Establish clear ownership, action plans, due dates, and follow-up routines with vendor leadership to ensure project deliverables and process improvements are completed timely and sustainably.

  • Evaluate vendor performance against Service Level Agreements, hold the vendor accountable for meeting service commitments, and drive timely remediation plans when performance gaps, aging items, or quality concerns are identified.

• Compliance & Regulatory Oversight

  • Support quarterly Written Supervisory Procedure (WSP) reviews and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure regulatory alignment and operational consistency.

  • Perform daily Customer Identification Program (CIP) and OFAC reviews and investigate potential compliance concerns.

  • Identify, escalate, and support resolution of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) related issues in accordance with company policies and regulatory requirements.

  • Maintain awareness of evolving regulatory requirements and ensure outsourced operations remain compliant.

• Audit & Risk Orchestration 

  • Participate in process walkthroughs and support internal, external, and AML audits by gathering, reviewing, and providing required documentation.

  • Assist with the identification, documentation, and remediation of operational risks and control weaknesses.

  • Partner with compliance, risk, and audit teams to strengthen operational controls and governance practices.

The base salary range for this position is $75,000 - $80,000. Actual base salaries vary based on skills, experience, and geographical location. In addition to base pay, Equitable provides compensation to reward performance with base salary increases, spot bonuses, and short-term incentive compensation opportunities. Eligibility for these programs depends on level and functional area of responsibility.  

For eligible employees, Equitable provides a full range of benefits. This includes medical, dental, vision, a 401(k) plan, and paid time off. For detailed descriptions of these benefits, please reference the link below. 

Equitable Pay and Benefits:  Equitable Total Rewards Program