Insurance Agency Operations Specialist

Full job description

Thrivent Insurance Agency, (TIA) a subsidiary of Thrivent, is a licensed insurance agency. The TIA Operations Specialist is responsible for production reporting and commission reconciliation to ensure that the agency revenue is recorded accurately. The role serves as a field liaison and advocate throughout the sales process and beyond to include in-force service. The role participates in cross-organizational improvement projects that drive efficiencies for TIA, TIA’s subsidiary, and other Thrivent distribution channels.

The TIA Operations Specialist supports all aspects of TIA’s relationships with carriers, strategic partners, and sales alliances as well as those of TIA’s subsidiary. Efficaciously collaborates with the leadership team to develop and implement recommendations. This position is responsible for researching and gathering required information/documentation to process non-routine, escalated, and complex cases with timely resolution.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Serves as primary contact for complex service-related issues. Problem solves a variety of issues as encountered with minimal direction. Examples include but are not limited to non-routine and/or complex cases, in-force service issues, interacting with internal and external customers for resolution.
• Provides support by assisting with resolution of escalated cases, supporting training, proactively seeking to resolve issues by recognizing patterns, connections and gaps in the information presented.
• Researches and develops recommendations for implementing best practices for business processes, standard operating procedures, documentation, and other support materials required for agency operations.
• Implements and administers business processes, policies, and procedures. Maintains and recommends various workflow, administrative, agency management, or other systems. Tests new tools prior to implementation. Creates systems/controls to ensure that quality standards are maintained.
• Applies continuous improvement principles to processes to improve the experience for all. Collaborates with the team, internal and external partners by identifying, analyzing, and coordinating process improvements.
• Manages commission schedule setup and updates. Ensure current agent commission schedules are available.
• Reconciles expected agency revenue against actual revenue received and ensures that errors are promptly corrected.
• Builds relationships to understand and resolve business issues and challenges to deliver a consistent advisor and client experience.
• Ensures carrier portal accessibility updates are following established protocol and communicates protocol changes.
• Supports the achievement of goals by effective coordination and implementation of various initiatives impacting marketing, onboarding carriers and advisors, case management, contracting, and/or commission setup and reconciliation.
• Prepares daily and monthly production and other reports as requested by leadership.
• Provides back-up for multiple positions as needed, including the sales desk, finance, licensing/contracting and case management teams.
• Consults (act as liaison) with corporate partners to uncover solutions to business issues.
• Models Thrivent’s leadership competencies – Model the Way, Rally the Team, and Deliver Outcomes.
• Supports and/or develops an environment in which Thrivent employees and colleagues are focused on continuous improvement, exceptional employee engagement, and an unwavering commitment to our clients. Shapes and/or supports a culture that represents the Thrivent purpose, promise and values, ensuring that Thrivent’s trust and reputation remain strong with its clients.

Required Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, but equivalent work experience would be considered.
• Life/health insurance license or obtained within 90 days of hire
• At least 5 years of production support, insurance agency business operations, or business process analyst experience
• Advanced knowledge of insurance agency operations and industry standardsExperience with various operational components of a brokerage general agency
• Experience onboarding advisors
• Demonstrated ability to improve processes. Demonstrated ability to assess inefficiencies and offer solutions to maximize the scale of our operations
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with advisors and internal departments to achieve common goals
• High attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to prioritize work and problem solve
• Ability and desire to work independently, and as part of a team
• May require occasional travel

Other Critical Factors

• Working knowledge of industry leading third-party technologies
• Brokerage General Agency (BGA) experience preferred