AVP, Sales Operations - Strategy Development

AVP, Sales Operations – Strategy Development

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Purpose: The AVP, Sales Operations – Strategy Development is a critical member of Athene's Sales Operations team, responsible for helping shape and support the execution of retail distribution strategies and expanding the organization’s data analytics capability.

This role partners closely with senior Sales leaders, data and analytics teams, and cross-functional partners to deliver actionable insights, lead channel evaluation processes, and support strategic planning efforts across the sales organization. The successful candidate brings strong business acumen, advanced analytical skills, and the ability to translate complex data into meaningful strategies. This is a highly collaborative role that requires both a hands-on approach and a vision for scaling data-driven decision-making across the sales organization.

Accountabilities

Sales Strategy Support & Execution

• Prepare all relevant content for and lead recurring reviews of retail distribution channels (IMO, BD, and Bank) and maintain a structured calendar to ensure timely analysis and recommendations.
• Conduct market research, trend analysis, and competitive benchmarking to support distribution planning and opportunity identification.
• Support the execution of strategic initiatives by evaluating performance, identifying areas for improvement, and tracking progress toward sales goals.
• Manage and prepare content for regular Strategy Meetings with Sales Leadership.
• Partner with analytics teams/resources to enhance reporting capabilities, integrating advanced data visualization and predictive analytics into strategy reviews.

Market Intelligence, Research & Analytics Capability Development

• Leverage third-party data sources (LIMRA, Wink, Discovery, Market Metrics, Saltzman Roundtables) and internal analytics tools to inform distribution strategies and support business cases.
• Stay informed on competitor trends, industry developments, and channel dynamics to provide meaningful input into planning discussions.
• Drive the evolution of Sales Operations’ analytics framework, including improving data accuracy, expanding self-service dashboards, and identifying emerging tools/technologies to enhance insight generation.
• Collaborate with IT, Data Governance, and Business Intelligence teams to ensure optimal data accessibility, quality, and integration across platforms.
• Lead initiatives to embed advanced analytics techniques (e.g., predictive modeling, segmentation, propensity scoring) into sales planning and performance evaluation.

Executive Communication & Content Development

• Develop data-driven presentation materials and insights to support senior leadership in preparation for executive-level engagements, such as Rating Agency Meetings, Apollo Investor Day, Earnings Calls, and internal strategy sessions.
• Ensure sales performance trends, channel analytics, and distribution metrics are clearly communicated to inform strategic narratives and decision-making.
• Deliver high-quality insights that connect performance metrics to business outcomes and strategic priorities, including advanced analytics outputs when relevant.
• Promote a data-driven storytelling approach, using visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) to make complex insights accessible and actionable.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with colleagues in Product, Marketing, Finance, Legal, Operations, Compliance, and Data & Analytics to ensure seamless execution of sales strategies.
• Partner with BI and analytics teams to identify and deliver reporting solutions that meet evolving business needs.
• Attend and contribute to channel meetings, National Sales Meetings, and internal workstreams to support alignment and execution across the organization.

Operational Leadership & Influence

• Actively identify gaps, process improvements, and opportunities to expand analytics maturity within Sales Operations.
• Champion the adoption of data-driven decision-making practices across the sales organization.
• Build trusted relationships with Sales leaders, analytics partners, and cross-functional stakeholders to help drive shared goals.
• Bring a sense of ownership and accountability to assigned projects, from ideation through implementation, including data-focused initiatives.

Qualifications and Experience

• 8+ years of experience in sales operations, financial services, business planning, or a related field; annuity industry experience strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to synthesize complex datasets and research into actionable insights.
• Demonstrated experience in building and scaling analytics capabilities, including data visualization, reporting automation, and advanced analytical methods.
• Skilled at building clear, concise executive-level communications and presentations.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, matrixed environment with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong organizational, relationship-building, and influence skills.
• Experience with Salesforce, Excel, PowerPoint, analytics/reporting tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI), and familiarity with statistical or predictive modeling tools is a plus.
• Willingness to travel occasionally (<20%).

Drive. Discipline. Confidence. Focus. Commitment. Learn more about working at Athene. Athene is a Military Friendly Employer! Learn more about how we support our Veterans. Athene is committed to inclusion and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.