Indexed Annuity Product Investment Management Lead (Hybrid)

Position Summary

Do you want to shape how Guardian's annuity solutions deliver value to clients? Do you enjoy working across the full spectrum of investment due diligence, strategy, and management while working closely with distribution partners to explain how a strategy works and why it matters?

At Guardian, we do the right thing, we believe people count, we courageously shape our future together, and we go above and beyond for the people we serve. If these values resonate with you, Guardian is seeking an Indexed Product Investment Management Lead to own the index and investment strategy agenda behind our Fixed Indexed Annuity (FIA) and Registered Index-Linked Annuity (RILA) products in close partnership with the Head of Indexed Annuities.

You are

An investment-minded product professional who understands what sits behind indexed crediting strategies and quality investment strategies. You are comfortable evaluating index construction and index provider proposals, discussing option budgets and hedging cost with actuarial and ALM partners, and translating all of it into a clear, credible story for advisors and clients. You are equally at home in a technical rate-setting discussion and in front of a distribution audience, and you keep a sharp eye on how index and strategy choices affect competitiveness, profitability, operations, and disclosure obligations.

You have

Required:

• A bachelor's degree (preferred), or equivalent related work experience; CFA, FRM, or actuarial credentials are a plus.

• 5+ years of experience in investments, derivatives, hedging, annuity pricing, or index-linked product management.

• Working knowledge of index construction, options and option pricing, hedge budgets, and how crediting mechanics such as caps, participation rates, spreads, buffers, floors, and triggers are funded.

• Strong executive and technical communication skills, with the ability to make complex investment concepts clear and accurate for internal partners, advisors, and clients.

• Comfort and credibility in market-facing settings, including wholesaler enablement, firm due diligence, and advisor education.

• Strong analytical capability, financial acumen, and sound business judgment, with rigorous attention to accuracy in data, performance figures, and competitive comparisons.

• Excellent influencing, organizational, and facilitation skills; able to gain consensus and cultivate strategic internal and external relationships.

• Ability to manage several dissimilar projects concurrently and prioritize appropriately in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.

Preferred:

• Direct FIA and/or RILA experience.

• Familiarity with index provider relationships, licensing agreements, and the disclosure and filing obligations that accompany index use in annuity products.

• Experience leveraging AI tools to enhance and accelerate results.

You will

• Drive the index and crediting strategy agenda across Guardian's FIA and RILA portfolio, including the current index menu, term lengths, and crediting methods, and recommend additions, replacements, and retirements aligned to product strategy.

• Lead research and development on new indices and investment strategies, including engagement with index providers, investment banks, and asset management partners, and assessment of internal and operational implications.

• Evaluate proposed indices on construction, historical and expected behavior, volatility control mechanics, option cost and hedgeability, illustration eligibility, and fit with target advisor and client use cases.

• Partner with Annuity Pricing, Hedging, and ALM on option budgets, hedge feasibility, and the economics of custom versus benchmark indices.

• Support the monthly new business and renewal rate-setting process with competitive and investment perspective on cap, participation, spread, and trigger levels, and on the in-force renewal rate path.

• Monitor and explain index and strategy performance across new business and the in-force block, and partner closely with marketing on clear materials that help advisors, wholesalers, and clients understand results and opportunities.

• Serve as the market-facing subject matter expert on our investment and crediting strategies, supporting wholesaler training, firm and home-office conversations, due diligence requests, and advisor education.

• Negotiate and manage index licensing relationships in partnership with Legal, Compliance, and Sourcing, including fee structures, use rights, disclosure obligations, and notice and termination provisions.

• Coordinate the operational and regulatory requirements that follow index decisions, including index disclosures in contracts, prospectuses, illustrations, marketing materials, and state filings, and the procedures that apply if an index is closed or terminated.

• Account for jurisdictional and regulatory constraints in strategy design, including state specific product limitations and state illustration rules that restrict how indices with limited history may be illustrated.

• Conduct due diligence on variable annuity fund management and provide investment thought leadership to other annuity product teams as needed.

• Bring competitive intelligence on carrier index menus, crediting innovation, and rate positioning into product design, rate-setting, and positioning decisions.

 

Reporting Relationships

As our Indexed Product Investment Management Lead, you will report to our Head of Indexed Annuities, who reports to our Head of Annuities.

Location

The primary location for this position is Hudson Yards, New York, but we are also open to candidates who can commute into our Holmdel, NJ, Bethlehem, PA, Pittsfield, MA, Stamford, CT, or Boston, MA offices at least 3-days per week.

 

Travel

10% travel may be required for this position.

Salary Range:

$132,420.00 - $217,545.00

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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected], 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 [email protected].

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.