Institutional Relationship Manager, Government Savings

The Institutional Relationship Manager (Field Rep) will be responsible for the outreach supporting one or more Government Savings division lines of business, which includes, the 529 (Direct, Advisor, ABLE) and or State Facilitated Retirement Program (SFRP) programs, with the goal of increasing participation in the existing plan. 

The outreach support will depend on the line of business assigned but may include conducting 529 college savings seminars and outreach to employers, community groups and other local organizations on behalf of their respective 529 plans. And or be responsible for engaging with employers to educate them on their respective SFRP plan and assisting them with the registration and facilitation of the program. 

Supporting an advisor plan, the position would function as an external wholesaler to support the growth and awareness of the plan by working with and developing relations with key financial intermediaries throughout the assigned territory.  Financial intermediaries include but are not limited to, Broker/Dealers, National & Regional Banks, Independent Advisors and Registered Investment Advisors.

Responsibilities also include assisting the end-user clients to understand the importance of saving and the benefits of the respective program.  

Each role would require day-to-management of the assigned territory and driving marketing campaigns for those plans.

Section 2: Job Functions, Essential Duties and Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND OUTREACH

• Develop and delivery of an effective outreach strategy to support plan and territory.
• Conduct educational workshops and deliver a balance of in-person and virtual presentations.
• Partner with key stakeholder groups to provide information / training and garner support.
• Identify and develop success stories for use in program promotion and outreach.
• Raise awareness via tabling at various expos, conferences, fairs, and networking events.
• Adhere to internal standards of outreach policy, procedures, objectives, and budget.
• Provide strategic planning for growth and track relevant statistical data to demonstrate impact.
• Ensure compliance and product expertise in all interactions.

INTERNAL PARTNERS

• Work with Relationship Manager to understand any client, State or Board considerations.
• Coordinate with Marketing on any promotional or PR related initiatives.
• Coordinate with Legal and Compliance to ensure adherence to all guidelines.
• Serve as the local point of contact and trusted member of Relationship Management team.
• Work with the team Director to understand and implement best practices.
• Work closely with other team members and actively participate in team meetings. 
• Demonstrate ownership of plan goals, growth, engagement, and sales performance.
• Work closely with the team to create and implement a successful sales strategy.
• Sales strategy will revolve around overall plan growth, which includes overall contributions or sales, overall account generation, and key inflow indicators such as payroll.
• Present to and meet with employers to explain and promote the benefits of payroll direct deposit, positioning and supporting our plans as a workplace voluntary benefit.
• Solidify relationships, generate new business, create opportunities to elevate the Plan to the financial intermediary channel.
• Manage administrative responsibilities according to company policies involving travel and expenses, CRM updates, calendars and schedules, conference call participation, email retention, organization, and continuing education.

EXTERNAL PARTNERS

• Represent Ascensus and Plan in the community to the highest standard.
• Help build and maintain a strong relationship between Ascensus and our clients.
• Source and develop leads with employers, community groups and local organizations.
• Develop relationships with proponents of financial literacy in the community.
• Develop relationships with key elected officials and state government agencies.
• Serve as the key point of contact to our clients, including but not limited to, State, Board, Broker Dealers, or other financial intermediaries.
• Assist our clients in raising awareness and enhancing the education and usage of our Government Savings programs.
• Partner with clients to ensure goals and outreach efforts are clear and well calibrated, with a detailed understanding of any unique needs.
• Demonstrate an effective impact of all outreach efforts via annual recap or as required.
• Resolve problems and address in a productive way to improve future functionality.
• Highlight success stories to demonstrate successful program promotion and outreach.
• Provide data to key clients on, but not limited to, growth, sales trends, industry trends, key firm performance indicators, etc.
• Work closely with the Director and Relationship Manager to understand the Board goals for the plan and help them execute initiatives to drive awareness and enrollment.
• Along with the Director and Relationship Manager, represent Ascensus to the Board and other state entities in a highly professional and respectful manner.
• Coordinate implementation and service support services as necessary.

INDUSTRY EXPERTISE

• Develop a strong working knowledge of plan rules, guidelines, and unique nuances.
• Serve as an external and internal expert and source of product knowledge.
• Stay abreast of any changes to applicable laws and rules that affect product line.
• Attend and represent product lines within Ascensus, client sessions and or at industry conferences.

PROJECT WORK

• Lead or assist in project work to support an efficient sales and service experience.          
• Track and report on activities, sales and key relationships that demonstrate positive sales impact.
• Be mindful and creative in leveraging available technology to reach client and plan goals.
• Identify activities to engage in to maintain an active calendar within annual budget limits.
• Work with Marketing to develop outreach communication/marketing materials that are effective and compliant in driving enrollment, participation and as applicable, for use by advisors, key firms, and partners to promote and facilitate program adoption and usage.

CORE VALUES

• Responsible for protecting, securing, and proper handling of all confidential data held by Ascensus to ensure against unauthorized access, improper transmission, and / or unapproved disclosure of information that could result in harm to Ascensus or our clients.
• The I-Client philosophy and the Core Values of People Matter, Quality First and Integrity Always® should be visible in your actions on a day-to-day basis showing your support of our organizational culture.

Supervision  

• N/A

Section 3:  Experience, Skills, Knowledge Requirements

The position will be home-based; however, occasional night, weekend and overnight travel throughout the assigned regions will be required to effectively manage and serve clients.

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Current Series 6 or 7 and 63 FINRA licenses is highly preferred.
  • Or ability to obtain within 90 days.
• 3-5 years financial services experience in sales, marketing, or client service.
• Excellent organization, communication, and presentation skills
• Experience or knowledge of specific product line is highly preferred:
  • Direct or advisor sold 529 plans.
  • ABLE programs.
  • Retail IRA products and Employer Retirement plans.
• Successful sales or client management experience.
• Strong relationship building skills with a client-facing focus.
• Strong time and territory management.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communications skills.
• Energetic, self-motivated, positive attitude, goal oriented with a high degree of integrity.
• Proficient in all MS Office applications
• Ability to work independently from home and while traveling.
• Residency in a designated State may be required.
• Expectations for moderate travel at 25-50%.

For virtual remote positions, we require an uninterrupted workspace during business hours and an internet work speed of 25 Mbps or better. If you are unsure of your internet speed before applying, please check with your service provider.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer

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