Production Support Manager, Annuity Administration System

Group 1001 is a consumer-centric, technology-driven family of insurance companies on a mission to deliver outstanding value and operational performance by combining financial strength and stability with deep insurance expertise and a can-do culture. Group1001’s culture emphasizes the importance of collaboration, communication, core business focus, risk management, and striving for outcomes. This goal extends to how we hire and onboard our most valuable assets – our employees.

Group 1001, and its affiliated companies, is strongly committed to providing a supportive work environment where employee differences are valued. Diversity is an essential ingredient in making Group 1001 a welcoming place to work and is fundamental in building a high-performance team. Diversity embodies all the differences that make us unique individuals.  All employees share the responsibility for maintaining a workplace culture of dignity, respect, understanding and appreciation of individual and group differences.

Job Summary:

The Production Support Manager for the Annuity Administration System is responsible for ensuring the operational stability, performance, and reliability of the platform. This role involves managing a team of support analysts and engineers, coordinating with development and infrastructure teams, and proactively addressing system issues to maintain service excellence. The individual will play a critical role in supporting business operations, troubleshooting incidents, and driving process improvements.

Main Accountabilities:

• Production Support Oversight:
  • Oversee daily production support activities for the annuity administration system.
  • Manage the prioritization and resolution of system incidents and service requests.
• Team Leadership:
  • Lead and mentor a team of production support analysts and engineers.
  • Develop training plans to enhance team capabilities in troubleshooting and support.
• Incident Management:
  • Act as the escalation point for high-priority incidents, ensuring swift identification and resolution.
  • Analyze root causes and work with cross-functional teams to implement preventive measures.
• System Monitoring & Optimization:
  • Monitor system performance and proactively identify trends or potential issues.
  • Recommend and implement optimizations to enhance system reliability and efficiency.
• Stakeholder Collaboration:
  • Collaborate with business users, development teams, and vendors to address system needs and resolve issues. Serve as the primary point of contact for production support-related queries and communications.
• Change Management:
  • Coordinate with the development and QA teams to manage system changes and releases in a controlled manner.
  • Ensure thorough testing and documentation of changes before deployment.
• Compliance & Reporting:
  • Ensure adherence to regulatory requirements and company policies within the annuity platform.
  • Generate and present reports on system performance, incident trends, and support activities.
• Process Improvement:
  • Identify opportunities to enhance support processes, tools, and documentation.
  • Implement automation solutions to reduce manual effort and improve efficiency. 

Qualifications:

• Education:
   Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience:
  • 7+ years of experience in production support, IT operations, or application management, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
  • Experience with annuity administration systems or similar financial services platforms.
• Skills:
  • Strong understanding of annuities and related business processes.
  • Proficiency in incident management and root cause analysis methodologies.
  • Knowledge of system monitoring tools, ticketing systems (e.g., ServiceNow), and ITIL practices.
  • Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with database management (SQL), middleware, and API integrations.
• Experience working with DTCC integrations and annuity regulatory requirements.
• Knowledge of cloud-based solutions and automation tools.

Compensation:

Salary is up to $135,000 annually

Benefits Highlights:  

Employees who meet benefit eligibility guidelines and work 30 hours or more weekly, have the ability to enroll in Group 1001’s benefits package. Employees (and their families) are eligible to participate in the Company’s comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plan options.  Employees are also eligible for Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance, Short and Long-Term Disability, and to enroll in the Company’s Employee Assistance Program and other wellness initiatives.  Employees may also participate in the Company’s 401K plan, with matching contributions by the Company.