The next part of your journey is right around the corner — with The Standard.
A genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of others is the foundation for everything we do. With a customer-first mindset and an intentional focus on building strong teams, we’ve been able to uphold our legacy of financial stability while investing in new, innovative technologies that support the needs of our customers. Our high-performance culture focused on operational excellence thrives thanks to remarkable people united by compassion and a customer-first commitment. Are you ready to make a difference?
Job Summary
The AVP, Chief of Staff, Employee Benefits Sales & Client Management, serves as a strategic partner and execution leader to the SVP, Regional Sales & Client Management and the SVP, National Accounts Sales & Client Management. In this highly visible role, you will align priorities, advance key business initiatives, and strengthen leadership effectiveness across the organization. You will provide strategic insights, oversee performance reporting and KPI management, lead cross-functional efforts, and develop a team of Impact Managers focused on critical business priorities. Success requires sound judgment, confidence, adaptability, and the ability to influence across all levels while balancing strategic perspective with operational discipline. This role is ideal for someone energized by connecting people, ideas, and initiatives to accelerate business results and organizational effectiveness.
This role will play a critical part in helping shape and scale the Employee Benefits sales and client management organization, bringing together legacy teams, practices, and capabilities across National Accounts and Regional Accounts. As The Standard continues to evolve its go-to-market approach and engage in our growth strategy, this leader will help create alignment, clarity, and execution discipline through a period of meaningful transition and transformation.
Ability to travel occasionally for planning meetings, leadership events, and team engagement activities is a requirement of the role.
Skills and Background You’ll Need
Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or a related field required. MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Typically requires 10+ years of experience in strategy, business operations, sales operations, consulting, transformation, or related leadership roles.
Experience leading large-scale, cross-functional initiatives in a complex, matrixed environment.
Demonstrated success partnering with senior executives to drive strategic priorities and business outcomes.
Experience leading and developing teams.
Builds trust, navigates ambiguity, and influences effectively without formal authority.
Strong analytical, communication, and executive presentation skills.
Employee Benefits, insurance, or financial services experience preferred.
Prior Chief of Staff, strategy, consulting, or enterprise transformation experience preferred.
Key Behaviors of a Successful Candidate
Strategic Visioning: Connects business priorities to long-term outcomes and helps leaders focus on the highest-value opportunities.
Engaging Hearts & Minds: Builds alignment across leaders, teams, and stakeholders while fostering collaboration and commitment.
Driving Results: Creates structure, accountability, and disciplined execution to move strategic priorities forward.
Developing People: Effectively coaches and develops talent while building high-performing teams.
Adaptability: Navigates ambiguity, shifting priorities, and evolving business needs with confidence and resilience.
#LI-Remote
Why Join The Standard?We have built an enduring legacy of stability, financial strength and exceptional customer service through the contributions of the service-oriented people who choose to work at The Standard. To ensure we can attract and retain the best talent, when you join The Standard you can expect:
A rich benefits package including medical, dental, vision and a 401(k) plan with matching company contributions
An annual incentive bonus plan
Generous paid time off including 11 holidays, 2 wellness days, and 8 volunteer hours annually — PTO increases with tenure
A supportive, responsive management approach and opportunities for career growth and advancement
Paid parental leave and adoption/surrogacy assistance
An employee giving program that double matches your donations to eligible nonprofits and schools
In addition to the competitive salary range below, our employee-focused benefits support work-life balance. Learn more about working at The Standard.
Eligibility to participate in an incentive program is subject to the rules governing the program and plan. Any award depends on a variety of factors including individual and organizational performance.
The actual compensation for this role will be based on a combination of education and experience, knowledge and skills, position budget, internal equity, and market data.
Salary Range:
$154,250.00 - $260,750.00Positions will be posted for at least 5 days from original posting date.
Standard Insurance Company, The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York, Standard Retirement Services, Inc., StanCorp Mortgage Investors, LLC, StanCorp Investment Advisers, Inc., and American Heritage Life Insurance Company and American Heritage Service Company, marketed as The Standard, are Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran status or any other condition protected by federal, state or local law. Except where precluded by state or federal law, The Standard will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. The Standard offers a drug- and alcohol-free work environment where possession, manufacture, transfer, offer, use of or being impaired by an illegal substance while on The Standard's property, or in other cases which the company believes might affect operations, safety or reputation of the company is prohibited. The Standard requires a criminal background investigation and employment, education and licensing verification as a condition of employment. After any conditional offer of employment is made, the background check will include an individualized assessment based on the applicant’s specific record and the duties and requirements of the specific job. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain and correct background information. All employees of The Standard must be bondable.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or related field
- MBA or advanced degree
- 10+ years experience in strategy, business operations, sales operations, consulting, transformation, or related leadership roles
- Experience leading large-scale, cross-functional initiatives in a complex, matrixed environment
- Demonstrated success partnering with senior executives to drive strategic priorities and business outcomes
- Experience leading and developing teams
- Strong analytical, communication, and executive presentation skills
- Employee Benefits, insurance, or financial services experience
- Prior Chief of Staff, strategy, consulting, or enterprise transformation experience
- Ability to travel occasionally for meetings, events, and team engagement
- Must be bondable and pass criminal background, employment, education and licensing verification
The Standard Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about The Standard and has not been reviewed or approved by The Standard.
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Retirement Support — The 401(k) match and profit sharing are highlighted as strong components of total rewards. The retirement plan is often regarded as a standout element.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Generous PTO, 11 holidays, wellness days, and paid volunteer time provide meaningful time off. These programs are portrayed as supportive of work-life balance.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave, adoption/surrogacy assistance, dependent-care support, and backup childcare are available. These family-oriented benefits add meaningful value to the package.
The Standard Insights
What We Do
StanCorp Financial Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries marketed as The Standard -- Standard Insurance Company, The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York, Standard Retirement Services, StanCorp Mortgage Investors, StanCorp Investment Advisers, StanCorp Real Estate and StanCorp Equities -- is a leading provider of financial products and services. StanCorp's subsidiaries serve approximately 7.5 million customers nationwide as of June 30, 2011, with group and individual disability insurance, group life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, group dental and group vision insurance, absence management services, retirement plans products and services, individual annuities and investment advice. The Standard is a marketing name for StanCorp Financial Group, INC. and its subsidiaries. Insurance products are offered by Standard Insurance Company of Portland, Ore. in all states except New York, where insurance products are offered by The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York of White Plains, N.Y. Product features and availability by state and company, and are solely the responsibility of each subsidiary.
