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Protective has helped people achieve protection and security in their lives for over 117 years.
The Role
The Lead Financial Strategy Associate drives high-impact strategic initiatives in finance, partnering with leadership to deliver measurable outcomes and improve processes through data and analytics.
Summary Generated by Built In
The work we do has an impact on millions of lives, and you can be a part of it.
We help protect our customers against life’s uncertainties. Regardless of where you work within the company, you’ll be helping provide protection and peace of mind when our customers need it most.
The Finance Strategy Lead is a senior individual contributor who partners closely with Finance leadership to shape, prioritize, and drive execution of high-impact strategic initiatives. This role brings deep finance and actuarial domain expertise and plays a hands-on role in problem diagnosis, solution design, and decision-making.
The Finance Strategy Lead operates across strategy formulation through execution, ensuring initiatives deliver measurable business outcomes while balancing value, risk, and operational feasibility. Typical initiatives include finance and actuarial data transformation, reporting modernization, regulatory enhancements, system migrations, and cross-functional process redesign.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead cross-functional teams through end-to-end strategy development and execution for multiple concurrent initiatives.
- Partner with Finance, Accounting, Actuarial, Technology, and other stakeholders to align on strategic intent, priorities, and success measures.
- Influence outcomes without direct authority through strong facilitation, clarity, and accountability.
- Serve as a strategy owner and integrator between business stakeholders, technical teams, and executive leadership.
- Establish and track business outcomes, KPIs, and OKRs aligned to enterprise strategy.
- Own delivery accountability, ensuring clear decision rights, roles, and responsibilities across teams.
- Monitor scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risks; surface issues early with clear trade-off recommendations.
- Provide transparent executive-level communication on progress, risks, issues, and value realization.
- Manage change control and ensure compliance with regulatory, security, data privacy, and governance requirements.
- Drive continuous improvement through data-driven delivery practices, automation, and analytics.
- Track post-implementation benefits and facilitate lessons-learned to inform future initiatives.
Core Competencies (Skills, Knowledge and Abilities):
- Strong finance and actuarial acumen with the ability to apply expertise to complex business problems.
- Strategic planning and execution, including outcome-based measurement (KPIs and OKRs).
- Influence without authority and ability to lead in highly matrixed environments.
- Executive-level communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
- Data-driven decision-making and analytical problem-solving.
- Understanding of enterprise delivery frameworks and governance models.
- Resilience and adaptability in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
- Strong judgment related to risk, controls, and regulatory considerations.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Actuarial Science, or a related field.
- 8 years of experience in accounting, finance, actuarial science, or related functions.
- Proven ability to partner with senior Finance leaders as a trusted strategic advisor.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
- Demonstrated experience owning outcomes across strategy formulation through execution.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or related field.
- Experience within life insurance and annuity products, accounting, or financial reporting.
- Familiarity with data, technology development processes, and related governance and controls.
- Experience with digital transformation, ERP implementations, cloud migrations, or large-scale system integrations.
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, or similar process improvement credentials.
- Progressive experience leading financial initiatives or driving complex, cross-functional change efforts
The internal title for this role is Lead Associate Strategy.
Employee Benefits:
We aim to protect the wellbeing of our employees and their families with a broad benefits offering. In addition to offering comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance, we support emotional wellbeing through mental health benefits and an employee assistance program. Work/life balance is important and Protective offers a variety of paid time away benefits (e.g., paid time off, paid parental leave, short-term disability, and a cultural observance day). The financial health of our employees is just as important as physical and emotional health. Some of the financial wellbeing benefits include contributions to healthcare accounts, a pension plan, and a 401(k) plan with Company matching. All employees are encouraged to protect their overall wellbeing by engaging in ProHealth Rewards, Protective’s platform to improve wellbeing while earning cash rewards.
Eligibility for certain benefits may vary by position in accordance with the terms of the Company’s benefit plans.
Accommodations for Applicants with a Disability:
If you require an accommodation to complete the application and recruitment process due to a disability, please email [email protected]. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application and recruitment process.
Please note that the above email is solely for individuals with disabilities requesting an accommodation. General employment questions should not be sent through this process.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to being inclusive and attracting, retaining, and growing an inclusive workforce.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Actuarial Science, or a related field
- 8 years of experience in accounting, finance, actuarial science, or related functions
- Proven ability to partner with senior Finance leaders
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills
- Demonstrated experience owning outcomes across strategy formulation through execution
Protective Life Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Protective Life and has not been reviewed or approved by Protective Life.
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Retirement Support — A pension plan alongside a 401(k) with employer match is repeatedly highlighted and considered a standout feature. Feedback suggests these offerings provide strong long‑term financial security.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage are complemented by HSA/FSA options with company contributions and wellness incentives. Feedback suggests the breadth of health benefits is comprehensive.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off and holidays are frequently cited as positives, with parental leave and adoption assistance available. Feedback suggests time‑off policies support work‑life balance.
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The Company
What We Do
Protective Life Corporation (Protective) provides financial services through the production, distribution and administration of insurance and investment products throughout the United States. Protective traces its roots to its flagship company founded in 1907, Protective Life Insurance Company. Throughout its more than 110-year history, Protective’s growth and success can be largely attributed to its ongoing commitment to serving people and doing the right thing — for its employees, distributors and, most importantly, its customers. Protective’s home office is located in Birmingham, Alabama, and its 3,000+ employees work across the United States. As of June 30, 2020, Protective had assets of approximately $123 billion. Protective Life Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life Holdings,
