Now Hiring - American Equity Investment Life Holding Company - Sales Support Specialist in West Des Moines, IA

Full description of the position

At American Equity Investment Life Holding Company, we think of ourselves as The Financial Dignity Company. Our policyholders work with independent agents, banks and broker-dealers through our wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, to choose one of our leading annuity products best suited for their personal needs to create financial dignity in retirement. We remain steadfast in our commitment to quality products, excellent customer service, integrity, safety and delivering on our promises to our policyholders. Our success comes from hiring people who embody the beliefs that drive our unique, energetic, fast-paced and caring culture of collaboration, ownership and innovation.

We currently fund over half a million retirements nationwide, and have been headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, for over twenty-five years, with satellite offices slated to open in early 2023 in Charlotte, NC, and New York, NY. We are a NYSE-listed company and maintain an “excellent” rating from AM Best. Our company has over $57 billion in assets, 26,000 active agents and over 800 employees.

GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE JOB:

The Sales Support Specialist acts as a resource for financial advisors of our partner firms in matters relating to Eagle Life products, value proposition and procedures. The role will be critical in strengthening relationships with external business partners, identifying prospecting opportunities, data gathering and assisting the wholesaling teams with marketing campaigns and special projects.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Holds priority position in Sales Support inbound phone queue and responds to inbound calls regarding annuity pre-sale and post-sale questions, needs, and concerns.
• Regularly assists internal and external business partners with the following, but not limited to; Public and non-public Eagle websites, annuity illustration software, sales and marketing programs, annuity product questions, Customer Excellence procedures, pre-sale requirements, in-force annuity service related matters, etc.
• Provides superior customer service by meeting department Sales Support Specialist metrics for Aux time, talk time and inbound/outbound call-quality assurance.
• Maintains knowledge of Customer Excellence, Suitability, and other departments’ procedures impacting financial advisors with our partner firms.
• Proactively asks probing questions for data gathering and prospecting purposes.
• Provides lead opportunities to External and Internal Wholesalers.
• Regularly assists Eagle Life wholesaling teams by helping to drive attendance to conference dinners, CE breakouts and regional events, primarily through outbound calls.
• Provides useful and timely feedback to direct manager and other stakeholders.
• Maintains a thorough working knowledge of Eagle products, strategies, systems, processes, and technologies.
• Generates ideas and helps create messaging for marketing and sales.
• Actively stays current on investment strategies and trends in the financial industry.
• Performs other related work as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Direct Reports: None

General Description of Indirect Reports (2 and 3-downs): None

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's Degree (B.A.) from four-year college or university in marketing, business administration or related field of study; or equivalent related experience.
• Prior sales support or customer service experience beneficial.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS:

• Current Life & Health License preferred. If not currently licensed, ability to obtain within 90 days of employment is required
• Ability to obtain additional licenses in the future, if necessary.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Strong customer service orientation.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills to allow for collaborative work effort.
• Knowledge of retirement products.
• Ability to interact with all levels of internal and external resources.
• Strong problem-solving abilities.
• Professional maturity to effectively interface with financial advisors.
• Strong organizational skills with ability to multi task
• Mathematical skills and strong attention to detail.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals and technical/operational procedures.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to successfully handle pressure and meet deadlines in a fast-paced work environment.
• Ability to maintain valid driver’s license.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Supplemental pay types:

• Bonus pay
• Monthly bonus

Application Question(s):

• This position will be handling inbound calls from our internal and external customers regarding our annuity products. Are you comfortable being on the phone 90% of your work day?
• What is your desired salary range?

Work Location: Hybrid remote in West Des Moines, IA 50266