Manager, Sales Desk

Come join one of America’s fastest-growing insurance companies. Since 1848, National Life Group has aimed to keep our promises, providing families with stability in good times and in bad. Throughout that history, we have provided peace of mind to those families as they plan their futures. Our mission extends beyond the insurance and annuities policies that we offer. We strive to make the world a better place through our grants from our charitable foundation, paid volunteer time for our employees, environmentally sustainable and healthy workplaces, and events that promote the work of nonprofits in our own backyard. We foster a collaborative environment with opportunities for growth and encourage our associates to live our values: Do good. Be good. Make good. Role Summary The Manager, Sales Desk leads a team of Internal Sales Specialists who support life insurance and annuity sales activity for National Life Group. This role is accountable for coaching, developing, and directing the team to deliver strong sales support, service quality, and distribution results. The position serves as a key connection between the Sales Desk and the field, translating agent, agency, and field leader needs into clear coaching priorities, team development plans, and process improvements. The manager partners closely with Distribution leadership and internal business partners to strengthen field relationships, improve execution, and advance opportunities across the sales process. The ideal candidate brings sales leadership experience, strong business judgment, and a market-oriented mindset with the ability to build trust, develop talent, and drive accountability in a fast-paced environment. This position currently offers an onsite work schedule, with the expectation that you will be in the office four (4) days per week during onsite core days. Our current onsite core days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The work schedule type and core days are subject to change with advance notification and manager discretion. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Lead, coach, and develop Internal Sales Specialists supporting life insurance and annuity sales activity. Set clear performance expectations and provide ongoing feedback, coaching, training, and performance management. Build team capability through quality review, development planning, and continuous learning. Promote a market-connected, distribution-focused mindset that reflects field priorities, agency needs, and competitive dynamics. Partner with external sales teams, field leaders, agencies, and Distribution leadership to align Sales Desk activity with business goals. Gather and synthesize feedback from agents, agencies, field leaders, and sales partners to identify trends, barriers, and opportunities. Translate field and market insights into coaching priorities, team training, sales enablement, and process improvements. Collaborate across Distribution, Operations, Marketing, Product, Technology, and other partners to improve sales execution and the agent and agency experience. Foster a collaborative culture centered on accountability, service excellence, and results. Identify and develop future talent through succession planning, development planning, and career growth support. Use technology, CRM tools, reporting, and operating practices to improve team effectiveness and efficiency. Monitor performance metrics and team output to ensure goals and service standards are met. Travel as needed for training, field engagement, relationship building, and business meetings. Perform other duties as assigned. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor's degree. 5 years of sales, sales support, distribution, financial services, or related experience. Demonstrated ability to coach, develop, or influence others in a professional setting. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to work in a fast-paced, changing environment. Up to 10% travel required. Preferred Qualifications 2 or more years of p…