Senior Manager - Distributions Service Delivery & Operations

Responsible for managing the Distributions Service Delivery & Operations function. This role involves strategic leadership, operational oversight, stakeholder management, MIS Dashboarding and regulatory compliance. The candidate will drive efficiency through process automation and re-engineering initiatives to enhance function quality and ensure regulatory compliance & reporting.

Key Responsibilities:

Own and lead end-to-end Distribution Service Delivery & Operations w.r.t daily MIS, regulatory and compliance reporting - ensuring operational excellence, service quality, compliance, and SLA adherence.

Drive process governance, standardization, continuous improvement, and operational controls across all distribution and onboarding journeys.

Take overall ownership of regulatory governance, compliance requirements, internal controls, audit readiness, and timely closure of observations.

Ensure adherence to IRDAI guidelines, internal policies, risk management frameworks, and regulatory requirements.

Lead distribution onboarding, seller hierarchy management, servicing operations, and stakeholder engagement across functions.

Own business requirement gathering, BRDs, process documentation, testing, UAT, and technology implementation initiatives.

Identify process gaps and drive digitization, automation, and transformation initiatives using Excel, VBA, Python, AI, and smart tools.

Monitor operational KPIs, service delivery metrics, productivity, quality, TAT, and First Time-Right (FTR) performance.

Provide leadership for issue resolution, escalation management, defect management, and cross-functional coordination.

Prepare and review MIS, dashboards, governance reports, risk reviews, and management updates for senior leadership.

Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams through effective performance management, coaching, succession planning, and building capability.

Partner with Business, Distribution, Technology, Compliance, Audit, Risk, HR, and senior management to deliver strategic business objectives.

Drive a strong culture of accountability, ownership, compliance, customer focus, and continuous improvement.

Key competencies/skills required

MIS Reporting, Dashboarding & Data Analysis using Advance Excel

Automation using AI / VBA, Macros, Python, PowerBI / Power Querry

Business Requirement Gathering, BRD Preparation & Process Documentation

Testing, UAT Coordination & Defect Management

Life Insurance compliances, Distribution Operations & Seller Onboarding

Process Management, Operational Controls & Continuous Improvement

Strong Analytical, Problem-Solving & Root Cause Analysis Skills

Stakeholder Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration

Effective Verbal & Written Communication

Team Leadership, People Development & Escalation Management

Strategic Thinking with Strong Operational Acumen

Team Player with a Collaborative and Growth Mindset

Measures of Success

1. Achievement of business SLAs, operational KPIs, compliance metrics, and strategic objectives.

2. Strong regulatory compliance, audit outcomes, and governance effectiveness with minimal observations.

3. Improved onboarding TAT, quality, productivity, and First-Time-Right (FTR) percentage.

4. Successful implementation of automation, digitization, and process transformation initiatives.

5. Reduction in operational risks, control gaps, defects, and stakeholder escalations.

6. Improved operational efficiency, data accuracy, and control effectiveness.

7. High-performing teams with strong productivity, engagement, and capability development.

8. Positive stakeholder feedback and effective collaboration across functions.

9. Timely delivery of projects, technology initiatives, and business commitments.

10. Continuous improvement through analytics-driven insights and governance reviews.

Key Relationships (Internal)

Distribution Team

MIR/ Reporting Team (BIIG)

Compliance & Legal Team

Human Resources (HR)

Finance Team

Operations Team

IT/ Digital Team/Data Management team

Internal Audit Team

Key Relationships (External)

Agents / Sellers

Regulatory Authorities

Vendors

Educational Background:

- Graduate/Postgraduate in Operations Management, Business Administration, or related field.

Experience:

Minimum 7-8 years of prior experience in a team and process management role within a large, complex organization

Proven track record of leading projects and digital transformation initiatives.

Demonstrated success in managing high volume operations processes.

Strong background in process automation and system management, with a focus on leveraging AI / Smart Tools.

Experience in stakeholder management, compliances, internal & external audits