Vice President of Products

At Concordia Plans we care for those who serve by providing excellent retirement, healthcare, and benefit services. The Vice President of Products will champion Concordia Plans’ mission by delivering innovative, sustainable, and customer-focused retirement and health benefit products and solutions

Concordia Plans has a reputation for outstanding culture, most recently winning the 2024 Top Workplaces USA award, with additional special awards for Work-Life Flexibility, Compensation & Benefits and Purpose & Values. This honor goes to the country’s best employers with high performing people-first cultures. Our recent history of employment excellence also includes being awarded the 2023 Top Workplaces USA award, the Top Workplaces 2021 - 2024 St. Louis Post-Dispatch awards and the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition’s 2020 Business Health Culture Award. Established more than 50 years ago providing service in 6,000 communities throughout the United States, we are mission focused professionals united to care for those caring for our community.

At Concordia Plans we are focused and flexible. Embracing the new normal, pioneering ways to continue to support work life balance in our family first culture. We offer competitive compensation with a benefit package, including a pension plan, 403(b), health insurance at no cost to the employee, and much more. We offer a hybrid environment with three days on-site for leadership positions. With this exciting opportunity you can combine experience, talent, and passion as part of our team at Concordia Plans serving the workers of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod,

General Summary

The Vice President of Products will champion Concordia Plans’ mission by delivering innovative, sustainable, and customer-focused retirement and health benefit products and solutions so the LCMS ministries and members can serve with a passion and spread the Word of God. Through strategic vision, operational excellence, and collaborative leadership, this role will lead and influence Concordia Plans position as a trusted partner for retirement and health benefit solutions.

This role will report to the VP, Chief Operations Officer and is accountable to and supports the Concordia Plans Board of Directors and works with the executive leadership team to deliver strategic initiatives and execute on objectives. The VP of Products also builds and fosters strong relationships with executive leaders within corporate Synod and other LCMS entities and leads an internal team to achieve our strategic vision and product roadmap.

Essential Job Functions

• Responsible for strategic oversight for our product portfolio including:
• Retirement: Concordia Retirement Plan (CRP) and Concordia Retirement Savings Plan (CRSP)
• Health, Life, and Disability: (Concordia Health Plan (CHP) and Concordia Disability and Survivor Plan (CDSP)
• Ancillary and Supplemental Insurance Products and Related Services
• In partnership with executive and product team leadership, develops a comprehensive vision and products strategy roadmap that anticipates ministry and member needs, future trends, regulatory changes, market fluctuations, demographic shifts and all other influencing factors while also ensuring long-term financial sustainability and balancing cost management of mission centered solutions.
• Continuously evaluates competitive landscapes, external markets and industry trends, product trends, and synthesize this data to design and develop a product portfolio that creates value for our customers, aligns with our mission and drives retention and growth strategies, metrics and initiatives.
• Optimizes mission aligned vendors and partners who can deliver the best value and service and bring our product vision to life. Develops strategic relationships with these vendors and partners to ensure effective delivery of solutions and holds them accountable.
• Identifies and measures against key performance indicators including revenue measured by customer retention and growth, performance of products and vendors, short- and long-term financial sustainability including claims management, participant engagement, health outcomes and other success measures.
• Leads a product team that fosters innovative solutions, promotes collaboration and designs and delivers meaningful product solutions.
  
  

Education And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree is required. Post-graduate degree and/or applicable professional license, certification or designation preferred.
• Minimum of ten years’ experience in a product or business operational leadership position, ideally in an insurance, employee benefit, financial service or institutional investment environment required.
• 5 years in executive capacity, preferably in a Vice President or similar role preferred.
• Experience with retirement or health plans products is a plus.
• Active membership in an LCMS congregation is preferred for alignment with the organization’s mission and values.
  
  

Position Related Skills and Abilities:

• Willingness and ability to travel.
• An understanding of the Synod’s structure is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated excellence in managing significant institutional investment programs.
• Shows Humility: Allows others to serve in the capacity to which they have been called.
• Fulfills the Mission: Understands the responsibilities of stewardship in support of LCMS ministries.
  
  

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Thinking: demonstrates sound judgment, discernment, big-picture thinking and church/business acumen. Encourages new perspectives and makes future-focused decisions. Displays an innate curiosity and ability to connect the dots.
• Build Strong Teams: Builds a culture aligned around shared goals and purpose. Intentionally coaches and develops others, nurtures networks, and attracts strong talent. Values the success of others and appreciates their contributions.
• Model Resilience: Leads with optimism and composure, setting the tone for others. Is self-aware, humble, and proactively seeks alternatives when challenged.
• Influence Others: Is a positive influence across and outside the organization. Paints a compelling vision and gains commitment for forward momentum. Helps others understand how they contribute to the big picture.
• Outcomes Orientation: Brings a bias for action and achieves meaningful, timely, and measurable results. Demonstrates stewardship, operational excellence, and a continuous improvement mindset.