AVP - Data & Analytics

What You'll Do

Are you ready to make a lasting impact at the intersection of strategy, transformation, and innovation?

 

Principal Financial Group is looking for a dynamic and visionary Assistant Vice President, Data & Analytics to inspire change within our Retirement & Income Solutions (RIS) business unit. 

 

In this high-profile leadership role, you’ll have the opportunity to build, elevate, and redefine the Data & Analytics function—shaping the future of RIS and ensuring its seamless alignment with our enterprise strategy. If you thrive on tackling sophisticated challenges, transforming functions, and driving continuous improvement, this is your chance to be a catalyst for meaningful change.

 

You’ll play a pivotal role in stakeholder management, influence, and cross-functional collaboration, working alongside top leaders to drive innovation and maximize impact. If you're passionate about leading transformation and making data a strategic powerhouse, we want to hear from you!

 

As the AVP, you’ll:

 

• Lead strategic data transformation by aligning resources with business goals to drive growth, reduce costs, and improve customer experience while encouraging enterprise-wide collaboration.
• Oversee product management and analytics strategy, ensuring data investments deliver measurable value through optimized lifecycle management, platform solutions, and data rationalization.
• Drive delivery excellence by establishing best practices, improving agility, optimizing workflows, and managing performance through strong stakeholder partnerships.
• Shape and expand DA&AI strategy in collaboration with key leaders, focusing on data journeys, lifecycle management, governance, and integration across the enterprise.
• Define and implement a future-state vision for self-service analytics and real-time decision intelligence, ensuring RIS stays ahead of industry innovation.
• You will serve as a key advisor to senior business leaders, shaping data-driven decision-making at the highest levels
• Provide inspiring leadership by developing talent, managing technical teams (Data Scientists, ML Developers, Data Engineers), and ensuring alignment of skills with key business strategies.
• Bring deep expertise in data management, architecture, governance, and strategy, with experience in building large-scale data foundations (Data Lakes, Marts, Analytics Cubes) in a Financial Services/Retirement setting.
• Leverage technical proficiency in orchestrating sophisticated data analytics models and managing platforms such as AWS, Salesforce, Snowflake, Google Cloud, BI, and AI tools.
• Tackle key challenges by driving data rationalization, improving data quality and accuracy, and growing adoption of data products within RIS modernization efforts.
• Data Governance and Compliance: Engage with business unit and enterprise functions to ensure that data governance frameworks are in place to manage data quality, integrity, and security.
• Vendor Management: Manage relationships with data vendors, analytics partners, and technology providers. Evaluate solutions and negotiate contracts to ensure the division receives value from external partnerships.
• Performance Metrics: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the efficiency of data initiatives and ensure that data and analytics efforts contribute to the division’s success. Regularly report on data-driven outcomes to senior management.
• Actively supervise industry developments and benchmark key business metrics vs. best practices.

Why join Principal Financial Group? At Principal Financial Group, we don’t just manage data—we leverage it to drive business transformation. This role offers the opportunity to shape data strategy, collaborate with senior leaders, and lead data and analytics innovation.

 

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) with 10 years of experience leading data functions—spanning Data Management, Architecture, Governance, Strategy, and Lineage—within large global organizations, preferably in financial services or retirement industries.
• Shown expertise in building large-scale data foundations, including Data Lakes, Data Marts, Analytics Cubes, and customer/marketing data platforms.
• Deep understanding of the data ecosystem, including data journeys, lifecycle management, domains, products, and integration strategies.
• 3 years of hands-on leadership experience, managing and mentoring high-performing teams of Data Scientists, ML Developers, and Data Engineers.
• Strategic and influential communicator, skilled in presenting complex ideas and engaging key stakeholders to drive business impact.
• Analytical problem-solver with a track record of fostering strong, trust-based relationships across an organization.
• Thrives in ambiguity, demonstrating agility, resilience, and a relentless drive for results.
• Self-motivated, proactive leader with a strong sense of ownership, urgency, and commitment to excellence.

Salary Range Information

Salary ranges below reflect targeted base salaries. Non-sales positions have the opportunity to participate in a bonus program. Sales positions are eligible for sales incentives, and in some instances a bonus plan, whereby total compensation may far exceed base salary depending on individual performance. Actual compensation for all roles will be based upon geographic location, work experience, education, licensure requirements and/or skill level and will be finalized at the time of offer.
Salary Range (Non-Exempt expressed as hourly; Exempt expressed as yearly)

$174000 - $236000 / year
Time Off Program

Flexible Time Off (FTO) is provided to salaried (exempt) employees and provides the opportunity to take time away from the office with pay for vacation, personal or short-term illness. Employees don’t accrue a bank of time off under FTO and there is no set number of days provided.
Pension Eligible

Yes
Additional Information

Work Environments

This role offers in-office, hybrid (blending at least three office days in a typical workweek), and remote work arrangements (only if residing more than 30 miles from Des Moines, IA, or Charlotte, NC). You’ll work with your leader to figure out which option may align best based on several factors.

 

Work Authorization/Sponsorship

At this time, we're not considering applicants that need any type of immigration sponsorship (additional work authorization or permanent work authorization) now or in the future to work in the United States. This includes, but IS NOT LIMITED TO: F1-OPT, F1-CPT, H-1B, TN, L-1, J-1, etc. For additional information around work authorization needs please use the following links.

 

Nonimmigrant Workers and Green Card for Employment-Based Immigrants

 

Investment Code of Ethics

For Principal Asset Management positions, you’ll need to follow an Investment Code of Ethics related to personal and business conduct as well as personal trading activities for you and members of your household. These same requirements may also apply to other positions across the organization.

 

Experience Principal

At Principal, we value connecting on both a personal and professional level. Together, we’re imagining a more purpose-led future for financial services – and that starts with you. Our success depends on the unique experiences, backgrounds, and talents of our employees. And we support our employees the same way we support our customers: with comprehensive, competitive benefit offerings crafted to protect their physical, financial, and social well-being. Check out our careers site to learn more about our purpose, values and benefits.

 

Principal is an Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Posting Window

We will accept applications for 3 full days following the Original Posting Date, after which the posting may remain open or be removed based upon applications received. If we choose to post the job again, we will accept additional applications for at least 1 full day following the Most Recently Posted Date. Please submit applications in a timely manner as there is no guarantee the posting will be available beyond the applicable deadline.
Original Posting Date

3/18/2025
Most Recently Posted Date

3/18/2025

LinkedIn Remote Hashtag

#LI-Remote

LinkedIn Hashtag

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Salary : $174,000 - $236,000