Manager, Relationship Management

Manager, Relationship Management at Thrivent

As a Manager, Relationship Management at Thrivent, you will lead the day-to-day operations of relationship-driven roles, ensuring a superior service experience for advisors. This pivotal role involves supporting distribution across operations and delivering on the strategic direction of the Operations Advisor Relationship Model (ARM). You will partner with distribution, operations, and technology teams to create a frictionless advisor journey, ultimately enhancing field productivity and enterprise results.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

People Leadership & Team Development

• Build, lead, and sustain a high‑performing operations team supporting the Advisor Relationship Model (ARM).
• Select, develop, coach, and retain team members, fostering accountability, engagement, and professional growth.
• Provide ongoing coaching, performance feedback, and development planning aligned to ARM role expectations.
• Promote a collaborative, service‑oriented culture focused on advisor experience and operational excellence.

Operational Delivery & Enablement

• Manage day‑to‑day operational execution supporting ARM roles.
• Oversee workload distribution, staffing levels, and capacity planning to ensure service levels and turnaround times are met.
• Monitor operational performance, identify trends or gaps, and implement corrective actions to support ARM priorities.
• Ensure consistent application of ARM processes, role clarity, and escalation paths.

Performance Management & Metrics

• Establish and track operational goals, priorities, and performance metrics aligned to advisor impact.
• Analyze results, variances, and advisor feedback to drive continuous improvement.
• Support transparency and accountability through regular performance reporting and team communication.

Process Improvement, Compliance & Risk Management

• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, reduce friction, and improve advisor and field experience within operations.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, and Risk teams to ensure operational practices align with regulatory and internal requirements.
• Support documentation, training, and adoption of process changes impacting teams.

Cross‑Functional Partnership & Change Leadership

• Partner closely with the leadership team and internal business units to support strategy and evolution.
• Provide operational leadership for ARM‑related initiatives, pilots, and role transitions.
• Serve as a key escalation and problem‑solving leader for operational issues impacting advisors or field teams.

Required Job Qualifications

• College degree or equivalent.
• 5 years people leadership experience.
• Knowledge of financial products preferred.
• Demonstrated people‑leader experience in operations, service delivery, or field‑support environments.
• Strong communication/interpersonal skills with emphasis on customer service, conflict management, teamwork and coaching skills.
• Strong ability to manage complex workloads, staffing models, and performance metrics.
• Proven change‑leadership and collaboration skills, particularly in matrixed or transformation environments.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain an external perspective of emerging management and operations trends.
• Experience leading teams through change.
• Knowledge of regulatory, compliance, and risk considerations within operations.

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Broad knowledge of Thrivent operations and distribution business, products and systems.

Key skills/competency

• Relationship Management
• Operations Leadership
• Team Development
• Performance Management
• Process Improvement
• Compliance & Risk
• Change Leadership
• Financial Products Knowledge
• Customer Service
• Strategic Partnerships