Managing Director, Head of Advice & Distribution for Individual Solutions

What You'll Do We’re looking for an Managing Director, Head of Advice & Distribution to join our Individual Solutions leadership team! In this role you'll be responsible for defining and building an at scale, category-defining advice and distribution platform that delivers high-quality, technology-enabled financial education, guidance, and advice to millions of workplace participants – bridging the gap between retirement, wealth, and holistic financial decision-making. This leader will architect the advice operating system, rules frameworks, tools, planning philosophy, and build and execute a modern distribution engine that integrates human advisors, digital experiences, and strategic internal and external partners into a unified client journey. This leader directly owns the advice roadmap and supporting sales, financial planners, and education services teams. This role serves as the voice of stakeholders (customers, advisors, sales, and internal partners) and translates market needs into strategy, capabilities, and experiences that improve participant outcomes and business performance. You'll have the opportunity to: Advice Strategy & Operating System Build and maintain the multi‑year, differentiated strategy and approach for the enterprise advice operating system, including the rules engine, decision trees, frameworks, and core logic that power advice experiences across channels. Lead the evolution of digital, hybrid, and human-delivered advice experiences to ensure they are modern, scalable, compliant, and differentiated in the market. Oversee product strategy for advice capabilities, ensuring alignment with customer needs, regulatory requirements, and business outcomes. Ensure the operating system supports multiple use cases: point‑in‑time advice, ongoing planning, financial wellness, and education experiences. Partner with Technology to align resources, priorities, and budgets that support ongoing development and modernization. Advice Tech Stack & Roadmap Leadership Own the holistic product roadmap for Advice Delivery tools, digital platforms, advisor desktop/workflow, data integration, and planning capabilities. Translate customer insight, market trends, competitor intelligence, and regulatory considerations into product priorities and business requirements. Collaborate closely with senior leaders and subject matter experts to shape product design and experience evolution, inclusive of build/buy/partner decisions. Present strategy and roadmap to internal stakeholders, senior leadership, customers, and intermediaries. Sales, Financial Advisor & Advice Enablement Lead and scale the Sales, Financial Advisor/Advice teams to ensure advice capabilities drive measurable engagement and sales outcomes, including digital, advisor, hybrid, and referral enabled advice delivery. Lead development of sales‑aligned advice moments (e.g., point‑in‑time sales triggers, planning opportunities, and advice‑supported product positioning). Support training and activation strategies to ensure sales teams effectively use and communicate advice capabilities. Serve as an advocate for distribution teams—ensuring their needs inform product and operating system priorities. Internal & Market Voice‑of‑Customer Leadership Collect and synthesize insights from customers, advisors, intermediaries, and internal partners to influence strategic direction. Maintain a strong understanding of industry trends, competitive offerings, and emerging advice models. Represent the organization externally at industry events, client meetings, and partner engagements where advice capabilities are central. Operating at the intersection of financial services and technology, Principal builds financial tools that help our customers live better lives. We take pride in being a purpose-led firm, motivated by our mission to make financial security accessible to all. Our mission, integrity, and customer focus have made us a trusted leader for more than 140 years! Who You Are Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; advanced designations or degree preferred. 15+ years of relevant experience in financial services, wealth/retirement planning, advice delivery, digital product leadership, or related fields. Proven success leading cross‑functional strategy, product development, or large‑scale operating models. Strategic thinker with the ability to translate complexity into clear strategies and priorities. Strong understanding of financial planning, advice frameworks, and digital/hybrid guidance models. Excellent verbal, written, and executive‑level presentation skills. Ability to influence across organizational boundaries and build strong relationships with sales, technology, and product teams. Demonstrated leadership in ambiguous, fast‑changing environments with the ability to make tradeoff decisions. High degree of analytical and problem‑solving capability, including turning insights into business requirements. Systems thinker, builder mindset, strong commercial and fiduciary mindsets Operator at enterprise/board level Comfortable navigating large, matrixed organizations and partnerships FINRA Series 6/7/66 preferred (or willingness to obtain). Travel Requirements Travel required, including overnight stays. Relocation not required 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) $242000 - $328000 / 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 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 4/16/2026 Most Recently Posted Date 4/16/2026 LinkedIn Remote Hashtag #LI-Remote LinkedIn Hashtag #LI-MT1 We’re looking for an Managing Director, Head of Advice & Distribution to join our Individual Solutions leadership team! In this role you'll be responsible for defining and building an at scale, category-defining advice and distribution platform that delivers high-quality, technology-enabled financial education, guidance, and advice to millions of workplace participants – bridging the gap between retirement, wealth, and holistic financial decision-making. This leader will architect the advice operating system, rules frameworks, tools, planning philosophy, and build and execute a modern distribution engine that integrates human advisors, digital experiences, and strategic internal and external partners into a unified client journey. This leader directly owns the advice roadmap and supporting sales, financial planners, and education services teams. This role serves as the voice of stakeholders (customers, advisors, sales, and internal partners) and translates market needs into strategy, capabilities, and experiences that improve participant outcomes and business performance. You'll have the opportunity to: Advice Strategy & Operating System Build and maintain the multi‑year, differentiated strategy and approach for the enterprise advice operating system, including the rules engine, decision trees, frameworks, and core logic that power advice experiences across channels. Lead the evolution of digital, hybrid, and human-delivered advice experiences to ensure they are modern, scalable, compliant, and differentiated in the market. Oversee product strategy for advice capabilities, ensuring alignment with customer needs, regulatory requirements, and business outcomes. Ensure the operating system supports multiple use cases: point‑in‑time advice, ongoing planning, financial wellness, and education experiences. Partner with Technology to align resources, priorities, and budgets that support ongoing development and modernization. Advice Tech Stack & Roadmap Leadership Own the holistic product roadmap for Advice Delivery tools, digital platforms, advisor desktop/workflow, data integration, and planning capabilities. Translate customer insight, market trends, competitor intelligence, and regulatory considerations into product priorities and business requirements. Collaborate closely with senior leaders and subject matter experts to shape product design and experience evolution, inclusive of build/buy/partner decisions. Present strategy and roadmap to internal stakeholders, senior leadership, customers, and intermediaries. Sales, Financial Advisor & Advice Enablement Lead and scale the Sales, Financial Advisor/Advice teams to ensure advice capabilities drive measurable engagement and sales outcomes, including digital, advisor, hybrid, and referral enabled advice delivery. Lead development of sales‑aligned advice moments (e.g., point‑in‑time sales triggers, planning opportunities, and advice‑supported product positioning). Support training and activation strategies to ensure sales teams effectively use and communicate advice capabilities. Serve as an advocate for distribution teams—ensuring their needs inform product and operating system priorities. Internal & Market Voice‑of‑Customer Leadership Collect and synthesize insights from customers, advisors, intermediaries, and internal partners to influence strategic direction. Maintain a strong understanding of industry trends, competitive offerings, and emerging advice models. Represent the organization externally at industry events, client meetings, and partner engagements where advice capabilities are central. Operating at the intersection of financial services and technology, Principal builds financial tools that help our customers live better lives. We take pride in being a purpose-led firm, motivated by our mission to make financial security accessible to all. Our mission, integrity, and customer focus have made us a trusted leader for more than 140 years! Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; advanced designations or degree preferred. 15+ years of relevant experience in financial services, wealth/retirement planning, advice delivery, digital product leadership, or related fields. Proven success leading cross‑functional strategy, product development, or large‑scale operating models. Strategic thinker with the ability to translate complexity into clear strategies and priorities. Strong understanding of financial planning, advice frameworks, and digital/hybrid guidance models. Excellent verbal, written, and executive‑level presentation skills. Ability to influence across organizational boundaries and build strong relationships with sales, technology, and product teams. Demonstrated leadership in ambiguous, fast‑changing environments with the ability to make tradeoff decisions. High degree of analytical and problem‑solving capability, including turning insights into business requirements. Systems thinker, builder mindset, strong commercial and fiduciary mindsets Operator at enterprise/board level Comfortable navigating large, matrixed organizations and partnerships FINRA Series 6/7/66 preferred (or willingness to obtain). Travel Requirements Travel required, including overnight stays. Relocation not required