AVP, RIS Transformation

What You'll Do

We’re seeking an AVP to join our RIS team in our Process Center of Excellence. In this role, you'll provide strategic leadership for major business transformation and operational excellence initiatives. The role aligns business and technology operating models with future-state capabilities and optimizes processes to improve efficiency, customer outcomes, and shareholder value. This leader drives change through influence and collaboration, modeling the behaviors needed to deliver on RIS strategic objectives.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Lead Modernization Op Model Workstream: Oversee the Retirement Modernization operating model workstream, aligning business and technology models to future-state capabilities. Identify efficiency opportunities, define frameworks, assess impacts and risks, and outline initiative roadmaps in coordination with related workstreams (especially workflow) to ensure integrated solutions.
• Drive Global Delivery Transformation: Champion RIS Global Delivery efforts by implementing a globally optimized operating model anchored in operational excellence. Partner closely with Principal Global Services’ senior leadership and outsourced partners to advance consistent and optimized model. Ensure execution aligns with strategic intent and customer expectations while driving efficiency and cost optimization. Guide business functional leaders to develop forward-looking workforce and capacity plans leveraging industry best practices, and establish clear metrics to track progress, value realization, and financial impact.
• Optimize Processes and Collaboration: Partner with process improvement, change management, and business functional and transformation teams to continuously identify and implement opportunities that enhance operational effectiveness and deliver measurable business outcomes. Champion AI initiatives in support of the future state operating model.
• Strategic Vision & Change Leadership: Communicate a clear vision and strategic priorities to create line-of-sight across direct and matrixed teams. Inspire and motivate leaders and staff through transformation, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and resilience by role-modeling change leadership and recognizing successes.
• People Leadership: Provide direct leadership to a small, high-performing team, including talent acquisition, coaching, development, and performance management. Manage team resources and budget, ensuring the team is engaged, agile, and aligned with strategic priorities.
• Enterprise Partnership: Collaborate closely with senior RIS leaders and key enterprise stakeholders in strategic planning and governance forums. Work across business lines to integrate RIS initiatives with broader One Principal (enterprise) success measures. Monitor external industry, market, and regulatory trends to inform strategy, and represent RIS in cross-business committees and forums.
• Oversight of Complex Initiatives: Lead execution of the most complex, ambiguous initiatives from ideation through implementation, emphasizing disciplined program management, proactive risk mitigation, and measurable value realization for sustainable results.
  
  
  

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 experience) plus 15 years of progressively responsible experience within the retirement or financial services industry, including leadership roles driving business transformation.
• Experience leading or managing people, including hiring and performance management
• Demonstrated strategic thinking and executive-level communication skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive alignment across a matrixed organization.
• Proven ability to lead through ambiguity and change, orchestrating large-scale transformation initiatives and motivating teams to achieve results in a complex, cross-functional environment.
• Deep knowledge of the financial services industry (Retirement and Income Solutions experience preferred), including familiarity with operating models, process optimization, and risk management considerations.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with a track record of data-driven decision making. Adept at building trusted relationships and collaborating effectively across business and technical teams.
• Strong leadership presence with excellent people development skills. Able to inspire high performance, foster collaboration, and maintain adaptability in fast-changing situations.
• High degree of professional integrity and accountability. Willingness to travel as business needs dictate (including overnight and international travel).
  
  
  

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)

$179000 - $243000 / 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.) .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

5/29/2026

Most Recently Posted Date

5/29/2026

Principal uses artificial intelligence tools to assist in reviewing and evaluating job applications, fraud prevention, and candidate matching and comparisons. These AI tools support our human recruiters in the initial review process but do not make final hiring decisions without human involvement. By submitting your application, you acknowledge this use of AI in our recruitment process. Please review our Workforce (U.S.) Privacy Notice for more details on our practices and your data privacy rights.

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