Director, US Retirement Practice and Participant Engagement

About this role

US Retirement Practice and Participant Engagement (DIR)

About our business

The Global Product Solutions (GPS) business innovates and curates all of BlackRock’s investment solutions for our clients to achieve the investment outcomes they seek. The team integrates active and index strategies across all product vehicles. As a member of GPS Americas, you will help to drive the next phase of growth for our global product platform and the entire firm.

As part of the US Retirement business within GPS, you will be on the frontlines of America’s retirement crisis, leveraging our unique capabilities to make it easier for people to save through their employers’ workplace savings plan. US Retirement brings together the Defined Contribution (DC) and Retirement Insurance (RI) businesses, overseeing more than $1T in AUM. Serving 80K+ DC plans, including over 50% of the Fortune 100, we ultimately reach more than 35M individual savers across the U.S. and Canada. We partner across the firm and the broader retirement ecosystem to build and deliver innovative, simple, convenient, cost-efficient solutions, and we publicly advocate for policies that make it easier for more people to save for both the near- and long-term.

Role description

The US Retirement Practice and Participant Engagement function is a key pillar within the US Retirement team focused on developing and strategically delivering commercial educational content to individual plan participants (through their plan sponsors) and retirement advisors across a variety of topics. This includes, thought leadership and investment education and practice management insights.

We are seeking a client-facing professional to lead the team responsible for the strategy, planning, and execution of participant communications that are developed for plan sponsor clients to best engage their participants on investment solutions and broader financial wellness topics. Additionally, this individual will partner with retirement consultants and advisors to optimize and grow their businesses. This individual will contribute to and execute on combining innovative insights, resources, and client expertise to develop our practice consulting strategy to capture client mindshare and drive greater commercial consideration of our product set. As part of these efforts, this individual will partner closely with the firm’s US Wealth Advisory BlackRock Business Consulting (BBC) team to learn and share best practices across different, but related client segments. The BBC team provides consulting and programs to help wealth advisors grow their businesses and support their clients in securing better financial futures. 

We’re seeking a strategic, high-energy, collaborative professional who is excited to work in a fluid, fast-paced environment – someone who will proactively contribute ideas and is passionate about the ongoing mission to enable more individuals to retire with dignity.  

Primary responsibilities

• Enable new plan sponsor sales by articulating the value of our participant communications strategies and how they improve results for plan sponsors and their participants.
  • Lead the team responsible for partnering with plan sponsors to develop optimal communication strategies around BlackRock’s investment offerings, including LifePath Paycheck  
  • Create clear and compelling messaging that inspires participants, encourages engagement, and builds brand equity.
  • Define go-to-market communication strategies, communication “packages,” and programs to improve participants’ savings and investing behaviors
• Provide practice consulting with the largest and fastest growing retirement advisors across the United States
• Directly consult with retirement advisors/intermediaries as well as liaise and/or draw in key outside consultants and internal experts as needed
• Contribute to scaled practice content and/or co-build with outside experts and be able to build or customize presentations and other content for retirement advisors
• Be a keynote speaker at events and conferences
• Empower Sales colleagues to deepen relationships with their advisor clients
• Collaborate with BlackRock’s US Wealth and other global segments to share expertise and industry trends to execute a practice and client strategy aligned with the strategic initiatives of the business

Qualifications

• BA/BS required
• 8+ years of experience in the investment industry a plus - with an understanding of asset management, competitive landscape, and advisors’ practices
• Strong familiarity of the US DC industry, including an understanding of the recordkeeping ecosystem
• Proven consultative experience
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills (written and verbal) to scale insights across sales teams and clients
• Experience interfacing with internal and external groups at all levels and across numerous functional areas of expertise
• High energy, flexible, motivated individual with a commitment to excellence
• Interest in innovating and challenging the status quo
• Ability and willingness to travel to client locations and industry events
• FINRA Series 7 license registered or ability to obtain registration within 12 months of hire

For New York, NY Only the salary range for this position is USD$194,000.00 - USD$270,000.00 . Additionally, employees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, and benefits including heath care, leave benefits, and retirement benefits. BlackRock operates a pay-for-performance compensation philosophy and your total compensation may vary based on role, location, and firm, department and individual performance.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of benefits including a strong retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive healthcare, support for working parents and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being.  Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

For additional information on BlackRock, please visit @blackrock | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, and other statuses protected by law.

BlackRock will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in a manner consistent with the requirements of the law, including any applicable fair chance law.