VP, FP&A for Sales and Distribution

Company: Northwestern Mutual
Location: Saint Francis
Posted on: February 15, 2026

Job Description:

The VP of FP&A - Sales & Distribution is responsible for driving financial insight, planning, and decision support across the product, sales, field, and strategy organizations. This role partners closely with the Chief Field Officer, Chief Product Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and their leadership teams to ensure disciplined financial management, optimized resource allocation, and alignment between financial outcomes and the company’s long-term strategic objectives and mutual mission. The ideal candidate is a seasoned finance leader with deep experience supporting multi-functional business areas such as sales, operations, underwriting, claims, marketing, and service organizations. Primary Duties & Responsibilities: Deliver analysis on key drivers of field productivity, sales performance, expense allocations, and unit costs. Led cross-function efforts for multi-year sales and field growth plans. Work closely with leadership to assess field performance and distribution economics. Partner with marketing to evaluate marketing spend efficiency, ROI, campaign performance, and brand investment strategy. Support operational and service areas (Underwriting, Claims, Service, and Operations) with cost analysis, staffing plans, productivity measures, and process optimization insights. Translate complex financial data into clear, concise narratives for executive and board-level presentations. Team Leadership: Build and mentor a high-performing team focused on transformation and business planning. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and accountability. Provide leadership and guidance to project teams to ensure timely and successful completion of initiatives. Qualifications: Bachelors degree required. Finance, Actuarial Science, Accounting preferred. Expert financial planning and analysis skills. Must have extensive and in-depth knowledge of company operations and culture. 12 years or more of relevant work experience in positions with increasing leadership responsibilities. Superior organizational agility, communication, and negotiation skills to maintain strong relationships with all levels of leadership. Superior analytical, critical thinking and decision-making skills. Ability to challenge effectively while building strong relationships at all levels in the company. Ability to lead people, build teams and improve work processes. A CPA or MBA preferred. Skills: Advanced Excel and Expense Management Systems. Excellent leadership and team management skills. Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities. Exceptional communication and presentation skills. Ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels. Strong project management skills with a focus on delivering results. Proficiency in financial modeling and analysis tools. High level of integrity and professionalism. Results-oriented with a strong sense of accountability. Adaptable and resilient in the face of change. Innovative mindset with a passion for continuous improvement. Compensation Range: Pay Range - Start: $171,500.00 Pay Range - End: $318,500.00 This role is eligible for additional short-term and long-term incentive compensation. We believe in fairness and transparency. It’s why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However, final salaries are based on a number of factors, including the skills and experience of the candidate; the current market; location of the candidate; and other factors uncovered in the hiring process. Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients interests at the center of all we do. Get started now! Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer who welcomes and encourages diversity in the workforce. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives. Skills KPIs & Metrics (NM) - Expert, Analytical Thinking (NM) - Advanced, Business Acumen (NM) - Expert, Strategic Vision & Planning (NM) - Expert, Risk Evaluation (NM) - Advanced, Storytelling through Data (NM) - Expert, Learning Agility & Critical Thinking (NM) - Expert, Cross Functional Partnering & Planning (NM) - Expert, Financial Acumen (NM) - Expert, Financial Forecasting (NM) - Advanced, Business Automation (NM) - Advanced, Process Improvement (NM) - Expert, Resource Management (NM) - Expert, Negotiation & Managing Objection (NM) - Expert, Insurance Finance & Actuarial Acumen (NM) - Advanced, Process Mindset (NM) - Expert, Talent Development & Planning (NM) - Expert, Accountability (NM) - Expert, Attention to Detail (NM) - Expert, Executive Presence (NM) - Expert, Business Influence (NM) - Expert, Consulting (NM) - Expert, Financial Analysis (NM) - Expert

Keywords: Northwestern Mutual, Oak Park , VP, FP&A for Sales and Distribution, PR / Public Relations , Saint Francis, Illinois