Managing Director, Head of Investment Mgt… at Symetra · Location…

Head of Investment Management Technology

About the Role

The Head of Investment Management Technology will lead the strategy, design, implementation, and ongoing evolution of a modern, forward-looking technology ecosystem supporting the full investment platform across front office, middle office, and back office functions. This individual will be responsible for building an integrated, scalable, secure, innovative, and data-sensitive environment that advances investment decision-making, improves operating efficiency, and enables portfolio management, research, trading, risk, compliance, accounting, reporting, operations, and analytics across public and private asset classes. This leader will also define and execute a multi-year transformation roadmap that aligns technology priorities with the investment organization’s strategy, operating model, commercial objectives, and future growth agenda.

This role requires a leader who can partner closely with investment, operations, risk, finance, compliance, data, and enterprise technology teams to identify opportunities for innovation, modernize core workflows, and ensure the investment organization has the systems, data architecture, governance, controls, and automation necessary to support current and future investment strategies. The Head of Investment Technology and Innovation will be expected to create a platform that is not only robust and controlled today, but also adaptable, insight-oriented, and capable of continuous improvement as advances in artificial intelligence, data engineering, cloud infrastructure, workflow automation, and investment technology continue to emerge.

Who we are

Symetra Investment Management (“SIM”) is a SEC-registered investment advisory firm with approximately $93.8 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2026. Symetra Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company with $77.9 billion in assets as of December 31, 2025, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Symetra Financial Corp. is the holding company of Symetra Life Insurance Company, which was founded in 1957. Symetra Life has insurer financial strength ratings of ‘A’ by A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s and ‘A1’ by Moody’s. Symetra Life is among the top 40 largest life insurance companies in the United States (based on statutory admitted assets as of December 31, 2025) and has approximately 5.5 million customers and over 3,200 employees nationwide.

Corporate Parent Company: Sumitomo Life Insurance Company, a mutual life insurance company with head offices in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1907, Sumitomo is one of the largest life insurance companies in Japan with ¥ 51.6 trillion ($322.6 billion) of assets (March 31, 2026).

What you will do

• Lead the development of a comprehensive investment technology ecosystem spanning front office, middle office, and back office capabilities, ensuring the platform supports the full investment lifecycle from idea generation, portfolio construction, trading, risk management, settlement, accounting, performance, reporting, and analytics.
• Architect and oversee a scalable, secure, and highly controlled technology environment that can support public and private asset classes, including fixed income, structured products, commercial real estate, private credit, alternatives, and other complex investment strategies.
• Establish the investment data strategy, governance framework, and operating model required to ensure high-quality, timely, consistent, and actionable data across the investment organization, creating a trusted single source of truth across front, middle, and back-office functions.
• Partner with portfolio management, trading, risk, compliance, finance, accounting, operations, and enterprise technology stakeholders to align technology capabilities with the evolving needs of the investment platform.
• Oversee the evaluation, selection, integration, and optimization of investment systems, data platforms, analytics tools, workflow solutions, and vendor applications, including platforms such as Clearwater, Snowflake, Bloomberg AIM, BondEdge, Intex, Precision Loan Management, CoStar, and proprietary applications.
• Design an architecture that enables effective integration across systems of record, books of record, data warehouses, analytics environments, reporting tools, and operational workflows.
• Champion innovation and the thoughtful adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, and emerging technologies to improve decision support, data quality, workflow efficiency, risk monitoring, and operational resiliency.
• Ensure the platform is highly sensitive to data lineage, data integrity, data privacy, access controls, auditability, regulatory requirements, and internal control standards.
• Develop and maintain technology roadmaps that anticipate future business requirements and allow the investment organization to improve, scale, and modernize as market practices and technology capabilities evolve.
• Lead large-scale investment technology transformation initiatives, including modernization of legacy architecture, cloud-based infrastructure, workflow automation, systems integration, and operating model redesign.
• Strengthen front-office technology capabilities across portfolio management, research, trading, risk management, performance attribution, analytics, and reporting, ensuring investment professionals have timely, reliable, and actionable information to support decision-making.
• Drive change management and adoption across investment, operations, risk, compliance, finance, and technology teams, ensuring new systems, tools, and workflows are successfully embedded into day-to-day business practices.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that reduce manual processes, improve transparency, strengthen controls, and enhance the usability of investment data and technology tools.
• Partner with information security, enterprise architecture, infrastructure, and data teams to ensure investment technology solutions are secure, resilient, well-governed, and aligned with broader enterprise standards.
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors, consultants, data providers, custodians, brokers, and technology partners to ensure effective service delivery, innovation, cost discipline, and accountability.
• Lead a high-performing team of investment technology, innovation, and data professionals, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, business partnership, and disciplined execution.
• Oversee staffing, performance management, development, coaching, and succession planning for the Investment Technology function.
• Lead ongoing assessment and re-engineering of investment technology and data processes across the front, middle, and back office to ensure the investment organization remains efficient, controlled, scalable, and prepared for future growth.

What we offer you

We don’t take a “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to our employees. Our programs are designed to make your life better both at work and at home.

Hybrid work arrangements

Plan for your future with our 401(k) plan and take advantage of immediate vesting and company matching up to 6%

Paid time away

Give back to your community and double your impact through our company matching

Want more details? Check out our Symetra Benefits Overview

Compensation

Salary Range: $275,000 – $350,000 plus eligibility for annual bonus program

Who you are

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Finance, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related discipline; advanced degrees or relevant certifications are preferred.
• 10+ years of leadership experience in investment technology, investment data, systems architecture, or technology-enabled investment operations within a sophisticated investment management, insurance, asset management, or financial services environment.
• Deep experience designing, implementing, and supporting investment technology platforms within a sophisticated investment management, insurance, asset management, or financial services environment.
• Strong understanding of front office, middle office, and back office workflows, including portfolio management, trading, risk, compliance, operations, accounting, performance, reporting, data management, and analytics.
• Demonstrated ability to build technology and data ecosystems that support both public and private asset classes, including complex, illiquid, structured, and data-intensive investments.
• Expertise with investment systems, data platforms, and analytics tools such as Clearwater, Snowflake, Bloomberg AIM, BondEdge, Intex, Precision Loan Management, CoStar, and custom-built applications.
• Strong knowledge of data architecture, data governance, data lineage, data quality, data controls, data security, and investment data operating models.
• Ability to evaluate and apply emerging technologies, including AI, machine learning, automation, cloud-based data platforms, and advanced analytics, in a practical and controlled investment environment.
• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional transformation programs, including technology roadmapping, stakeholder alignment, governance, budgeting, implementation discipline, and adoption across sophisticated investment organizations.
• Exceptional leadership and team-building capabilities, with the ability to inspire, mentor, and deliver results through cross-functional teams and under demanding timelines.
• Superior verbal, written, and presentation communication skills; ability to engage effectively with senior leadership, investment professionals, operations teams, enterprise technology, and external partners.
• A tenacious, results-oriented leader with a proven track record of navigating complex technology, data, and organizational challenges in a dynamic environment.
• Excellent work ethic, attention to detail, pride and ownership of work product, strength of conviction, and desire to succeed.

PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Strategic vision with a passion for using technology to strengthen and modernize the investment platform.
• Experience leading large-scale investment technology transformations, including systems integration, data modernization, workflow automation, and operating model redesign.
• Forward-thinking orientation with practical judgment around how AI-driven and emerging technology solutions can improve investment data usability, analytics, controls, and process automation.
• Exceptional project management and change leadership skills, with a history of delivering scalable, high-impact technology and data solutions.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business terms and secure buy-in from senior leaders, investment professionals, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Ability to balance innovation with discipline, ensuring new capabilities are introduced in a secure, controlled, and sustainable manner.

We empower inclusion

At Symetra, we aspire to be the most inclusive insurance company in the country. We're building a place where every employee feels valued, respected, and has opportunities to contribute.

Inclusion is about recognizing our assumptions, considering multiple perspective, and removing barriers. We accept and celebrate diverse experiences, identities, and perspectives, because lifting each other up fuels thought and builds a stronger, more innovative company. We invite you to learn more about our efforts here.

Creating a world where more people have access to financial freedom Symetra is a national financial services company dedicated to helping people achieve their financial goals and feel confident about the future. In our daily work, we're guided by the principles of Value, Transparency and Sustainability. This means we provide products and services people need at a competitive price, we communicate clearly and openly so people understand what they're buying, and we design products--and operate our company--to stand the test of time. We're committed to showing up for our communities, lifting up our employees, and standing up for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Join our team and help us create a world where more people have access to financial freedom.

For more information about our careers visit: https://symetra.eightfold.ai/careers

Work Authorization Employer work visa sponsorship and support are not provided for this role. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States at hire and must maintain authorization to work in the United States throughout their employment with our company.

Please review Symetra's Remote Network Minimum Requirements:

As a remote-first organization committed to providing a positive experience for both employees and customers, Symetra has the following standards for employees' internet connection:

• Minimum Internet Speed:100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload, in alignment with the FCC's definition of "broadband."
• Internet Type:Fiber, Cable (e.g., Comcast, Spectrum), or DSL.
• Not Permissible:Satellite (e.g., Starlink), cellular broadband (hotspot or otherwise), any other wireless technology, or wired dial-up.

When applying to jobs at Symetra you'll be asked to test your internet speed and confirm that your internet connection meets or exceeds Symetra's standard as outlined above.

Identity Verification

Symetra is committed to fair and secure hiring practices. For all roles, candidates will be required (after the initial phone screen) to be on video for all interviews. Symetra will take affirmative steps at key points in the process to verify that a candidate is not seeking employment fraudulently, e.g. through use of a false identity.

Failure to comply with verification procedures may result in:

• Disqualification from the recruitment process
• Withdrawal of a job offer
• Termination of employment and other criminal and/or civil remedies, if fraud is discovered