Strategic Operations Analyst Intern - Summer 2027

Come join one of America’s fastest-growing insurance companies. Since 1848, National Life Group has aimed to keep our promises, providing families with stability in good times and in bad. Throughout that history, we have provided peace of mind to those families as they plan their futures.

Our mission extends beyond the insurance and annuities policies that we offer. We strive to make the world a better place through our grants from our charitable foundation, paid volunteer time for our employees, environmentally sustainable and healthy workplaces, and events that promote the work of nonprofits in our own backyard.

We foster a collaborative environment with opportunities for growth and encourage our associates to live our values: Do good. Be good. Make good.

Please note that we do not offer visa sponsorship for this position.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Strategic Operations Analyst Intern will support New Business and Underwriting strategic initiatives by translating operational, BPO, and vendor performance data into actionable business insights. This role will help leaders better understand how work is being completed, how resources are being utilized, where performance is improving or declining, and where operational adjustments may be needed.

The intern will work across workflow performance, service-level results, BPO effectiveness, production trends, and vendor execution. They will analyze data, identify meaningful trends or outliers, and help turn findings into practical recommendations that improve operational consistency, SLA adherence, and overall business performance.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working with data, identifying patterns, asking why performance changed, and communicating findings in a clear and practical way.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Analyze operational performance across New Business and Underwriting, including workload completed, workload outstanding, resource utilization, SLA performance, submit volumes, and timing of key work throughout the day.

Identify trends and changes in performance on a week-over-week, month-over-month, and year-over-year basis, helping leaders understand what is improving, declining, or remaining consistent and the potential drivers behind those results.

Support BPO performance analysis by evaluating productivity, quality, SLA adherence, workload ownership, and the percentage of overall NB/UW work being completed by BPO teams, helping quantify the operational value and capacity gained through the partnership.

Monitor vendor operational performance by reviewing key measures such as turnaround time, accuracy, hit rates, utilization, order volume, and spend trends, and help identify changes or issues that may require further review or escalation.

Develop dashboards, summaries, and other reporting that turn complex data into clear insights for operational and senior leadership.

Partner with leaders across the organization to investigate performance gaps, identify opportunities for process or workflow improvement, and provide recommendations that support stronger SLA adherence and more consistent execution.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Pursuing a degree in Statistics, Business Administration, Finance, Data Analytics or a related field

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Strong Microsoft Excel skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Ability to work independently while collaborating with operational leaders and cross-functional partners

AI Proficiency Expectations:

At National Life Group, we view AI as an enabler of human potential. We use AI to help us work smarter, serve more clients, and keep our promises, while remaining a relationship-driven business where our people are our greatest strength.

All associates are expected to:

Leverage approved AI tools, where appropriate, to improve efficiency, quality and impact of their work.

Stay curious and open to new AI-enabled ways or working

Exercise sound judgement by reviewing and validating AI-generated content

Maintain accountability for the accuracy, quality, fairness and integrity of work products by adhering to National Life’s AI guiding principles

Use AI responsibly and in accordance with company policies related to confidentiality, data privacy, security, compliance, retention and intellectual property

CORE COMPETENCIES:

Demonstrates Learning Agility - Enhances skills and knowledge through continuous learning; Focuses on personal results by establishing stretch goals; Seeks feedback and changes accordingly.

Establishes Relationships - Builds partnerships with others to instill trust, collaborate, and meet shared objectives.

Communicates Effectively - Actively listens, conveys messages to meet different audience needs, and remains open to new ideas and opinions.

Fosters Diversity - Values diversity and difference in thought, experience, and perspective; Promotes an environment that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion; Supports equal and fair treatment for all.

Service Focus - Demonstrates a client centric focus for satisfying one’s external and/or internal customers; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.

Decision Making - Makes sense of complex information, critically evaluates, and creates solutions.

Results Oriented - Sets performance and personal goals; Driven to meet or exceed goals and objectives.

Plans and Aligns - Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals; Aligns people and skills to tasks and assignments; Evaluates results of work.

How You Show Up:

Highly reliable, engaged and possess a customer service attitude

Demonstrate effective communication to various areas of the organization (technical and non-technical)

Bring creativity, thought leadership, and curiosity to the table; actively participate in forums to contribute and learn

Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, i.e. a problem solver’s mindset

Eager to learn, ask relevant questions, seek new knowledge, and make connections

Enjoy taking on challenges and working towards solutions both collaboratively and independently

Full-Time Role Opportunities:

NB & UW Workflow Analyst

Vendor Management Analyst

Program Highlights:

10-Week paid internship June 1, 2027- August 6, 2027

Networking opportunities with peers and leaders throughout the summer

Cross-Department group project focused on enterprise-wide solutions presented at company-wide event

Presentation skills coaching sessions

Learning Opportunities throughout the program

Access to mentors (former program participants)

Base Pay Range . The base pay range for this position is the range National Life reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety of factors, including: prior experience and job-related knowledge; education, training and certificates; current business needs; and market factors. The final salary or hourly wages offered may be outside of this range based on other reasons and individual circumstances.

Additional Compensation and Benefits . The total compensation package for this position may also include a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave), dependent on the position offered. The successful candidate may also be eligible to participate in National Life’s discretionary annual incentive programs, subject to the rules governing such programs. If hired, the employee will be in an "at-will position" and National Life reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

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