The Head of Credit Hire is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational performance and financial control of the Credit Hire function, including the Admin, Non-Report, Intervention and Credit Hire teams. The role has overall accountability for delivering strong customer and commercial outcomes whilst maintaining robust indemnity controls and ensuring the business remains at the forefront of market developments, litigation trends and technical best practice.
The role requires leadership of a large, multi-layered operation, creating a high-performance culture through effective people leadership, management development and succession planning across teams based in Liverpool, Sevenoaks and remote locations. Working closely with Reserving, Analytics, Fraud, Legal and wider Claims leadership teams, the Head of Credit Hire will identify emerging trends, understand performance drivers and implement strategies that improve outcomes across Third Party Claims.
A key focus of the role is the ongoing development of Intervention and Credit Hire strategies, ensuring alignment with industry protocols, the General Terms of Agreement (GTA), litigation developments and business objectives. The role will work closely with Property Damage and Other Injury leaders to understand dependencies, improve claims outcomes and ensure a coordinated approach to damage claims management.
The Head of Credit Hire will lead the evolution of the function into a tech enabled operation, championing the adoption of AI, automation and advanced analytics to improve decision-making, customer outcomes, operational efficiency and indemnity performance. Through effective change leadership, the role will support colleagues in adapting to new ways of working, creating an environment where people and technology combine to deliver market-leading claims outcomes.
Role: Head of Credit Hire
Location: Liverpool or Sevenoaks (3 days on site, 2 days remote as standard)
Working hours: 37.5 hours a week, Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm
Salary: Ranges between £63,774-£79,228 plus a 20% annual bonus paid quarterly
What you’ll be doing:
Strategic Leadership:
Provide strategic leadership and direction across the Admin, Non-Report, Intervention and Credit Hire teams, ensuring operational delivery is aligned to business objectives and customer outcomes.
Financial Performance & Indemnity Control:
Maintain accountability for indemnity spend across all areas of responsibility, identifying emerging trends, opportunities and risks, and implementing effective controls to optimise claims outcomes and financial performance.
Operational Management:
Drive operational excellence through effective performance management, resource planning, governance and controls. Ensure service standards, productivity targets and customer outcomes are consistently achieved.
Credit Hire & Intervention Strategy:
Lead the development and implementation of Credit Hire and Intervention strategies, ensuring the business remains responsive to market developments, legal changes and emerging claims behaviours. Regularly assess the effectiveness of existing approaches and recommend strategic enhancements.
Leadership & Culture Development:
Create a high performing culture that promotes accountability, engagement, continuous improvement and colleague development. Develop leadership capability throughout management teams through coaching, mentoring and succession planning.
Management of Senior Leaders:
Provide oversight, support and challenge to Team Managers and Ops Managers, including those in Property Damage and Injury leadership teams. Ensure consistency of performance standards and strategic alignment across all functions.
Analytics & Reserving Collaboration:
Work closely with Reserving and Analytics teams to understand claims development, emerging trends, inflationary pressures and forecasting assumptions. Utilise insight to support strategic decision making, reserve adequacy and indemnity management.
Fraud Partnership:
Develop and maintain a close working relationship with Fraud leadership teams to enhance the organisation's overall Credit Hire strategy. Identify opportunities to mitigate fraud exposure and improve claims outcomes through collaborative initiatives.
Litigation & Industry Engagement:
Ensure litigation strategies remain effective and commercially focused. Review developments within the GTA, case law, protocols and industry best practice, translating insights into actionable business improvements.
Stakeholder Management:
Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including Legal panel, suppliers, industry bodies and senior business leaders. Act as a key subject matter expert for Credit Hire and Intervention matters across the organisation.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Partner with Heads of Department across Third Party Claims to understand dependencies, remove barriers and improve end to end claim outcomes. Drive consistency, efficiency and customer & indemnity spend focused solutions across claim journeys.
Change, Continuous & AI Improvement:
Champion innovation, technology adoption and process improvement opportunities, ensuring operational effectiveness and future readiness of the Credit Hire function. Introduce additional AI models into the Credit Hire managing colleagues during this transition to people supported by Tech.
What we’re looking for:
Leadership and People Development
- Proven ability to successfully lead large operational teams through layered management structures.
- Demonstrable success in building and sustaining high-performing teams and cultures.
- Strong coaching, mentoring and management development capabilities.
Credit Hire & Intervention Expertise
- Extensive technical knowledge of Credit Hire, Intervention and associated litigation strategies.
- Strong understanding of the GTA, relevant case law, market practices and indemnity control measures.
Strategic Thinking
- Ability to develop and execute strategic plans aligned to organisational objectives.
- Strong commercial awareness and understanding of market developments affecting Credit Hire performance.
Financial & Performance Management
- Proven track record of managing significant indemnity spend and delivering financial improvements.
- Strong understanding of reserving principles, claims inflation and claims analytics.
Stakeholder Management
- Excellent relationship management skills with the ability to influence at all levels of the organisation.
- Experience working effectively with Legal, Fraud, Analytics, Reserving and Supplier partners.
Change Management
- Demonstrated ability to lead transformational change, implement new strategies and deliver measurable business improvements.
Analytical & Decision-Making Skills
- Strong analytical capability with the ability to interpret complex data, identify trends and make informed strategic decisions.
Communication & Influence
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to present effectively to senior leadership and influence business-wide decisions.
Results Orientation
- Strong focus on delivering operational excellence, customer outcomes and financial performance.
- Proven ability to balance commercial objectives with customer and regulatory responsibilities.
This role is fundamental to ensuring that Acorn Insurance's Credit Hire operation is recognised as a market leading function, delivering industry leading claims outcomes, strong indemnity control and a culture of continuous improvement and excellence.
Grow with Acorn
At Acorn Insurance, we’re proud of our Liverpool roots — and even prouder of how far we’ve come. As part of the Acorn Group, we bring over 40 years of specialist insurance expertise to the table. From humble beginnings, we’ve grown into a national leader, now employing 1,700+ people across the UK and reached a milestone £750 million in total value of insurance policies written in 2024.
We’re growing fast, with new opportunities emerging every week. That growth is largely due to the values we share:
- • We run through walls for our customers and each other
- • We challenge the status quo
- • We succeed when we help those around us succeed
- • We decide quickly when the smart thing to do is use our judgement
Benefits:
- • A maximum of 35 days’ holiday (depending on role and tenure) including bank holidays, with additional buy/sell options
- • 24/7 mental health support & free counselling available
- Grow with us: Through career fairs, leadership programs, and learning on the go!
- • Flexible benefits, including early access to salary via our internal platform
- • Hybrid working options to support work-life balance and individual needs
- • Recognition awards, social events & more
Our Commitment to our colleague’s:
These aren’t just words — they’re the principles we live by. And we’re proud to back them up with real action, earning recognition and accreditation from leading organisations that share our commitment to people and growth:
- • Mindful Employer – championing mental health and wellbeing
- Disability Confident Level 1 & 2 – creating accessible, inclusive opportunities
- • Menopause Friendly accredited – supporting every stage of life
- •️ Armed Forces Covenant signatory – honouring those who serve
- •️ Armed Forces Defence employer recognition scheme - Supporting those who serve
- • Great Places to Work 2024/25 – fostering an engaging and positive workplace culture
- • Best Place to Work for Development – proud to be investing in people’s future
- •• Best Place to Work for Women – breaking down barriers to women's career progression
If you’re looking for a company with a strong culture, real career progression, and a people-first approach — all rooted in the heart of Liverpool — Grow with Acorn.
A Few Things to Know Before You Apply
We’re really excited that you’re considering joining Acorn! To help everything go smoothly, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:
If your application is successful, we will commence relevant employment checks prior to you commencing employment with us. These will include a standard criminal record check and an insolvency register check.
- Visa Requirements Because our training is quite comprehensive, we can only consider applicants who have at least one year remaining on their Graduate or Post-Study Work visa. At the moment, we’re not able to offer visa sponsorship.
- We’re Here to Support You We’re committed to creating an inclusive, supportive workplace where everyone can flourish. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process—or once you’re part of the team—just let us know. Whether it’s flexible hours, adapted equipment, or a bit of extra support, we’ll work with you to make sure you can do your best work.
