Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.
People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.
The Role
The role is situated with the International Construction team and deals with construction business outside of the UK and North America.
The role is to grow and retain profitable business, acting as a key representative of the Company. They will be called upon to assist with complex placements and to deal with high value accounts requiring advanced expertise. To liaise with clients and/or producing brokers and placing brokers to ensure new business, renewal and mid-term requirements are fully understood and best met through the provision of suitable cover, appropriate pricing and excellent service. Whilst the jobholder has no direct line management responsibilities, as a more senior member of the team they may be expected to mentor or guide others, where appropriate.
What You’ll Do
Planning/Reporting
Contributes to the execution and development of Team strategy, aligned to the Team’s business plan and objectives
Assists in the preparation and implementation of the Team’s tactical plan to ensure this is in line with wider business strategy and reflects key priorities
Seeks opportunities to grow the book of business by actively monitoring the market and seeking opportunities to meet/exceed business goals and targets
Monitors and forecasts renewal and new business activity to aid effective planning and resourcing
Determines own (and others’ as appropriate) work priorities/activities in line with agreed plans to ensure business objectives are best met or exceeded
Participates in team meetings as required, reporting on business progress within their area of expertise
Manages assigned projects and contributes to other projects as required
Provides relevant management information to the management team
Formulates innovative and profitable insurance structures and marketing strategies appropriate for allocated clients to ensure placement is effective and meets stakeholder requirements
Technical
Works with their fellow Team members to plan the most appropriate broking solutions for the client’s demands and needs
Negotiates with markets to provide the best balance of quality, service and price
Assists with the creation of comprehensive client and broking documents, where appropriate
Provides reports to Team and Division management team which contain accurate, timely and clear information
Works with other members of the Team/Business Unit as required to assist with the development of new business opportunities
Analyses requirements of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and contributes to the creation of content for RFP responses
Participates in in-person / online presentations to clients and prospects
Shares their technical knowledge with more junior members of the Team
Reviews wordings and gathers appropriate market intelligence to ensure the company’s product offering is up to date and relevant to current/respective market conditions/requirements.
Supports a positive risk management culture
Analyses and advises on insurance aspects of client contractual documents (e.g. construction agreements, loan agreements)
Policy, Process and Procedures
Works within agreed parameters and uses relevant systems to ensure documentation /communications adhere to company procedure / compliance requirements and provide an adequate audit trail
Ensures that measures are in place to ensure adherence to policies and procedures
Contributes to the administrative processes of the Team and liaises with/responds to Operations as appropriate, to ensure workflows, processes and systems are compliant and meet agreed service levels
Environment, Customer Focus and Relationships
Behaves with all clients fairly and ethically, providing high service levels to clients and other business partners, and promotes a positive image of the company at all times
Deals with client requirements as appropriate, undertaking clients visits as required
Builds and maintains strong relationships with stakeholders to ensure service delivery best meets expectations and is compliant
Maintains close links across the company, working with other Teams, to share information, and to identify risks and business opportunities.
Works with underwriters in a collaborative manner to ensure positive results for the business and for clients
Develops and maintains a good understanding of market dynamics and related cycles, to ensure work activities are effective
Shares information that could be beneficial to the Operating Entity/Group
People Management/Personal Development
Supports the recruitment process, when requested
Mentors more junior members of staff to assist with their technical development
Actively undertakes personal development to ensure up to date knowledge and understanding of best practice
Remains aware of external, industry, legal and regulatory developments etc. to ensure practice and outputs are of a sufficiently high standard
Keeps informed of all legal and regulatory developments relevant to the Operating Entity/Group
Regulatory and Compliance
The Board of each Operating Entity requires the highest standards of corporate governance, operational excellence and financial reporting throughout the Group from all its employees. Specific responsibilities are listed below.
Complies with all applicable, legal, fiscal and regulatory obligations in the form of policies and procedures
Ensures correct authorisation is obtained and processes followed when required by the Operating Entity and/or Group
Ensures performance, HR and T&C records are up to date and meet the Operating Entity and/or Group’s requirements (which will include those of direct reports if any)
Maintains accurate records and deals with correspondence appropriately
Operates in an honest, professional and ethical manner
Strictly adheres to the Group Employee Code of Conduct
Completes all relevant regulatory training
Ensures competence of self
Who We’re Looking For
Knowledge/Experience
Solid experience as an account executive or similar client facing/broking role in insurance
Advanced understanding of general and legal principles of insurance
Experience of placing insurance for international construction projects, including fronting / reinsurance structures; satisfaction of lender requirements
Advanced knowledge of the market including an awareness of competitors, specific territory knowledge, cultural awareness
Advanced understanding of the relevant regulatory environments and their requirements
Specific Product area knowledge and in depth understanding of related wordings
Good understanding of Team objectives and how own role contributes to these
Specific systems’ knowledge
Strong understanding of company policies
Skills/Behaviours
Customer focussed approach.
Management skills – coaching and mentoring
Consultative and collaborative
High level of numeracy and literacy
Is confident and has good communication skills
Good negotiation and influencing skills
Highly organised, with good planning/ time management skills
An attention to detail
Able to work flexibly to achieve tight deadlines
Able to react to change in a positive way
Networks and builds sustainable relationships
Analytical and able to solve problems
A team player
Calm and resilient under pressure
GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent)
A levels
Tertiary (degree) level and/or relevant professional qualification
ACII qualified or significant progress towards or they can demonstrate equivalent knowledge through experience/attainment of the LLMIT (the Lloyd’s and London Market Introductory Test), where relevant to the role
A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:
Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond
We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.
If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.
- Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.
Permanent
