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.
3 days a week office based
The Role
From day one, our mission has been to create an independent business with a unique culture – one that is controlled by the people who work for it. Finding the most talented and entrepreneurial people has always been key to our success.
We now have an exciting opportunity to join us on a permanent basis, as an Associate Director within our Legal, Technical & Claims team focussing on Professional Indemnity claims. The team is part of Howden’s Specialty business, and the position is based at our HQ in the City of London.
We’re seeking a highly skilled individual with experience in the insurance market in a Professional Indemnity claims capacity, which may include time working in an insurance focused legal role in private legal practice or similar. You will be working closely with colleagues as part of a team who provide claims advocacy for national and international clients with a particular focus on solicitors and accountants. You will be responsible for providing technical expertise, excellent and efficient service in relation to large and complex claims.
We need you to approach claims handling on an “added value” basis, applying your expertise in providing advice to the clients on coverage issues and other technical matters, preparing substantive notifications, proactively managing the flow of information and taking a strategic approach to claims resolution.
Experience in managing people is essential, as you will have direct responsibility for leading and managing other members of the team and being a technical referral point on complex claims issues. You will also have involvement in business tenders, and assist on other technical queries.
People come to Howden for lots of different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. That’s what sets us apart, and why we nurture and retain the best talent in the market. Whatever your priorities – work/life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.
What you'll do
Inputs to Plans/Strategy:
- Delivers high quality advice to the business in a practical and commercially focused way in relation to Professional Indemnity claims with a particular focus on solicitors and accountants.
- In conjunction with other senior claims managers, contributes to operational plans for the department to meet its business targets.
- Manages assigned projects and contribute to other projects as required.
- Provides relevant management information to senior management.
Markets:
- Develops strong relationships with markets.
- Negotiate with markets to achieve the best outcome for the client.
- Maintains any ongoing delegated authority contracts appropriately and cost effectively.
Broking/Administration:
- Create comprehensive claims documents.
- Ensure up to date records are maintained at all times on the Group systems.
- Interprets instructions and issues arising, and then implement actions according to policies and procedures.
- Keep informed of all legal and regulatory developments relevant to the division/department.
Other
- Acts as a senior referral and escalation point for the team, providing technical input and expertise to advise/coach others and ensure decisions and actions taken are appropriate.
- Deals with clients & producing brokers on larger more complex accounts and claims, to ensure their needs are best met.
Policy, Process and Procedures:
- Works within agreed parameters and uses relevant systems to ensure documentation/communications adhere to company procedure and compliance requirements.
- Monitors the administrative processes to ensure workflows, and systems are compliant and meet agreed service levels.
- Implements and supervises internal claims procedures, risk management and regulatory requirements, ensuring these are followed and any deviations identified and investigate.
- Carry out peer checks / audits the work of others.
Environment, Customer Focus and Relationships:
- Deal with incoming enquiries from clients, insurers and third parties
- Deal with client claims and settlements
- Attend client meetings if required
- Introduce clients to other team members and help maintain these relationships
- Behave with all clients (both internal and external) fairly and ethically
- Attend clients / insurers premises as necessary
- Provides relevant feedback from the client, underwriters and market, to ensure renewals, reviews and new business tenders consider appropriate and up to date information.
- Shares information that could be beneficial to the Operating Entity/Group
People Management/Personal Development:
- Manage the performance of direct reports and any people management issues connected with their team
- Signs off work of more junior members of the team
- Ensure team members are competent to carry out their responsibilities
- Manages the team to ensure they have relevant objectives. Positively encourages professional and personal development of all team members to increase their capability and effectiveness
- Motivate team to deliver high performance and achieve objectives
- Retain and develop key team members
- Acts as a role model for positive management and leadership behaviours
- Identifies and hires talent, ensuring that recruitment plans are in place to attract new member of staff and managing recruitment processes where required
- Retains and develops key team members, working with senior managers to develop succession plans where this is appropriate
- 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. Reference to team (below) is only applicable where the job holder has direct line management responsibilities:
- Ensures compliance of self and team (as appropriate if the job holder has line management responsibilities) 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 the job holder has line management responsibilities)
- Maintains accurate records and deal with correspondence appropriately
- Operates in an honest, professional and ethical manner
- Strictly adheres to the Group Employee Code of Conduct which strongly aligns to the FCA’s code of conduct that all regulated entities must adhere to
- Completes all relevant regulatory training
- Ensures remain competent to carry out role (this will include team members where job holder has direct reports)
Who we're looking for
Knowledge/Experience
- Extensive experience of working within the insurance environment in a Professional Indemnity claims capacity.
- Experience of working as a claims specialist within the Lloyds and international markets
- Experience of working in a high pressure, multi task environment
- Has some experience of managing and coaching others in a team
- Advanced/In depth knowledge of the claims handling process and of specific product areas and related wordings.
- Advanced knowledge of the market within which the company operates, including awareness of competitors, specific territory knowledge, cultural awareness.
- Detailed knowledge and understanding of the insurance sector
- Strong awareness of the regulatory environment and requirements along with how these impact on the Operating Entity’s activities as well as their own business unit
- Strong understanding of Operating Entity / Group objectives and how own role/team contributes to these.
Skills/Behaviours
- High levels of numeracy and literacy
- Is confident and has good communication skills including, written, verbal and face to face
- Able to work independently and use initiative
- Networks extensively and is able to build sustainable working relationships
- Strong negotiation skills
- Analytical and able to make good decisions
- Able to work flexibly to achieve tight deadlines/targets
- Reacts positively to change
- Calm and resilient under pressure
- An ability to learn and share learning
- Coaching skills and the ability to manage more junior members of the team
Qualifications
- A level or degree level standard of education
- Working towards or has attained the ACII
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
