Director

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.

Working at Howden Re

At Howden Re, we’re on a mission to do things differently. Our no silo approach, elite team, and clear focus on innovation and relentless execution means our clients are at the heart of all we do.

As a big 4 global reinsurance broker, we deliberately avoid the one-size-fits-all approach, committing to creating bespoke solutions that address the unique challenges of a modern and dynamic marketplace. Our team is empowered to drive progress, creating opportunities for career and personal development, unlocking new value for clients, fostering long-term partnerships, and using the collective power of Howden to change how the world sees risk and insurance.

When you join Howden Re, you become part of a vibrant and entrepreneurial workplace culture that prioritises collaboration, ownership, and shared success. Here, your contributions will directly impact our mission to be the global partner of choice in reinsurance and strategic advisory.

Be a part of Howden Re's exciting journey. Together, we are shaping the future of reinsurance.

Howden Re is building a Global RFP Function to support continued growth across our global treaty and facultative divisions. This function is essential to our production lifecycle - how we scale, differentiate and win in an increasingly competitive market.

We are seeking an experienced RFP Director to play a key role in shaping and embedding this function. This is a hands-on senior role requiring someone who can operate across strategy and execution, delivering complex opportunities while building long-term capability.

This role will help ensure our RFP approach fully supports and accelerates our growth trajectory.

Why join Howden Re?

• Opportunity to shape and build a global RFP function

• Influence strategy, ways of working and delivery across multiple regions

• Exposure to high-profile, complex client opportunities

• Be part of a high-growth business with a clear ambition and strong market position

The Role

You will lead the delivery of large, complex reinsurance RFPs globally while supporting the transition to a more centralised, value-led RFP model.

A core focus of the role is driving change, moving from broker-led processes to a structured, specialist function that adds measurable value. This will require strong stakeholder engagement, clear guidance and the ability to influence behaviours and ways of working across the business.

You will also lead and develop the London-based team, embedding best practice, raising standards and acting as a role model for delivery excellence.

Build, Scale & Transform the RFP Function

• Support the design and build of a global RFP function, establishing scalable processes and standards

• Drive the transition to a centralised, value-adding RFP model

• Embed consistent ways of working across regions, aligned to global strategy Balancing Delivery with Long-Term Impact

• Deliver against immediate priorities while maintaining focus on strategic objectives

• Ensure short-term actions support long-term capability and consistency

• Drive continuous improvement across processes, tools and outputs

Strategic RFP Management & Delivery

• Lead complex, multi-product and multi-regional RFPs from qualification through to submission and client interaction

• Develop clear, differentiated win strategies aligned to client needs and market positioning

• Maintain oversight across multiple RFPs, ensuring consistency, pace and delivery discipline

• Step into live opportunities where required to drive quality and clarity

• Identify risks, gaps and issues early and implement effective mitigation strategies

• Ensure strong governance across timelines, inputs and deliverables

• Support prioritisation and RFP/no-RFP decision making

• Ensure the right expertise is deployed at each stage of the RFP lifecycle

• Provide clear guidance to stakeholders and align teams around a shared objective of winning new business and retaining existing clients

Team Leadership, Coaching & Quality

• Lead, coach and develop the London-based RFP team

• Conduct reviews and provide clear, actionable feedback to raise standards

• Embed best practice in storyboarding, writing and presentation

• Role model high-quality delivery and collaborative behaviours

What skills are we looking for?

• Extensive experience in RFP, proposal, or pursuit/capture management, ideally within (re)insurance, financial services or consulting

• Proven track record leading large, complex, multi-product and multi-regional RFPs from qualification through to submission and client interaction

• Strong experience in storyboarding, proposal writing and presentation development, with the ability to guide others to a high standard

• Demonstrated ability to coach, develop and lead teams, with experience providing structured feedback and raising performance levels

• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to engage senior business leaders

• Strong project management capability, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, timelines and stakeholders effectively

• Familiarity with RFP / proposal management tools (e.g. Loopio, RFPIO, Qvidian or similar)

Desirable

• Exposure to global operating models & regional nuances

• Relevant professional certifications in proposal or bid management (e.g. APMP Practitioner or Professional level)

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.