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Sompo has a unique opportunity for a Programme Manager in our UK Change and Transformation within our Insurance Operations team .
The UK Change and Transformation team play a vital role in delivering improvements into those operational teams which support Underwriting, Claims and other support functions, whilst at the same time undertaking transformation activities with which to broaden, and better control the services provided by these teams.
This exciting opportunity will allow the incumbent to lead and manage a portfolio of key projects, working closely with senior leadership, cross-functional teams, and external stakeholders to ensure successful delivery of programmes aligned with our Sompo strategic goals. This delivery will play a key part in supporting business growth and strengthening the operational resilience of the services provided to Underwriting, Underwriting Operations, Claims, and UK Insurance supporting functions.
The successful candidate will report to the Head of UK Change and Transformation.
Location: This position will be based out of our London office. We strive for collaboration which is why we offer a work environment where our employees thrive and develop long lasting careers.
Our business, your impact, our opportunity:
What you’ll be doing:
· Strategic Programme Development: Lead the design, planning, and execution of end-to-end delivery of strategic programmes that span multiple interdependent projects and workstreams, ensuring alignment with Sompo’s broader business objectives and transformation agenda. This will include:
o Defining and owning the overall programme roadmap, ensuring it is aligned with Sompo’s strategy and commercial objectives.
o Developing detailed programme plans, including scope, milestones, deliverables, interdependencies, and governance structures.
o Managing the full programme lifecycle from initiation through to benefits realisation, ensuring all activities are tracked, monitored, and reported accurately.
o Aligning programmes with wider transformation initiatives across the business, including operational efficiency, digitisation, regulatory compliance, and cultural evolution.
· Case for change: Develop compelling and commercially viable business cases that clearly articulate the rationale for change and secure necessary buy-in. This will include:
o Conducting impact assessments, cost-benefit analyses, and ROI modelling to demonstrate value creation and strategic alignment.
o Defining measurable objectives, key success criteria, and desired business outcomes.
o Engaging subject matter experts, finance, and commercial stakeholders to validate assumptions and ensure robust financial and operational underpinnings.
o Support the Head of UK Change & Transformation the presentation of business cases to governance forums and senior stakeholders, securing approvals, and tracking post-implementation benefit realisation
· Change Management Framework: Good understanding of change management practices & methodologies to ensure changes are embedded into BAU. Take proactive steps to mitigate change resistance, address concerns and ensure employees are informed and involved right from the start.
· Stakeholder Collaboration: build and enhance strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including senior leadership, underwriters, claims teams, brokers, IT, Finance, HR, and legal departments. This will include:
o Regularly communicate progress, issues, and achievements to stakeholders through presentations and reports.
o Facilitate collaboration across teams to ensure smooth project execution and alignment with business needs.
· Project Execution: lead cross-functional teams to deliver project milestones within the agreed scope, schedule, and budget.
· Capacity Planning: work closely with senior leadership and department heads to assess resource requirements, ensuring that the business has the necessary capacity to deliver successful programmes.
· Resource Management: coordinate resources, budgets, and timelines to ensure successful implementation of each project. This will include:
o Overseeing budgets and expenses related to service delivery to optimise costs and benefits.
o Negotiating and managing vendor contracts and third-party delivery partners.
o Forecasting and reallocating resources as priorities shift to maintain momentum.
· Performance Monitoring: measuring and evaluating programme performance ensuring adherence to SLAs and KPIs through effective reporting, and escalation through to mitigation, where necessary.
· Innovation and Continuous Improvement: drive strategic initiatives that support the company’s growth objectives, such as digital transformation and process automation. This will include:
o Ensure programmes are focused on delivering value to customers, and enhancing operational efficiency.
o Champion and drive continuous improvement of project management processes and methodologies within the organisation.
· Risk Management: identify, assess, mitigate and monitor risks across programmes to ensure they are delivered on time, within budget, and with (known) minimal disruption to operational activities.
· Compliance and Governance: ensure that all programmes adhere to legal, regulatory, and internal governance standards.
· Team Leadership: Building and leading a high-performing programme delivery team, making workforce decisions based on demand and service utilisation.
· Training & Development: Lead and mentor a team of project and change professionals, building delivery capability whilst fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation, whilst providing guidance, coaching, and support to project teams to drive performance and personal professional growth.
What you’ll bring:
- 15+ years of experience of which 10+ in the insurance industry (ideally commercial)
- Good understanding of London Market (Lloyds and Company) Insurance across Open Market and Delegated business
- 5+ years of experience in Programme management.
- A proven track record in the delivery of large and complex change projects, including system implementations.
- Good understanding of the regulatory landscape
- Experience working closely with a wide variety of Insurance functions (Actuarial, Finance, IT, Underwriting, Operations), ideally having run an Underwriting Operations or Claims transformation teams.
- Experience in underwriting systems / policy administration systems and finance systems; specifically Guidewire, Genius and SAP.
- Exceptional leadership and team management skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
- Demonstrable skill in project management disipline relating to the structuring of programmes, business case creation, governance and risk management, and delivery models.
- Advanced knowledge of project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall).
- High energy, passion and drive to execute change
- Excellent communication and influencing skills
At Sompo, we recognize that the talent, skills, and commitment of our employees drive our success. This is why we offer competitive, high-quality compensation and benefit programs to eligible employees.
Our compensation program is built on a foundation that promotes a pay-for-performance culture, resulting in higher incentive awards, on average, when the Company does well and lower incentive awards when the Company underperforms. The total compensation opportunity for all regular, full-time employees is a combination of base salary and incentives that gets adjusted upfront based on overall Company performance with final awards based on individual performance.
We continuously evaluate and update our benefit programs to ensure that our plans remain competitive and meet the needs of our employees and their dependents.
Below is a summary of some of the benefits we offer, which may vary depending on the country:
- Health & Wellness Benefits
- Retirement & Savings Plans
- Global Parental Leave & Adoption Assistance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Tuition Reimbursement & Professional Qualification benefits
Who we are and what we stand for:
At Sompo, our shared purpose is to create meaningful value for clients, communities, and each other. We strive to foster a workplace where everyone feels respected, included, and empowered to excel. As a global organization, we embrace diversity and champion equal opportunity. Guided by our core values—Accountability, Agility, Collaboration, Development, and Integrity—we build trust and support one another to achieve our goals worldwide. Life at Sompo page
Our values come to life in how we hire and grow talent. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and organizational need, and we strive to ensure equitable access to opportunities so everyone can do their best work. If you need an accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the recruiter in charge.
