Senior New Business Executive - Education Markets - Corporate & Commercial

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.

At Howden - Corporate & Commercial, commercial insurance isn’t just what we do – it’s who we are. We support our clients through the complex landscape of commercial risk. We understand the diverse needs of businesses from large corporates to emerging ventures, meticulously crafting bespoke solutions to empower businesses to navigate uncertainty and achieve unwavering growth. Our depth of commercial insurance expertise allows us to protect client’s assets and fuel their progress. When our clients prosper, we celebrate success with them; when challenges arise, we provide unwavering support.

Howden Corporate & Commercial are expanding our new business team and we’re looking for a driven Senior New Business Executive with a strong new‑business mindset to help accelerate our growth across the education and student accommodation sectors.

This role is ideal for a proactive sales professional who excels at self‑generating pipeline, creating relationships from scratch, and closing commercial opportunities. You may come from insurance, B2B sales, or the wider education services market—what matters is your ability to win new clients and deliver results.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Own the full new-business cycle - from prospecting and lead generation to pitching, negotiating and closing.

• Build and manage your own pipeline, identifying and pursuing opportunities across colleges, universities and student accommodation providers.

• Develop strong, long-lasting commercial relationships with senior stakeholders.

• Position and promote our range of non‑advised products tailored for the education and student sectors.

• Represent Howden at key industry events and conferences to drive new opportunities.

• Work closely with internal teams to ensure a smooth onboarding and an excellent client experience.

• Generate referrals and identify opportunities to introduce other parts of the Howden business.

What We’re Looking For

Essential

• A minimum of 2+ years in a new-business or sales-focused role.

• Demonstrated success in building your own pipeline and consistently hitting new business targets.

• Confident communicator who can build rapport quickly with senior stakeholders.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage your own diary, prospects, and priorities.

Desirable

• Experience in sales, education services, wellbeing, mental health or employee benefits.

• Cert CII (or willingness to work toward it).

What You’ll Bring

• A commercially driven mindset and a passion for new business.

• Resilience, energy and the ability to thrive in a target-driven environment.

• Curiosity and a willingness to understand clients’ challenges.

• Independence, initiative and a desire to grow a market opportunity.

The Role & Environment

• Full-time, permanent position

• Field-based with regular travel and time in our Cheltenham office (days agreed with the manager)

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.