Operations 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.

Flexible within the UK, with an expectation to be in our London office approximately two to three days per week. Regular in-person collaboration with Executive stakeholders is a key part of the role.
We're looking for an experienced Operations Director to help shape the next phase of growth for our Private Clients business.

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  Lead and continually evolve the operating model to support growth, efficiency, scalability and service excellence.

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  Own the operational transformation agenda, ensuring initiatives are aligned to business strategy and deliver measurable commercial and operational outcomes.

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  Drive improvements across productivity, service, quality, customer experience and cost performance measures.

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  Identify opportunities to leverage technology, data, automation and AI to enhance operational effectiveness and decision-making.

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  Lead the integration of acquired businesses and realise associated operational and commercial synergies.

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  Establish and maintain robust operational governance, risk and resilience frameworks.

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  Build and develop a high-performing Operations leadership team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

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  Partner closely with Executive stakeholders to influence decision-making and support the delivery of strategic objectives.

• Proven experience leading large-scale operational functions within Insurance, Wealth, Mortgages or other regulated financial services environments.

• Experience operating at a comparable level of organisational complexity, with responsibility for significant budgets, multiple management layers and geographically dispersed teams.

• A track record of delivering operational excellence, transformation and measurable business improvement.

• Demonstrable experience leading organisations through growth, integration, acquisition or operating model change.

• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with accountability for performance, efficiency and cost management.

• Experience building and developing leadership teams and creating high-performance cultures.

• Highly effective stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and challenge at Executive level.

• Strong understanding of governance, risk and regulatory requirements within customer-focused environments.

• The ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery and execution.

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.